The Fanny Adams name:

There I was making undies for my family and I for a time and quite pleased with myself. It was my sister-in-law, Helen, who at the time, was making hats for Ballantynes in Christchurch, who suggested I take them to Ballantynes Department Store and see if they were interested in our brand new NZ made undies.

They were!

Okay, stop, breathe. Next, we needed a brand name.

There was some brain storming and word play while we tried to get clever and quirky, but it was my sister, Sherril, who came up with the clincher, Fanny Adams, and there is a wee history to that name.

My dad was in the Navy as a young man, serving in Korea (having lied about his age he was only 16yrs old when he went to war) and later at nuclear bomb tests around Bikini Island in the 1950s – still in his teens.

Tradition in the Navy dictates you get a nickname. It was often based on your real name (although red heads were always called Blue). Surname Miller? Nickname Dusty. Surname Brown? Nickname Charlie.

The nickname for my father, Richard Adams, could have been either Daisy or Fanny, but because he went by the name Dick, it was pretty obvious which one it was going to be.

So with a nod to my dad, there lies the history of the name Fanny Adams.

You will note there has been much mention of my family who have been invaluable in the inception and growth of Fanny Adams Underwear and they continue to be an important part of the growth and success of Fanny Adams Underwear.