 |
| V&A |
Before I knew it I found myself passing through the 18th &19th-century fashion gallery, all the way to that of the 20th-century. Looking at all those costumes & gowns, all beautiful in their own right, I began to think of not only the evolution of women's clothing, both the development of women's underwear & lingerie, too. It's seems it's not something to be secretive about & hide anymore!
Your undies may not be the first thing you want to reveal & show anyone, but the resurgence of the recent trend 'underwear as outerwear', designers & everyday consumers have began to look at & study under garments & their meanings in a totally different way...
Today it seems that functionality has been replaced by aesthetic importance; what it looks like is more important than what it does. As recently as say,70 years ago now, these 'foundation garments'; the original & rather orthopaedic/clinical sounding name for 'corsets', were a staple in women's undergarment draws- young & old alike, the corset was seen as fundamental to the way that women dressed & how her clothes were to suit her.
"It's now very difficult to trace the fashionable body shape through underwear as historians would have done previously. Of course we now have Spanx which is a form of corsetry using Lycra instead of whalebone but today you are supposed to be the shape through diet and exercise" (Eleri Lynn, Fashion Curator at the V&A.)
The film below, by the V&A, features the author & Fashion Curator Eleri Lynn providing a detailed & fascinating look at the development of women's underwear, shot in one of the V&A's most evocative storerooms. I suppose, much like the garments in the video themselves were & still are, like all undergarments of old, Eleri leads us on a journey of the long forgotten & hidden world of shape wear of old. Her brief, yet detailed & precise history starts with the "hourglass and S-bend forms, steel and whalebone engineering - of Victorian and Edwardian corsets carries on through the breast-flattening bandeau bras worn by 1920s flappers, the New Look underwear of Christian Dior, the conical bullet bras of the 1950s and concludes with the arrival of Lycra in the 1960s and the renaissance of corsetry through the new popularity of burlesque." (Eleri Lynn).
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/videos/u/underwear-from-corsets-to-bullet-bras-and-back/
 | ||
Eleri & the long-forgotton shapewear of the V&A...
|
Due to the scientific discoveries & technological advancements during Victorian England, 'stays' (a type of boning & reinforcement), as they were called previously in corsetry, fascinated the Victorians & their everlasting quest for the 'perfect hourglass' shape... Although they'd been around for centuries previous, the Victorians began working with a variety of ways to create the 'perfect shape'. Made of steel & other types of reinforcements, they began to invent a form of 'steel busk', which allowed the wasp-waisted women of the time to remove their corsets themselves, without the aid of a chambermaid or a lover. The Victorians invented metal 'eyelets', which lead to 'back lacing' the most common form of corset, 'till this very day. This meant that women could tighten the corset them-selves & adjust to various different waist widths with ease. Every stage in a women's life & in every class & woman would wear a corset. Be it the finest-made, imported silk or a rough & ready worn-in old one, it would have been shocking & considered improper if a woman did not wear one! As much as they are lovely looking & do wonders to your shape, could you imagine wearing one every, single day for the rest of your life. I suppose women who have 'trained' their waists & the women of past centuries, it was common-place, they knew no difference, but us women of today are so used to corset-free lives... I can only imagine the damage life-long wear causes-from cracked-ribs to squished organs!
Like every period in history, shape changes & by the 19th century, it really began to evolve. Early Tutor, artistic representations & written evidence of the female shape showed that a somewhat
'tubular' shape was favoured & by the early-middle 1850s, the rather pronounced 'hour glass' shape began to take over...
Not many may notice this, but there was a huge & notifiable shift & difference in Victorian to Edwardian shape & underwear. The 'straight busk' (that tied at the front), was introduced & it proved ostensibly so, that it applied less pressure on the female's internal organs. Phew! I'm sighing in relief for the women of the time. One can only imagine their joy. If they has to conform to the fashion staples of the period, then I'm sure they were comforted by the fact that they had less chance of death! Although, this relief was short-lived, as even though their lungs & intestines were avoiding a narrow squishing, the new enemy of the corset was to be the groin area. These new designs pushed on the area causing such discomfort. This caused the women's pelvis to arch backwards almost &therefore thrusting the breasts forward. Attractive in appearance maybe, but this very pronounced 'S-shape' would
have caused a lot of the same problems that extremely high heels cause today; damage to the pelvic & cervical area & posture, which meant carrying a child in your tummy would become a great deal more risky than before! It is common knowledge than whilst the Edwardians tried to make corsets more comfortable, they in-fact made thing even worse then they were previously!
'tubular' shape was favoured & by the early-middle 1850s, the rather pronounced 'hour glass' shape began to take over...
Not many may notice this, but there was a huge & notifiable shift & difference in Victorian to Edwardian shape & underwear. The 'straight busk' (that tied at the front), was introduced & it proved ostensibly so, that it applied less pressure on the female's internal organs. Phew! I'm sighing in relief for the women of the time. One can only imagine their joy. If they has to conform to the fashion staples of the period, then I'm sure they were comforted by the fact that they had less chance of death! Although, this relief was short-lived, as even though their lungs & intestines were avoiding a narrow squishing, the new enemy of the corset was to be the groin area. These new designs pushed on the area causing such discomfort. This caused the women's pelvis to arch backwards almost &therefore thrusting the breasts forward. Attractive in appearance maybe, but this very pronounced 'S-shape' would
have caused a lot of the same problems that extremely high heels cause today; damage to the pelvic & cervical area & posture, which meant carrying a child in your tummy would become a great deal more risky than before! It is common knowledge than whilst the Edwardians tried to make corsets more comfortable, they in-fact made thing even worse then they were previously!
Throughout the 20th century underwear started to become lingerie & as shapes changed even further, as did what you wore... The First World War really saw the start of the rebellion against previous generations of undergarments. It was over & out to the old, nurse-maid, matronly rounded figure & in with the with the more androgynous, Marlene Dietrich, flapper-style of the early 1900-1920s shape. This saw to the introduction of the 'girdle'. Those who had an ample bust were no longer envied but were deemed 'unfasionable'. Large breasted women aimed to flatten their chests with a bra called a 'bandeau', which was solely invented to flatten your boobs.
When the Second World War arrived, the 'resurgence of femininity after austerity' took center stage once more. 'Dior's New Look'; cinched in waists and big skirts brought the feminine shape back into fashion once more & with the advent of the 1950s, saw the much lusted after & recognisable feminine shape in the world, the hourglass, return to re-claim its crown of glory once again. The '50s saw the introduction of man-made fibres, so it was out with the whalebone & in with the swell! But this meant more pressure was on the women of the world once more, to retain or create that much-loved hourglass shape. Before the boob-job was common & young girls waited for puberty to hit before they considered augmenting their chests, a surprising three out of every four women were wearing 'falsies', which were a form of 'foam cones' that were placed at the front of the bust cup to create an unrealistically 'bullet-shaped' bust. This lead to the creation of the build in, ready to wear 'bullit bra' which gave women that pointy, conical shape they yearned for. Some of the 'falsies' were very hard to the touch & heavy, others were inflatable or ones that you would fill with water! I can only imagine the horror & disaster I would face wearing them, especially if I was unfortunate enough to have someone bang into-me & knock my watery falsies clean-off!
By the 1960s Lycra had been introduced &was highly successful & tensile; it pulls you in, compresses the figure all without clasps and hooks. Women were aiming for a more natural body shape. Later in the 1960s, the introduction 'separates' came into play- bra & knicker sets.
'Foundation wear', as it's formally known as, wasn't really seductive in appearance. it wasn't until the 'contemporary era' of today, where the retro & vintage aesthetic really comes back into fashion. Brands such as 'Agent Provocateur' allowed the corset to once again take the wheel & the burlesque aspect returns to women's underwear. What was once a staple for women's dress & a rather physical display of how women had been controlled, the 80s, 90s & 2000s have seen a rise in the 'hyper-feminine' & 'hyper-assertive'. Corsets are now used as sensual garments to attract & lure men...
"It's difficult to trace a fashionable body shape now through underwear partly because underwear doesn't really do that job any more. Now you're pretty much expected to be that shape, you're supposed to have that." (Eleri Lynn).
Below is a min-visual history of the variety of women's underwear & lingerie; form everyday wear to sleepwear:
Below is a min-visual history of the variety of women's underwear & lingerie; form everyday wear to sleepwear:
| The rather unflattering & uncomfortable Tudor corset, 'Tubular' in style... Ouch!! |
 | ||||||||||||
A beautiful vintage dusky-pink, silk, fully-boned, lace-up, full-bust corset.
Adorable silky peach, vintage pantie-briefs.
A far cry from the g-strings & thongs of today!
  Courtesy of http://silk-knickers.com/    Courtesy of http://silk-knickers.com/   Courtesy of http://silk-knickers.com/ Courtesy of http://silk-knickers.com/ Modern, vintage-style suspender-belt! Less material used... Today's 'stay-up' stockings' Courtesy of www.plumslingerie.com Sexy, modern bra, knickers, etc... Courtesy of Agent Provocateur!  *Van Raalte* Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/ Another one of my fave online stores!!  *Olga* Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/     *Criss Cross Back Gown and Robe* Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/  OLGA ~Jacquard Bodice Gown~ Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/  OLGA ~Lace Waist~ Fabulous! Gown Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Tosca Fabulous Gown & Peignoir. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/  Grand Sweep~ Formfitting Gown. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/  Gorgeous OLGA Gown & Panty. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/  Sultry Jet Black Gown. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   OLGA Formfitting ~Sheer Back~ Gown Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   RARE Bill Tice ~Liquid Satin~ Gown and Robe*Exquisite! Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Miss Elaine Ultra Lace Inlay Gown Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   OLGA Formfitting ~160 inch Sweep~ Gown. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   ~Precious Pink~ Formfitting Gown. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   ~Artemis~ Nylon Tricot Powder Blue Gown. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Shadowline *Keyhole Bust* Gown. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Miss New Yorker Ecru Lace & Bias Cut Gown . Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Felina by Amir Lacy ~Open Back~ Teddy . Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Lily of France Ruffled Teddy . Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Tosca ~Chiffon & Lace~ Teddy . Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Tosca *Gorgeous Lace and Ribbon Weave* Teddy. Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/   Lily of France ~Gorgeous Lace~ Teddy . Courtesy of http://www.vintagelingerie.biz/  Image Courtesy of Dollhouse Bettie, http://beautyandthestreetmag.blogspot.co.uk/ |
Further articles can be found on the subject & clothing at the V&A:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/corsets-and-crinolines-in-victorian-fashion/
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/corsets-and-crinolines-in-victorian-fashion/
See also, for further reading on 'Underwear':
Carter, A, Underwear: The
Fashion History, Batsford 1992
Cunnington, C W & P, History of Underclothes, Michael Joseph, 1951
Ewing, E, Dress and
Undress, Batsford, 1978
St Laurent, C, A History
of Ladies' Underwear, Michael Joseph, 1968
Shep, R.L, Corsets: A
Visual History, Mendocino CA, 1993
Steele, V, The Corset: A
Cultural History, New York, 2001
Summers, L, Bound to
Please: A History of the Victorian Corset, Berg, 2001
Tobin, S, Inside Out: A
Brief History of Underwear National Trust 2000
Warren, P, Foundations of
Fashion: The Symington Corsetry Collection 1860-1990, Leicestershire,
2001
Waugh, N, Corsets and
Crinolines, London, 1954/1995
Lots of Love,
Lover-Doll Presley
x TCB x
Lots of Love,
Lover-Doll Presley
x TCB x
No comments:
Post a Comment