Japanese Lingerie: Hadajuban, panthong, and Triumph

Types of Kimono: Hadajuban

Hadajuban is the undergarment worn beneath a kimono attire. So, technically, it is a lingerie. It is name Hadajuban because it is meant to wear next to the skin. Since kimono is always about layering, it is no wonder that you have layers of clothe beneath the beautiful kimono.

Hadajuban is usually worn only with traditional full fledge kimono. And on top the hadajuban a nagajuban is added to give it a more collar definition. So, in this case, you will never see hadajuban worn with a Yukata, the casual kimono.

Other japanese lingerie notes:

"While European lingerie is about being bold, what distinguishes Japanese lingerie is the attention to detail. The amount of effort that goes into selection of fabric, development of a design that guarantees comfort and preparation of a clothing item that not only makes the wearer feel great but also create a powerful visual appeal to the lucky one who get a chance to see it.

Another major influence of Japanese designs has been in how bold the approach is. Several experts believe that thongs may have been revived simply because Japanese women continue to use them and Japanese designers have made them comfortable to wear. Similarly, fishnet stockings are still controversial in many countries but in Japan these are just a little bit bolder than regular tights but definitely not scandalous." retrieved by rmcox on 31 may 2009 from http://www.mynippon.com/gainippon/lingerie.htm.

Japanese lingerie store is an account of lingerie shopping in Japan.

PANTHONG:

"wearing low rise jeans so that panties or g-string can be visible is becoming commonplace. In an attempt to gain a balance between 'old-fashioned' panties and uncomfortable thongs, the Japanese have come up with an answer." The panthong looks like a thong when it peeks over your jeans but is otherwise a conventional low-rise brief panty. INSERT GRAPHIC HERE

CULTURAL NOTE (retrieved 31 may 2009 from wikipedia): Kawaii: "Since the 1970s, cuteness (可愛さ, kawaisa?) has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms.[1] Foreign observers often find this cuteness intriguing, revolting or even childish because the Japanese employ it in a vast array of situations and demographics where, in other cultures, it would be considered incongruously juvenile or frivolous (for example, in government publications, public service warnings, office environments, military advertisements, and commercial airliners, among many others)."
BRA FUN

Japanese Bras: It’s Really Stuffed, Sometimes With Bread! photo gallery of strange clothing

Victoria’s Secret foundation story

For some time I've wandered the web in search of this: a blog post presenting an overview of the early days of the Victoria’s Secret stores. According to the un-cited story, "It all began in 1977, when a businessman Roy Raymond (1946 - August 26, 1993)" opened a store where men could comfortably shop for lingerie for their wives/lovers, etc.

This history is presented at Lingerie Alley Blog. It is written by "Laurela.com, the lingerie authority on the web". Laurela.com is a placeholder website. The blog is well-designed. This blog has categories that include

* Lingerie Brands
* Lingerie Businessmen
* Lingerie Collections
* Lingerie Designers
* Lingerie History
* Swimwear Brands
* Swimwear Collections
* Swimwear Designers

and has a post entitled, Herminie Cadolle, Inventor of the Modern Bra.

Ms Cadolle did not invent the modern bra; she does get create for early attempts that are generally better labeled as corset alternatives. These garments supported the breasts from beneath and often appear as corsets with the abdomen removed. Cadolle's continues to cater to the well-to-do and political leaders' families.

overviews and print resources

this post is a collection of items that provide historical overviews & print resources.

• Gendered Fashion, Power, and Sexuality
  A History of Women's Lingerie from Random History
  "From the Old French linge, meaning “linen,” the term “lingerie” was originally introduced into the English language as a euphemism for scandalous underclothing." This usage as slang is not confirmed in other sources.
  "The history of lingerie, then, is a history of gendered fashion, power, and sexuality." Which is concise manner of the subject as possible.
  

  Ancient Lingerie: From Egypt to Rome
  
  It is impossible to say exactly when the history of lingerie started, but it seems that the first record comes from ancient Egypt around 3000 B.C. In general, clothing was a status symbol for the Egyptians, and higher-ranking women would wear narrow tunics as undergarments that started below the chest, extended to the ankles, and were supported by a crosswise shoulder strap. Sometimes they would draw tunics around to the front of the body to mold the waist. Slave and servants wore no undergarments; they wore only simple loin cloths or went naked. Several female terra cotta figurines found throughout the ancient Near East appear to wear several different types of undergarments. One of them is a Babylonian girl from about 3000 B.C. who is wearing what might be considered briefs that look as though it could have been derived from the loin cloth. Another female figure from 2000 B.C., found in Crete, depicts the first recorded corset-like bodice and crinoline (a caged or hoped underskirt) that shoves the bare breast upward (Ewing 1972). Both are interesting in that they show similarities to lingerie eons later in the western world.
  
  In classical Greece, several female statues wear a crossed band over their shoulders and across the breast, as in the famous statue of the charioteer at Delphi. The Odyssey and Iliad mention women’s undergarments, as does Herodotus, Aristophanes, and the later Hellenistic writer Lacian (Ewing 1972). In these texts, women are described as wearing a band of linen known as the zoné around the waist and lower torso to shape and control them. Other Greek words also appear to describe women’s undergarments, including the apodesmos (meaning a band, breast band, or girdle), mastodeton (or breast band, which actually flattens the bust) and, occasionally, mastodesmos (with a similar meaning) (Ewing 1972). These garments appear to presage the bra as well as the corset.
  
  ancient bikinis
  A famous Roman mosaic from A.D. 400 shows several women wearing what appear to be bikinis or briefs
  Roman women followed Greek fashion closely. The Roman poet Martial describes a cestus, which is similar to the Greek zoné but wider, and Cicero also mentions a strophium or breast band. Other Roman terms describing women’s underclothing include the mamillere and fascia, which were tight bands of cloth that primarily supported the bust rather than the abdomen. A famous mosaic from A.D. 400 shows several women wearing what appear to be bikinis or briefs (Ewing 1972). For both the Greeks and the Romans, underclothing (which sometimes was worn as outer clothing as well) was designed more for function than exclusively aesthetic reasons.



• Undercover Sylvia Giles examines the story of lingerie, and its link to recent history. Expanded from issue 22 of Lucire. discusses briefly the changes in women's social roles reflected in their foundation garments.
  


• References
  
  Ewing, Elizabeth. 1976. Underwear: A History. New York, NY: Theatre Arts Books.
  
  Kunzle, David. 2004. Fashion and Fetishism: Corsets, Tight-Lacing and Other Forms of Body –Sculpture. Thrupp, UK: Sutton Publishing Limited.
  
  Steele, Valerie. 2001. The Corset: A Cultural History. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
  Workman, Nancy. 1996. “From Victorian to Victoria’s Secret: The Foundations of Modern Erotic Wear. Journal of Popular Culture. 30.2, 61-73.
  Alac, Patrik. 2001. Bikini: A Cultural History. Parkstone Press USA, ltd.
  Lencek, Lena and Bosker, Gideon. 1989. Making Waves: Swimsuits and the Undressing of America. Chronicle Books.
  The Lingerie Handbook (Paperback)
  by Rebecca Apsan (Author), Sarah Stark (Author) # Paperback: 186 pages. Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (October 20, 2006). Language: English. ISBN-10: 0761143238
  Margaret A. Lowe
  An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality (review)
  Journal of Social History - Volume 42, Number 3, Spring 2009, pp. 793-795