Medieval Bra Discovered

source BBC History Magazine The history of underwear just expanded. Following the 2008 find of 2700 pieces of linen in a 15th century castle 4 bra-like garments and some underpants have been authenticated. Previously, no women's underwear clearly designed to fit the breasts has been found. This is a significant find for that reason. These garments were designed to support the breasts and were decorated with lace embellishments. Beatrix Nutz, an archeologist from the University of Innsbruck, made the discovery during renovation of Lengberg Castle, East Tyrol, Austria in a room stuffed with various trash. Is this proof that if you keep your junk long enough it will be valuable again?

They resemble modern bras because they have distinctly cut cups. One of the most well-preserved pieces of underwear looks like the longline bra of the 1950s, as it has an extra piece that extends down to the bottom of the ribcage. Like a corset, six eyelets on the left side of the body would be used to fasten the garment with lace. Another bra has two broad shoulder straps and a possible back strap (it hasn't been preserved, but partially-torn edges suggest its existence). It's elaborately decorated with needle-lace, sprang-work (an early form of knitting), and finger-loop-lace. Two of the more fragmented specimens appear to be a combination of a bra and a short shirt, as they have additional cloth above the cups to cover the décolleté. They also have lacework for decoration.

(source) There were some medieval texts that referred to bra-like garments -- sometimes mentioning pockets for the breasts or shirts with bags -- but until now, there has been no physical evidence for the underwear. Fibre samples of two of the bras were sent to the ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Zürich to be Carbon-14 dated. All results confirmed that the lingerie is from the 1400s. They were most likely sealed in the vault in around 1485, when renovations were made to the castle. Pictures

Chantelle Lingerie Book

Chantelle Lingerie Book - Assouline Publishing Inc.

[Hardcover, Jacket
80 Pages
6 x 8.5''
15.5 x 21.5 cm
50 Illustrations
ISBN - 9782759404599]

Launch of the Chantelle book

"A major event for 2010 is the Chantelle book published by the prestigious Assouline publishing house.
Tracing its history, essentially linked to the evolution of women's fashion and figures, this beautiful work makes Chantelle the first lingerie brand to be seen in the collection "Memoirs of Fashion", alongside the most renowned Couture designers.
This book is sold in specialised upmarket bookstores all over the world, as well as in the Assouline bookstores.."

About the Book

Synonymous with French sophistication, Chantelle is a prestigious lingerie label with a rich history, enduring savoir faire, and seductive design. As a family business founded in the 1870s, the company pioneered the manufacture of innovative elasticized knits and then flourished in the 1920s as flappers replaced stiff corsets with sleek, athletic shapewear. Continuing innovation and dependable excellence, especially in bra design, have made Chantelle the lingerie brand of choice for tasteful women.
About the Author

Anne Zazzo is the curator of the lingerie section of the Musée de la Mode et du Textile in Paris

Beginning in 1876, an innovative corset maker introduced elasticized fabrics into his products and an international fashion house was born....

Marilyn Monroe's “Fling Bra”--malaprop-riate?

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on 1^st June 1926 in Los Angeles, California, to Gladys Baker. She was later baptized Norma Jeane Baker (the identity of her father is undetermined) . After a few modeling jobs Norma Jeane dyed her hair blonde, borrowed her grandmother's last name, and, in 1946 began using the stage name Marilyn Monroe. She legally change her name on 23^rd February 1956.

At 5 feet 5 1/2 inches tall and weighing between 115 - 120 pounds her shapely figure [measurements: 37-23-36 (Studio's Claim); 35-22-35 (Dressmaker's Claim)] caught the imagination of generations. Despite her voluptuous curves, Monroe boosted her bust to a D cup using a bra favored by strippers and burlesque dancers in the 1940s and 1950s. 
 

During the early morning of 5^th August 1962, 36-year-old Marilyn died in her sleep, from a drug overdose, at her Brentwood, California home . She is encrypted at Pierce Bros. Westwood Memorial Park, in Los Angeles.

On Saturday 18th July 2009 London's International Autograph Auctions sold a bra previously "belonging to the professional wardrobe of" Marilyn Monroe. The bra, nicknamed “The Fling Bra, may have been worn by the star while shooting the famous subway grate scene for the 1955 movie "The Seven Year Itch".

This bra, held in a private US collection for 50 years, was part of Monroe’s wardrobe sold in Hollywood in 2005. The lingerie was expected to fetch £2,000 when auctioned alongside an unworn pair of nude, sheer, Christian Dior silk stockings. It brought $5,200 from an unidentified bidder calling in from Hong Kong.

Monroe's bra garnered the malapropic name "Fling Bra" during promotion of the auction. The name was incorrectly heard, picked up by the global media, and stuck. Marilyn's Fling fits her sexy image 67 years later.

Katie Halford, a designer for the vintage lingerie firm What Katie Did, reports, “Marilyn Monroe didn't like wearing underwear and, if she could get away with it, she wouldn't wear any".

Monroe's "Fling" is a sling bra. Designed to enhance the size and shape of her breasts while giving the illusion of not wearing a bra at all.

"The bra looks very complicated at first glance and it actually has four cups inside it," reported Richard Davie, from International Autograph Auctions. "There's an inner cup which is almost hidden, which would support her chest as normal. But then there's another larger cup about an inch further out” providing the illusionary larger size.

Sling bras are worn like modern quarter cup bras that support the breast from underneath and expose the top half of the breast, including the nipple, so that under thin/tight clothing it looks like the woman isn't wearing a bra. Inner Slings are curved strips of fabric, following the natural curve of the bottom of the cup; similar to an underwire, except soft.

Edged with cream velvet piping, the fling bra features a lace design and is sculpted in the cone style of the 1950s. On a technical note regarding vintage bras: velvet trim on the inside of the boning and straps is a luxury feature of couture vintage bras.

This heavy-duty bra--which "perfectly positioned" and enlarged the breasts--was reinforced with extra straps running in a triangle from the center of the bra over the shoulders and vertical 'bone' stays across both cups Underwired slings created impressive cleavage while placement of the straps gave the illusion that Monroe was not wearing anything at all.

This particular Fling Bra may have been worn during the filming of “The Seven Year Itch”, a 1955 American film based on George Axelrod's three-act play. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role.

That title phrase refers an inclination to become unfaithful after seven years of marriage. Seven-year itch had been known in the USA since the early 19th century as the name of a particularly irritating and contagious skin complaint. The name was well enough known by 1845 for the condition to be used as a metaphor for all that is annoying. The success of the 1955 film brought the term a new life.

Plot summary: A professional book reader for a publishing company (Ewell) must endure the dog days of a New York summer alone, while his wife and son find themselves at a oceanside resort. To pass the lonely hours, the overly-imaginative book reader fantasizes about a young model (Monroe) temporarily lodging in the apartment upstairs.

The film contains one of the most iconic images of the 20th century --The Flower. Photographer George S Zimbel provides the backstory: "A beautiful blonde in a white dress walks along Lexington Avenue with her "summer bachelor" friend. They walk over a subway air vent as a train speeds by below. The updraft of warm air catches her dress like a parachute. It billows up and up. The guy is flustered, the blonde is surprised. (End of scene.)”.

Zimbel remembers "the night (Sept 11, 1954) I shot Marilyn Monroe".

Fellow photographer George Karger asked the 25 year old Zimbel, "Kid, who would you photograph as the most renowned world figure?" "[H]ow about Marilyn Monroe?" The question was not rhetorical. Marilyn was coming to town and he generously gave me his credentials”.

In 1929 George S. Zimbel was born in Woburn, MA to Morris Zimbel and Tillie Gruzen. Zimbel continues to produce new work and print previously unseen images from his archive. In an era of increased manipulation of the photographic image by computer technology, Zimbel's commitment to the "straight" photograph has become stronger.

Bra Glossary

Bra Glossary at Bare Necessities

primer on Open Cup Bras: the Styles


Tiffany Hart writes about bra parts


One Hanes Place's bra glossary

Intimate Guide's Bra Glossary - Understanding bra terminology
© 2008 Intimate Guide 

Berlei

The Berlei company was a founding mother of Australian underwear for women.

Advertisements:

Cinema clips from 1920-1950 taken from the Australian Film and Sound Archive.

"The National Film and Sound Archive holds around 90 Berlei cinema and television advertisements from the 1920s through to the 1990s. These advertisements include examples of silent and tinted film (like Berlei Camp-Berlei Foundation Garments: Physiological Support) as well as advertisements produced in the 1950s and 1960s for Berlei by Artransa Park Film Studios – a Sydney radio production house which went into television production in 1956.

Berlei’s cinema and television advertisements for its products over the course of the last century until today provide an important record of the development of women’s undergarments and corsetry over that time.

The common thread through all these advertisements is Berlei’s commitment to tasteful and comfortable lingerie and corsetry.

more

Tennis star Anna Kournikova was a celebrity model for Berlei in 2005. gallery

Company History

"Berlei foundation garments have a history dating back 1912 when Fred Burley founded Unique Corsets Limited with his brother Arthur. Berlei grew from a small store in Market Street Sydney where it offered ‘made to order’ corsets for discerning clientele. In 1919, Berlei Limited was born and since then the company expanded its product line into the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Today Berlei remains one of the most recognisable names in the manufacture and design of lingerie and underwear in Australia." (source)

From the Berlei corporate history page: "Burley conducted an anthropometrical survey of Australian women, the aim was to identify basic figure types so that ready made corsets might be designed to fit as if made-to-order."

From Wikipedia: "The brand originated in Australia in 1917. Berlei undergarments are now sold in Australia by Pacific Brands and in the United Kingdom by Courtaulds Textiles.

The name came from that of the firm's founder, Frederick R. Burley, who felt that his name as normally spelled was not appropriate to his products.--{side note:" [It is said that this name was chosen as a "French" version of the family name. The original form was not acceptable in refined circles, as in Australia burley is a slang term meaning to attract fish by scattering offal on the water around the fishing boat.]"}

Berlei Limited was one of the first Australian companies to expand outside Australia. Berlei (New Zealand) Limited was incorporated in 1923 and Berlei (U.K.) Limited was organised in 1930."

source "1926-27, Burley commissioned Sydney University to conduct the world's first large-scale systematic anthropometrical survey of the shape of women's bodies. This showed that women's figures could be grouped into five basic types, and led to the design of the Berlei Figure Type Indicator -- an inexpensive circular slide rule which could be used to quickly determine the correct fitting for any woman."

Undercover by Roadshow Home Entertainment. This Australian film actually tells the story of Berlei, one of Australia’s best known lingerie brands. The film was written by Miranda Downes and directed by David Stevens. Released on 11-Jul-2005.

1971

To distract myself from the empty house yesterday afternoon I slid a DVD of the James Bond vehicle Diamonds are Forever into the player. A treat of sexy lingerie immediately presented itself—Jill St John in sheer bikini panties did the trick. Before long the colorful bikinis and sheer fabrics started me wondering, “what is hidden around the internet to preserve lingerie fashion from 1971?”

In the picture above Jill St John portrays Bond Girl Tiffany Case.

Links:

• Ladies Underwear from the 1971 Sears Catalog "This is as sexy as Sears got in 1971."
• Strap assembly for lingerie and brassieres (United States Patent 6904648)

Models:

• Caprice Valerie Bourret (born October 24, 1971). Gallery.
• Brooke Burke (born September 8, 1971). Gallery.

Books:

• Luscious Lingerie and Swim Wear, by Ruth Mouzon (1971, Hardcover)
Author: Ruth Mouzon Publisher: Strode Pub Publication Date: 1971-06-01 Language: English Format: Hardcover ISBN-10: 0873970152 ISBN-13: 9780873970150

Designers:

• Dress and lingerie designer John Kloss (John Klosowski) was born in Detroit, Michigan 13 June 1937. Died: 25 March 1987

"Kloss used vivid colors like lemon yellows, greens, amethyst, and ruby in abstract shapes reminiscent of abstract expressionist paintings. Sophisticated, simple, clean designs were detailed with top stitching, tiny rows of buttons, simple edge trims, or tie closures. These nonstructured designs were adapted for lingerie and loungewear marketed by Lily of France and CIRA. Included were designs for nightgowns and bras, both seamless and underwired, again without superfluous lace trimmings. The most revolutionary of Kloss' designs came about as a reaction to the "ban the bra" movement in the 1970s. He designed a bra that appeared not to exist in 1974 for Lily of France, called the "glossie," which was made from stretchy, sheer, glittery material. The design was seamless, unconstructed, but underwired, so it provided support for those women who needed it, yet wanted the braless look. The "glossie" came in solid colors such as amethyst, indigo, ruby, and mocha. Kloss received two Coty awards, one in 1971 and another in 1974, for his lingerie designs."


This original 1971 print ad for Bestform plays with the "no-bra" theme. It measures approximately 11" x 8" overall.

gallery of patterns Joh Kloss created for Butterick in the 1970s and 80s. A gallery of John Kloss creations presented by Posh Vintage.
• Josie Cruz Natori was born in Manila, Philippines, 9 May 1947.
“The stunning growth of Natori's empire is due to her vision. In the 1980s, she realized her lingerie was increasingly exposed by the women who purchased it, so she created publicly wearable garments inspired by her lingerie. The resulting neologist crossover category "innerwear-as-outerwear" was never her corporate slogan, though it might serve.” (cite)

film still from an ad for Dim lingerie directed by William Klein in 1971. Photo: Agence Publicis, 1971.
Advertising from a more modern era: Here is an article found while mashing up this post. It is about historical reactions to sexy bra advertising campaigns in the UK.
Reprinted historical article: Lingerie And The History Of Underwear (Originally published November 1933 )

The Sports Bra

In 1972, Title IX of the Equal Education Amendment mandated that institutions receiving federal funding had to spend equal amounts of money on men’s and women’s sports programs. By the late 70’s, over 6 million women were running, hooked on the feeling of health, strength, and endorphins. In 1977, runner Lisa Lindahl was a 28-year-old graduate student at the University of Vermont working as a secretary. She started with a list of features necessary to achieve comfort and support in a running bra, and would not bind or chafe. Then she turned to her childhood friend, costume designer Polly Smith. They were working on a prototype when Lisa’s husband walked into the room and jokingly pulled a jockstrap over his head and around his chest. Lightning struck. Polly fashioned a model constructed of two jock straps sewn together. After a test run with Hinda Miller, Polly’s assistant, Lisa knew it was time to refine the idea and go to market.

Lisa and Hinda built the business up for 12 years, creating a nationally known brand, Jogbra Sportsbras. In 1990, the company was sold to Playtex Apparel, and then to Sara Lee Corp. Miller left in 1997 after serving as President of the Champion Jogbra division.

In 1999, Olympic soccer star Brandi Chastin (pictured above) made the plain black sports bra a national conversation.

Now a generic name like Kleenex, Rollerblade, and Scotch tape, Jogbra has been honored by its placement in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Museum. Sportsbras generate $500 million in retail sales and are recognized as having as big a role as Title IX in increasing women’s participation in sports and fitness.

In 2008, the sports bra was picked as an all-time top fashion innovation. "Comprising a $300 million annual industry, sports bras account for roughly 10 percent of the bra market."( April 3rd, 2009)

Nancy Howard's guide to the sports bra covers several topics including anatomy, measurement & fit, consideration of type of activity while wearing the bra, bra care and construction.

For more on the development of the sports bra, including a timeline of innovations read Kelly Bastone's article, The Sports Bra Turns 30.

Types of sports bras:

Compression Sports Bras are a one piece style that you pull on over your head ;

Encapsulated or Natural-Shaping Sports Bras encapsulates each breast in an individual cup instead of compressing both breasts together as in the previous example.;

Compression/Encapsulation Sports Bras combine the previous styles by encapsulating each breast and compressing the breast tissue against the chest.

A woman's breasts are composed primarily of adipose (fatty) tissue, mammary glands, connective tissue, and the Cooper’s ligament, which keeps the breast firm and prevents sagging. Because the underlying chest muscles do not support breast tissue, exercising in anything other than a well-fitted sports bra can stretch the Cooper's ligament, leading to greater sagging and even pain during exercise.

"The Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, conducted a study to evaluate five sports bras designed specifically for large-breasted women. Commissioned by The American Council on Exercise, the study recruited 10 women between 20 and 45 years old who played various sports, including volleyball, basketball, swimming, walking, running, yoga, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, tennis and aerobic dance. Dr. John Porcari led the study, which concluded that the encapsulated sports bra offered the most comfort and support. Female athletes’ common practice of wearing two compression bras at once produced more difficulty than just wearing one encapsulated style bra. The combination bra, she said, works almost as well as the encapsulated style, but it rates lower in comfort." (Little About)

LessBounce.com presents some additional information on the research behind women's breast health and exercise.

Made by Niki lingerie, a new look for VS & also some competition

Made by Niki is a collectible lingerie brand featuring limited edition pieces.

Brand Overview: 'Niki', which was voted a top 20 brand alongside major players Cacharel, Galliano and Diesel [1], has exploded into the global lingerie arena. Customers can have their purchases personalised, and for the more discerning customer, Niki also offers Numbered Limited Editions. [1] Source: WGSN from Paris, Salon International de la Lingerie February 2007 About Niki: Niki McMorrough was formerly a diarist and writer for Lingerie Buyer magazine and The Sunday Telegraph, and was Head of Marketing for Ministry of Sound and Turner Broadcasting. She trained in lingerie design and business at London College of Fashion, London College of Printing, De Montfort University and Royal Holloway University of London, finally giving up an award-winning career so that she could launch her own label.

National Geographic video overview of the bra--history & fit

In unglamorous Fayetteville NC a new look for Victoria's Secret stores is abut to be unveiled (as reported in the 26 JAn 08 Fayetteville Observer:

Victoria’s Secret revealed

There was another revelation at the mall this week — although this one was kept under tight security.

The new Victoria’s Secret opened Friday. Photographer Cindy Burnham and I were escorted by the mall’s marketing manager to see the new digs, although taking photos of the store was a no-no. I guess they were afraid we’d run a photo of someone in their skivvies.

Anyway, the store is a new prototype for the lingerie and sleepwear purveyor and has more space for its frilly unmentionables.

For the first time, the company’s entire beauty line will be available for sale here. It includes makeup, skin care, hair care and perfume products.

There is also an expanded line of PINK apparel and an exclusive line of Italian lingerie called Intimissimi.

The new store is very hip, colorful and bumpin’ with loud pop music.

Bravissimo!

Some competition for VS?

The most recent retailer to announce its entrance into this competition is Abercrombie & Fitch. They recently announced their new Gilly Hicks Sydney store, an Australian-themed line that is expecting to rival competitors. Abercrombie & Fitch is being very secretive about this new line. However, its Web site, www.gillyhicks.com, suggests that the store intends to reach an older and more sophisticated clientele compared with Aerie and Pink.

Did Victoria Secret open the door for a competitor to become the new name for sexy lingerie? Gilly Hicks' Web site has an 18-and-older disclaimer prior to entering the site and viewing the promotional video. If you think Victoria Secret commercials are too racy, you should steer clear from viewing Gilly Hicks' promotional video. Will Gilly Hicks compete with Victoria Secret and draw them back to their roots? Only time will tell.

Random Bikini History resources

Bikini Science is a comprehensive textbook on the development and variety of the swimsuit. Since swimwear and underwear are so closely related this site is a good source of information. It is very well done, covering the subject with depth & breadth.

Sky News, a UK television news program, produced a web piece for the bikini's 50th birthday. It includes an overview of the development of the bikini. Included are protest bikinis--some made of lettuce or flowers.

TIME magazine produced this photo essay to celebrate the bikini.

R is for Rudi Gernreich is a post on the designer of the topless bikini.

No-Bra Bra & See-Throughs. No designer these days reveals more than California's Rudi Gernreich, 45, the man who shocked the world in 1964 with his topless bathing suit. No stylesetter has capitalized with more flair on the current vogue for exposure; but even his critics grant that Rudi's topless was only an incident in his rapid rise to leadership as the most way-out, far-ahead designer in the U.S. When he was inducted into Fashion's Hall of Fame this fall the sixth U.S. designer to be so honored he was hailed by the selection committee as "one of the fabulous originals," the designer who has been so consistently a front runner that "like World War II's Kilroy, wherever one looks in fashion, it seems 'Gernreich was here.' "

Gernreich (which he pronounces to rhyme with earn quick) made his mark by being not only the first U.S. designer to raise skirts well above the knee but also the first with such trend-setting styles as colored stockings, now so overwhelmingly popular, which he showed as part of what he called "the total look," with dress, stockings and sometimes a hood all matching. Along the way, he has introduced vinyl clothes developed out of a material that looks completely "today" and a series of freeing designs aimed at giving back to the female body its natural look and curves, including his knit tank suits, his No-Bra bra, and sheer, see-through nylon blouses.

Wicked Alternative. For last month's spring showings, Gernreich arrived togged out in one of his favorite zippered Pierre Cardin "cosmocorps" suits, looking every bit as futuristic as his fashions. Standing fully erect, his 5-ft. 6-in., 138-lb. figure poised with a lithe dancers grace, he told the buyers and press: "A woman today can be anything she wants to be a Gainsborough or a Reynolds or a Reynolds Wrap." Then came a preview of the provocative choices ahead. First was a series of simple knit dresses simple except for the clear vinyl bands that saucily bared the navel and the underslope of the bosom. Nor were the bathing suits that followed any letdown. Clear vinyl was at work again to make them the nudest since the topless.

Gernreich confronted the problem of the miniskirt head on. Tights may take care of modesty in the wintertime, believes Rudi, but for summer they are simply too hot. "Since skirts as such are really disappearing, they have to have a different look," he announced, and proceeded to prescribe either puffy bloomers or Siamese skirts with a security panel wrapped between the legs. For braver women, he offered a wicked alternative: a black bikini bottom to match the briefest tent dress ever. (Up, Up & Away, Time Magazine, Friday, Dec. 01, 1967)

Peggy Moffit modeling the famous Rudi Gernrich “No Bra” bra--"Vintage mid 60's Rudi Gernreich 'No Bra' Bra, size 32C. Classic nylon bra with adjustable shoulder straps and 3 adjustments to the size at the back hook. Looks and feels if your wearing absolutely nothing. Soft and semi sheer."
sources Hippie Goddess, Glamoursurf

[added 20 April 2008, revised 09 April 2009]

Lingerie History--new sites found

spending some time this morning on a project that craves completion--a dictionary of lingerie-related terms including pictures and historical information. An appreciation of clothing design, marketing, fashion and organization bursts from this project. Designing the presentation and editing all the information collected (mostly off the internet, but not completely) is a job. Anyone who has done a little research and writing can relate. The creative process has been interesting and fun. I'm looking forward to the "finished" hardcopy.

Here's what I found today:

• Love to Know's Lingerie Community is a wiki group ranging wide, but necessarily deep, across the underwear landscape. The history section is scanty & questionable--as always, cross check your sources. It does feature a "panty gallery" presenting some of the variety offered to men and women.
• Serge Lingerie "Explore Your Lingerie World! If you are looking for information on everything related to lingerie fashion browse Serge Lingerie your guide to a bright and brilliant array of lingerie styles, designs, textures, and colors. We combined the convenience of the Internet with an ever-changing world of lingerie and created your ultimate information resource of women's lingerie online."

Site includes a glossary of terms, pictorial dictionary, European size charts and historical overview. Nice presentation focused on the modern bra.

A celebration of the 100th anniversary of the bra from Lycra.com (with a partnership with Maidenform) with a very nice graphical timeline.

John Walsh put together the nicely written survey, A Social History of the Bra, in Aug 2007 for the 100th anniversary of the garment.

Virtual Lingerie Museum

Vintage clothing websites
Any history of women's underwear requires good reference materials. Going to the library or the museum is part of the job in getting the research done—making up stuff is fun, but not credible. Because the number of reference books available is almost none and collections are only found in urban settings my research is limited to the Internet.

What I've found is an array of sources. However, most of them do seem to be making up stuff; at best, the authors water down watered down information until it is meaningless. It can be like trying to understand the Bible from one of those tracts that appear in big box bathrooms sometimes. The few impressions that come through are so stilted and vague to not resemble religion.

So, I've begun to develop my own resource library—a dynamic museum for the development of modern underwear. There are a few scholarly collections scattered around, and a few researchers out there. Writers, those so far discovered, have two topics through which they trace this history: fashion and sociology/anthropology. (There are some who are collecting out of nostalgia.)

However, the bulk of the material for my collection is from the online collections of vintage lingerie retailers. The resulting linkdump is a compilation of web-based retailers of vintage underclothes. A list of shopkeepers stocking contemporary articles is beyond my scope. I also refrain from new items inspired, or even made from patterns, by vintage clothing. Although I would add a site listing patterns. Much of the material is for sale—and therefore dynamic. What is there today may be gone tomorrow.

These sites are listed in the order of when they turned up in my browser. I have tried to give brief description when it crossed my mind. If you know about other sites that could be listed drop an email & I'll check it out. I am not building a soft porn website and will not put up any listings that range into that area.

• Vintage Pastelle


• Dandelion Vintage


• Sleek-n-Chic


• Babylon Mall


• Vintageous


• Vanity Treasures--this site has lots of advertising and packaging materials as well as clothing items. Includes lingerie boxes and stockings still in the graphite boxes.


• Petticoat Dreams–this site is focused on the petticoat around 1950 in the UK. It does have some historical images and magazine articles (the kind touting current fashion).


• Another Time Vintage Apparel


• Glorious Vintage
–a website featuring clothing for gals, some of which are foundation garments.

• www.wickedlady.com/collectables/lingerie.php


• Ad Classix
–this is the website of a retailer of vintage advertising. This link is to the fashion & lingerie index

• online exhibit hosted by Kent State University


• Google Directory of lingerie history-related sites


• ”antique” bras & panties for sale


• Vintage Chikana vintage slips


• Glamour Gurlz


• Heavenly Vintage Lingerie


• Pink Girl Vintage Lingerie

If you do not wish your site to be listed, or I've broken your copyright rules, let me know & down it will come.
last updated 20 April 2008.