notes

this post contains some loosely related material that needs to be tied together later--I'm going to plant flowers & mow very soon. The Triumph material updates an earlier post that can be linked in here also.

The Undie Award

The Undie Award gives customers a chance to vote for their favorite underwear & to see what real people find comfortable.

eco-fabrics:

"A company in Sri Lanka who manufacture underwear for Marks & Spencer (M&S) claim to have the first carbon-neutral clothes factory in the world."

MAS Holdings, who also produce lacy lingerie for the likes of Victoria’s Secret in the US, have an “eco-factory” which is 90% powered by hydro-power and 10% by solar panels. The site uses 40% less energy than a similar sized factory using regular power sources. Windows are designed to allow staff to work by natural light while “eco-bricks”, designed to keep the building cool, cuts the need to power air-conditioning units in the humid climes of the South Asian nation.

In addition, sweat-shop conditions or child labour, thought synonymous with some larger manufacturers, won’t be witnessed here. The company brands itself by its ethical ambitions. It says: “MAS was doing the right thing before CSR became a corporate buzzword”.

Get your green pants here from the Economist.com's May 29th 2008 edition is a look inside the factory.
Triumph bra design contest:

Divyanka Bedi has beaten two dozen aspirants at a show held recently [Triumph Inspiration Award (India) for her lingerie design] For her award winning lingerie, Divyanka used bright emerald greens, plum reds, and lime greens with exotic motifs such as ivy leaf and poison lips. The collection focussed on seduction and dark fantasies and was projected for a women who believe in being assertive and sexy yet classy and flamboyant.

• "The contest required us to design an under wired bra and brief set inspired by our opinions of female fascination."

• "How much is creativity a criterion while designing lingerie?

When you have less than half a metre of fabric to work with, to design something that has to be worn under another garment, all the while performing the function of providing support and comfort and yet look different from everything else in the market, one requires a lot of creativity to execute that."

Triumph Inspiration Award Malaysia National Finals ‘08 photos by Michael Yip.

Photos from Triumph International's Japan Inspiration Award 2008 (26th May) that are in line with the whimsical fashions of previous years.

Triumph Inspiration Award 2008 website. The site presents a company history and advertising videos from yesteryear. There is a historical overview of lingerie fashion with a section on Chinese underwear.

Plus Size Bras:
Salon.com's Kate Harding's 30 May 2008 post led me to Ashley Stewart's Butterfly collection brings sexy fashion to plus size lingerie. Some coverage of the premier runway event can be found at Sharon Quinn's blog.

Harding's column also mentioned the profession of Dr. Joanna Scurr, a leading authority on sports-related breast movement. Apparently in demand from makers of sports bras.

Bra Fun:
Triumph International Theme Undies posted on Japundit.

A slightly different version of the bizarre bra gallery from November 14th, 2007 by Steve Levenstein

Triumph International Japan's latest bra concept is the environmentally friendly, and green colored, "Solar Power Bra" featuring a solar panel worn around the stomach. While the concept promotes alternative energy production, "the panel requires light to generate electricity and the concept bra will not be in stores anytime soon, said Triumph spokeswoman Yoshiko Masuda, as 'people usually can not go outside without wearing clothes over it.'"

Sex and the City

This clip was originally broadcast on E!.

Cosabella unveiled its Sex and the City movie tie-in range on 15 April 2008 with lingerie inspired by the popular characters. The Detroit Free Press presents a gallery of 7 photos showing off the range.

"Cosabella, meaning "beautiful thing", was founded in 1983, and led by the Italian husband and wife team of Ugo and Valeria Campello."

Cosabella added to company history list.

This is a well-designed site utilizing flash to present the extensive collections. Links to catalog pages present pdf versions indicating available colors and styles.

Dream Job Interview--Bra Fitter

Eveden created a game to test your skill determining correct bra size by choosing the bra size for various UK celebrities: Do you measure up?

This game is part of a closed competition for lingerie prizes. You can still have fun pretending to be a bra fitter to pop culture "royalty".

"Eveden Limited are specialists in designing and manufacturing high quality, fashion conscious lingerie and bra-sized swimwear in larger cup sizes."

Company Philosophy

Every successful business has to have a clear purpose and Eveden's aim is to provide a unique combination of the best fitting and most fashionable lingerie for our consumers worldwide

Who are our consumers? We understand that every woman is different but we hope to meet their needs through our five brands.

We want consumers to expect the very best from our brands; we have a totally dedicated expert team to ensure that they will not be disappointed!

They have a well designed website featuring a company history, a short history of lingerie and pointers to their signature brands Fantasie, Freya, Goddess, Fauve, and Elomi.

I found Eveden from a google pointer to the blog "Lingerie Directory UK". The blog has been added to the lingerie blogroll.

No Nonsense Hosiery

"From that memorable bright orange plastic package of nylons first introduced in 1972 to its current status as the no 2 brand of legwear and a growing manufacturer of intimates in the U.S." is the lead line from a Friday, April 04, 2008 press release touting No Nonsense's focus on comfort as the brand grows beyond the hosiery market.

Kayser-Roth & the No Nonsense brand present "Our history of innovation:

* First control top hosiery
* First transparent control top hosiery
* First shaping hosiery in mass market
* First age-defying hosiery products with graduated compression technology
* First natural moisture management athletic sock incorporating earth-friendly bamboo
* First shoe solutions collection including: foot tube, gel insoles, and slingback liner
* First completely convertible line of bras"

History of No nonsense

1973 No nonsense is introduced by the Kayser-Roth Corporation.

1978 The Kayser-Roth Corporation introduces the first control top pantyhose, No nonsense Control Top. Instantly recognizable from its iconic green package, No nonsense quickly becomes one of the most popular brands of pantyhose in America.

1986 No nonsense products are made using a production process called 16-point graduation, a technical breakthrough in pantyhose knitting from Kayser-Roth that allows for improved fit and comfort.

1993 No nonsense introduces Great Shapes, the first 'shaping pantyhose" that combines traditional pantyhose with the figure-enhancing effects of body shapers.

1996 No nonsense introduces Sheer Endurance, a beautifully sheer, beautifully strong hosiery collection.

1997 No nonsense takes Control Top one step further by introducing Transparent Control. Kayser-Roth's Calvin Klein Hosiery introduces a similarly invisible control top pantyhose.

1998 Kayser-Roth introduces its first age-defying hosiery products for No nonsense and HUE legwear. Both brands begin utilizing technology that delivers therapeutic benefits to women's legs.

1999 No nonsense introduces Almost Bare, pantyhose so sexy, so comfortable and so sheer, it's like wearing no pantyhose at all.

2000 No nonsense is the first to introduce the smooth toe seam in the value-priced, multi-pack sock category.

2002 No nonsense introduces nonstop, a durable, comfortable line of hosiery that meets the challenges of women's busy lives.

2004 No nonsense offers its first line of women's panties. Also in 2004, No nonsense is listed as the 17th most recognizable apparel brand in America (between Ralph Lauren and Lee) by Women's Wear Daily magazine.

2005 The new No nonsense debuts, complete with new packaging, a new website, fun marketing programs and lots of new products, including sleepwear; super soft and stylish athletic socks; fun, seasonal and novelty socks; and shoe comfort products, as well as socks for men and children.

2007 No nonsense moves up to number eight in the wwd 100, an annual survey of consumer brand awareness. The brand expands its product offering to include a selection of licensed T-Shirt and Ultimate Sport Bra's. Ultimate Shapers are introduced to meet the growing demand for the fast growing Shaper category. Ultimate Shapers provide soft, smooth, comfortable fabric with no-roll waistbands in 3 product choices, Waist to Mid-Thigh Shaper, Waist to Mid-Thigh Butt Lifter Shaper and Pant Lining Shaper.
I added this link to the company history link list.

D&G history

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Bra Fun

Try out Olga, the Traveling Bra for amusement--be careful of the music playing & the extended load time.

Snopes.com busts the myth about Otto Titzling--inventor of the brassiere.

Update 14 June 2008:

Crazy Facts Corner

* The amount of material it took to fully clothe a woman dropped by 80% between 1911 and 1922
* A hoop skirt was believed to be "the *only* article of clothing which stands a chance of saving you from quicksand."
* In Iowa it used to be illegal for a woman not to wear a corset.

# Today the biggest selling colour is white, while ivory and cream come a close second. Tea rose was a hot favourite from the Twenties right through to the Fifties.
# In 1971 skin tones were bestsellers and were second favourites until about 5 years ago.
# About 20% of sales are on fashion colours

Lingerie Industry Groups

• The Underfashion Club is an industry trade group whose mission is

It is the intention of certain members of the Intimate Apparel Industry to raise funds and expend energy to safeguard the present and future health of said industry by:
* Primarily supporting education of new talent.
* Secondarily by attracting this talent to careers in Intimate Apparel.
* Thirdly to act as a good citizen in the local community within which the industry exists.
* To accomplish these goals these members have formed the Underfashion Club, Inc

The group presents the annual--2008 marks the 50th time--Femmy Awards:

The Femmy Gala, recognized as a premier event in the Intimate Apparel Industry, is the fundraising vehicle which enables the Underfashion Club to support its extensive Scholarship, Awards, Internship and Grants (SAIG) programs. These efforts bring to life the Underfashion Club’s credo of "Education today for a better industry tomorrow".

• The Intimate Apparel Council

The Intimate Apparel Council is a division of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). Established in the year 2000, AAFA is the result of the merger of three organizations: American Apparel Manufacturers Association, Footwear Industries of America, and the Fashion Association.

Headquartered in Arlington, VA, AAFA represents the membership on legislation, regulatory and administrative issues in Washington D.C. It also provides information and educational services for its members and the general public regarding industry issues.

Although AAFA has just started, it traces its roots back to 1960 when the apparel industry executives formed the American Apparel Manufacturers Association as a venue in working together to meet the needs of the industry. Forty years later, AAMA merged with other organizations and became AAFA.

• Network Dessous is a specialty publisher of journals documenting and presenting trends in lingerie, underwear and swimwear. They have several international magazines.