Infrequently updated mashups exploring the history of women's underwear and the development of lingerie as fashion. This is a collection of historical resources, company histories, lingerie blogs and all things underwear.
The whole point is to have some fun in the development of a historical lingerie dictionary.
Panty Garter (suspender briefs in the UK)
Panty and garter combination used in place of a girdle or garter belt to hold women's stockings up.
Suspants was a panty garter offered by Blue Swan, a brand of the McKay Products Corporation, beginning in 1947. Suspants became so popular that the name became the generic name for all panty garters (a retro-proprietary eponym since the panty garter is not commonly worn today).
To accomplish its' task comfortably the garment was designed specifically so the weight of the wearer's stockings would not pull the panty down and movement would not stretch and tear nylon stockings. Garters could be removed and they could just be worn as a panty.
Who can wear sexy lingerie continues to be less of a question as ideas change regarding beauty in the world. More options open up for women after motherhood and divorce, and for women beyond a size 8.
this post from a pantyboy looking for female responses includes several Maidenform historical links to be checked out for inclusion in the history. I really like the I Dreamed campaign. Several ads can be found online, but not all & not in place. I have collected some of them offline.
Artful Mama's Ephemera: Undergarments
presents scans of advertisements "PRIMARILY IMAGES FROM THE: Bellas Hess &Co Fall and Winter Catalog. I'm not sure of the exact year....but, I'm guessing late 20's, maybe early 30's. Enjoy!!!"
These do give historical perspective.
Cowgirl Fashion–Prairie Rose Henderson
"In the early 1900s, Prairie Rose Henderson was a popular performer who created a bit of a stir by being one of the first to wear bloomers to ride." Her work would have come during the increase of social comfort around female athletes and the fashion developments which ensued.
Chantal Thomass' company page. It does play music.
Parisian Chic? try Chantal Thomass - "Before there was Madonna, there was Chantal Thomass. Chantal Thomass is credited for the trend “Dessous Dessus” (innerwear as outerwear) and is famous for cutting-edge, haute couture lingerie. Creative fabrics, bright colors, and fabulous trim (tulle, lace, ribbons, flounces) are her trademarks." (The source also promotes La Perla, Rien of France, and, for french panties on a budget, Monoprix, the ubiquitous French department store that is comparable to a Super Target.)
Brand name : Rien
Company : Rien que pour Elle Sarl
Nationality : Française
Address : 14, rue Gorge de Loup 69009 Lyon France
Phone : +33 (0)4 72 01 83 83
Fax : +33 (0)4 72 01 83 89
E-mail : lingrien@club-internet.fr
Website :
French designer
Born: Chantal Genty in Malakoff, Seine, France, 4 September 1947. Family: Married Bruce Thomass, 1967; children: Louise, Robin. Career: Freelance designer selling to Dorothée Bis, 1966-71; partner, Ter et Bantine boutique, Paris, 1967, renamed Chantal Thomass, 1975; introduced lingerie and hosiery collections, 1975, maternity wear, 1981, children's clothing line, from circa 1982; signed partnership with World Co. for distribution, licensing, and boutiques in Japan, 1985; opened second boutique for clothing and household accessories, Paris, 1991; fired from namesake label, owned by World Co. of Japan, 1995; original label went into bankruptcy, 1996; acted as consultant to companies such as Victoria's Secret and Wolford, 1995-98; repurchased rights to her name from World Co. and relaunched label with backing from Sara Lee's Dim division, 1999; first U.S. trunk show, at Saks Fifth Avenue, 2001. Exhibitions: Chantal Thomass: 30 ans de Créations, Musée de la Mode, Marseille, 2001. Awards: Named Chevalier des Arts et Lettres. Address: 346 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris, France.
S Lingerie is a site presenting lingerie web stores, brands, and news. They call themselves "The lingerie and swimwear portal" and present information in various languages--most recently, Polish.
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.
Bra-wearers are getting younger. Twenty years ago, 12 and 13 year olds were bought teen bras, now eight and nine year olds are taking the plunge.
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
I can't vouch for accuracy of these fun facts, but they seem valid enough, fitting in with other research done on this project.
Ancient History:
Greece: "Greek women were corseted. Under the Greek Chiton a leather band style corset was worn and this gave definition to the hips and bust. From birth, girls were swaddled. For six months their arms and legs were bound in swaddling cloths restricting their movement and keeping limbs straight. Adolescent Greek girls were forced to keep trim. Their Greek mothers used woollen bands to keep the developing body slim." (source, retrieved 25 Oct 2009)
Italy: "In 1935, Guia la Bruna’s grandfather founded a lingerie factory in Turin. The Guia la Bruna brand upholds the tradition till today, producing high quality intimate wear." In the 1954 "in Italy, a woman named Ada Masotti, a started making corsets for wealthy women, which led to the establishment of the La Perla company" (source, retrieved 25 Oct 2009)
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.
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.
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?”
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 )
"Who we are and what we do Holeproof is a leading Australian manufacturer and marketer of high-quality socks, underwear and sleepwear, capable of producing over 80,000 garments per day. Our range includes many prominent Australian brands for men, women and children.
Holeproof began in the late 1920’s originally as a hosiery manufacturer and has continued to develop, expand and adapt to the changing needs of consumers. Today the company is one of the leaders in the Australian and New Zealand clothing and textile industry."
sexy, sheeky YouTube commercials (like this one) can be found easily.
Former Miss Universe contestant Erin McNaught appeared in the Hot in the City lingerie show at the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week show in Sydney for the new Antz Pantz range (with images and video) from news 9msn 21st August 2009. For a little more coverage on the show....
Nothing--"Designed to disappear under fashion, Holeproof Nothing features a unique no panty line leg finish, gusset shaping and back seam to help prevent ride up. Made from soft, stretchy and slinky fabric for added comfort"
Love Kylie--The famous 2003 lingerie range designed by Australian icon Kylie Minogue.
Underdaks (for men)--check this link for a view of the product from a designer.
The site includes a company history.
Proof that a hosiery company selling under the brandname Holeproof can be found in a December 1923 issue of photoplay magazine. Thanks to the Glam Guide blog for the 20th Nov 2007 post.
For those who enjoy bra and girdle ads from the post-war era here is a lead to information on illustrator Haddon Sundblom and a gallery of his work for Formfit.
