Shapewear

Shapewear is a lingerie category defined by body sculpting garments that incorporate the latest technology in fabrics to provide smoothing and shaping benefits comfortably. Throughout history, women have gone to extremes to make themselves look good in their clothes, and women only have one body, so they can’t conform to every different style naturally. Thanks to the miracle of Lycra--10% blended with nylon or cotton does the fashion trick while allowing the wearer to continue to breathe--a real problem with earlier garments. Instant shape without plastic surgery!

Corsets are the earliest examples of gadgets designed to manipulate the body into a more desirable silhouette. Farthingales, bumrolls and bustles were devices that shaped skirts, producing the illusion of an idela body style. Girdles bound and constricted the tummy most uncomfortably. But, modern shapewear (or compression garments) is constructed of fabrics that are attractive, sleek and even sexy; often the aim is to smooth “lumps & bumps” to make outerwear appear better.

Compression garments come in many forms, from the type that tame the tummy to the types that slim the thighs and rear end. Some compression garments target a specific area and others are made to give shape to the entire body. Since compression garments came into vogue recently, women everywhere are pledging their allegiance to shapewear. This is where compression garments come into play. With compression garments, a woman can look like she has that perfectly trim tummy she’s always wanted or that tight read end. Some women think compression garments are virtual miracles.

Visual Slimming Tricks: Red Carpet Secrets presents four styles of shapewear: The cami shaper, the body suit, the bottom shaper, and the dress shaper.

Some of the newest styles are introduced by Shiny Style for Spring 2008. Included are Bordeaux, Hanes and Spanx.

"Everyone interviewed for this piece universally attributed one factor as Trinny and Susannah [TV style gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine] and their 2001 What Not to Wear television show, which transformed the nation's attitude to underwear. Their relentless assault on laughably awful underwear shamed many of us to take a long hard look at our boobs and realise we, too, needed to go shopping. Wearing the right bra size miraculously made us feel more confident - giving us a better posture and making us look slimmer. So why Trinny and Susannah haven't branched into bras is a mystery, particularly since their Magic Knickers range, despite resembling semi-surgical post-operative apparatus, has been a huge hit."

A blog entilted Fashion Figure posted an Instyle Magazine on shapewear that visually describes the uses and variety of the garments in "Help Enhanciong God-Given Assets". I'm glad to have found this posting because InStyle often presents articles like this one in print, but not online & then I can never fidn the magazien when I want to purchase a copy--just frustrating.

Vintage ad illustration

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.

Antique Corset--Unmentionables Exhibit

From Medieval times to the invention of elastic and spandex, undergarments were used as the foundation for the fashionable silhouette. The corset was the most important of all women’s underwear; in addition to supporting and molding the figure it had the advantage of erotic appeal.

Welcome to Antique Corset, dedicated to the history of elusive and frivolous Unmentionables with special emphasis on Corsetry and Shaping Garments used to create the fashionable silhouette.

Featuring exhibits of corsets, stays, hoops, bustles, chemises, petticoats, bloomers, bust bodices/ enhancers, teddies, knickers, brassieres, falsies, girdles, panties, garters, stockings, slips and lingerie.

Corset History

An extensive museum/history of the UK corset can be found at Ivy Leaf's Tribute to the Corsetiere. It appears to be an exciting collection of corset material with links and historical graphics. Much too much material to incorporate into my current project--which is limited to 80 pages and an alphabetical listing of items.

Zona--The Girdle Zone is another good site.

The Victoria & Albert Museum includes this collection detailing the transformation of the Corset into the bustle. Shapewear from the ages.

The Long Island Staylace Association (LISA) is a regularly updated resource on all things corset. Modern and historical information and galleries that include member contributions.

And a Corset Dictionary from corsetheaven.com

Hosiery history links

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