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Running Head: GROUP 8- PART 2 1

Part 2- through the Decades: 1900s- 2000s

Sexy Anytime, Anyplace: Lingerie over the Years

Sommer Baldwin, Allison Crumback, Annie Edwards-Hurst, Shelbie Feris

University of North Texas

October 4, 2011

GROUP 8 –PART 2 2

Lingerie in the Early 1900’s

During the 1900’s, women were regulated and had many restrictions on their lives. They discovered wearing lingerie was an outlet to their freedom. Since were so popular during the early 1900’s, women started adding decorative pieces to them such as lace and ribbon. This trend soon became tremendously admired. Since lingerie was not visible to the public eye, women felt as if they were hiding a mysterious secret. It made them feel more powerful and helped them gain independence. The corsets were laced too tight, but allowed them to achieve an hourglass figure (Thomas, 2005). Doctors continuously discouraged women to practice corseting because it was such a high health risk. The purpose of a was to flatten the chest and enhance the hips

(Thomas, 2005). Women wore a garment under their corsets known as a , which is a white cotton . It also became a trend to insert a whalebone next to their chest to support a more structured posture

(Thomas, 2005). The women of the 1900’s certainly took the old saying “beauty is pain” to a completely new level.

Turn of the

The first teddy was introduced in the early 1900’s. They were known as “cami-knickers” because it was a combination of and knickers (Selke, 2011). It was loosely fitted and made from cotton. The teddy was not tightly fitted until the 20’s and 30’s. The aesthetics of the first teddy was basic cotton white with a few lace trimmings. The length of the teddy continued down to the thigh. Teddies were not viewed as a decorative garment but as fundamental underwear. Since underwear was known as chemise, another name for the teddy was the

“envelope chemise” (Selke, 2011). A 1900’s teddy would be extremely comparable to a present day romper. Soon, corsets began to disappear and comfort was the leading trend. The vintage teddy borrowed from The Metropolitan

Museum of Art (see Appendix A).

Pretty in a

A petticoat was well-known to be the third layer of the . It was typically worn under a or to bed as a . were frequently decorated at the bottom with lace, trimmings, or ruffles. This undergarment was designed for warmth and to offer a dress a fuller shape (Storms, 2010). Petticoats were typically white and created from either a cotton or a sheer fabric. “[Women] wore petticoats to give the illusion that they had GROUP 8 –PART 2 3

a smaller waste than they really had” (Storms, 2010). Once again, the display of the petticoat is on loan from The

Costume Institute.

Along Came the Corset Cover

The corset cover was introduced in 1906. It was designed to conceal the chest so the corset would not be visible under the dress. This undergarment was worn during the day as well as at night for sleeping purposes. It looks extremely similar to today’s modern day tank . The corset cover was usually made of cotton. Occasionally, the straps consisted of silk ribbon that tied on top of the shoulders. It was lightly decorated with lace and a little bit of beadwork. The bottom was drawn together with a tie around the . It was made this way so another article of clothing could be attached. “The lower edge is gathered under a band, to which a circular may be added”

(Butterick, 2011). The image of the corset cover shown below is being borrowed from The Institute (see

Appendix B).

Down to the Drawers

Drawers were that women wore in the early 20th century. Today’s observation of drawers would be considered loose cotton . Women usually constructed their own drawers at home, therefore, they would be custom fitted to their body. “Daintiness and perfection fit in under-garments are so desirable that many women find satisfaction easier to attain when these garments are made at home” (Butterick, 2011). The drawers were decorated very similar to the corset cover. They were made of cotton, sometimes had lace or ruffled trimmings and even had beadwork. Bows made from ribbon were occasionally attached to each side (Butterick, 2011). Drawers were also considered a bedtime piece. Loosely fitted undergarments were considered to be normal in the early 1900’s. It was not until a couple of decades later that they would be exceptionally fitted to the body. The Costume Institute was kind enough to let the drawers in the image below be borrowed for the exhibit (see Appendix C).

Lingerie in the 1920’s

The 1920’s were a new era of undergarments; it was out with the corset and in with loose-fitting shapeless undergarments. During this time period, the was evolving from something that was made at home into an actual industry (Wood, 2010). were now boxy and instead of trying to attract attention to the waist and bust with corsets, women were now raising their to their knees so there was more focus on the legs instead. Women now GROUP 8 –PART 2 4

wanted the ability to move freely. Shapely curves were concealed with box-shaped , and flat-chested was in style (Haug, n.d.). Women desired a manly look; they wore undergarments that flattened the chest when tightened, and the bra’s main purpose was to restrict the breasts (Haug, n.d.). There were several different options for lingerie in the 1920’s. They still had corsets but these now covered their waist and hips giving them that boyish rectangular figure that they desired, these were usually called (Wood, 2010). The style bra came about in this time period, which was mainly concerned with minimizing shape (Wood, 2010). The bandeau style bra was popular because it freed the waist, and gave flappers more movement. Another undergarment item commonly worn was a camisole, which was more like a loose fitting tank top. A popular undergarment for the young flappers of the1920’s was a “step-in” chemise; it was very loose-fitting, and could be worn without being noticed under their new shorter flapper dresses (Haug, n.d.).

The first piece in the display for the 1920’s era is the light pink silk/cotton “step-in” chemise. This garment is from the Costume Institute collection (see Appendix D). The second garment also from the same collection is a made of rubber, silk and cotton (see Appendix E). Also from the Costume Institute collection, the third piece is a silk camisole (see Appendix F). The last piece for the 20’s is a brassiere from the same collection as the aforementioned and it was made of cotton and silk (see Appendix G).

Lingerie in the 1930’s

The 1930’s were all about uplift and separation of the breasts, there was more emphasis in this era on supporting the bosom (Wood, 2010). This decade brought a number of innovations to the bra including the introduction of four cup sizes A, B, C, D and 34”, 35”, 48” (Thomas, n.d.). This standardization made bras more comfortable and affordable. One famous bra that was designed in the 30’s was the Kestos bra; it was simple with seams, and could still be effective today (Thomas, n.d.). The Kestos bra featured two overlapping triangular cups shaped by small darts; it featured elastic straps and a front closure button. The Kestos bra in the 1930’s became a “must have” in every women’s (Wood, 2010). made out of the new man- made fabric latex were popular at this time, instead of the corset to form fit women now used girdles (Thomas, n.d). Girdles were worn above the belly button and would extend down to the start of the thigh. They would usually have clasps connected to them that could hold up . GROUP 8 –PART 2 5

One of the bras from the 1930’s that will be featured in the collection is from the Victoria and Albert museum in London. It is made of net and has metal hook and eye fastenings (see Appendix H). The second piece of the 1930’s era is a bandeau-style bra made of peach-colored synthetic fabric. This brassiere is from the costume museum of Canada at the WDM museum (see Appendix I). The third piece is an actual Kestos bra from the

30’s. This bra is from Symington's Collection of Corsetry, Foundations, and Swimwear (see Appendix J).

Lingerie in the 1940’s

The 1940’s lingerie started turning into two separate pieces like we know today, and the upper portion was now being referred to as a “bra” (“1940’s Women’s ”). Several new trends came around in this time. “A new look of the 40’s was boned girdles with waistbands and padded bras that flatten the midriff, cinch the waist, and point the breasts” (“1940’s Women’s Fashion”). Women were starting to wear what we know as the “bullet bra” in this era. Also in the 40’s, came the invention of the push-up bra. Mr. Frederick Mellinger invented the push-up bra in 1948, two years after he opened his now infamous business, Frederick’s of Hollywood (Binns, n.d.).

The first piece in the 1940’s display is the light blue bra from the Victoria and Albert museum in London.

The bra is made from cotton (see Appendix K).The second piece displayed in this era, is a corset (see

Appendix L). The third piece in the 1940’s era display is the bra and girdle set made of cotton and other synthetic materials. This piece is from the Costume Institute collection (see Appendix M). The last garment is also from the same collection and is made out of cotton and other synthetic materials (see Appendix N).

Lingerie in the 1950’s

In the 1950’s, lingerie was becoming an item of elegance, femininity, and beauty. “Lovely lingerie is created to be worn and the housewife who folds her best intimate wear away in dresser drawers is making a mistake,” as said by the writers of Ebony magazine (p. 117). According to Ebony, the bedjacket, meant to be worn in bed while sitting straight up, and the “shortie” , or short nightgown, were wildly popular (Lingerie Goes Frilly,

1953). Lace, bows, rosette embellishments, and colors ranging from pastels to bolds made up most of the lingerie of this era. Synthetics, such as and polyesters, amongst natural fibers, such as cotton and silk, provided most of the fabric in (Lingerie Goes Frilly, 1953). In the exhibit, a silk bedjacket and lingerie dated from 1952 on loan from the Costume Institute collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City will be showcased on a GROUP 8 –PART 2 6

full-bodied, faceless mannequin (see Appendix O). Also, from the Costume Institute collection, Mrs. Sylvia

Peddler’s cotton slip and , or -like piece worn over a slip, from 1958 will also be on display (see

Appendix P). Lastly, an Exquisite Form style 505 /satin, crescent-stitch bra in size 34B, will be purchased for

$20 from Dandelion Vintage (see Appendix Q) and paired with nude Fredrick’s of Hollywood with black, lace trim that will be purchased for $89 from Posh Girl Vintage (see Appendix R).

Lingerie in the 1960’s

The 1960’s were an extremely powerful decade. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in

1963, the birth control pill was introduced, and the war with Vietnam commenced (Tortora & Eubank, 2010). The

‘60s brought upon many movements and protests. Martin Luther King Jr., along with his fellow African Americans, fought for civil rights. Women were also fighting for equal rights and a voice amongst men. The sexual revolution began and feminists, who no longer wanted to be restricted, burned their bras, while other woman began to buy undergarments and lingerie that was a little bit sexier and edgier. According to Tortora & Eubank (2010), brassieres, underpants, and slips still remained the most popular lingerie. Yet, the garments had been altered or changed to an extent. Bras became more lightweight and see-through, panties grew smaller until they looked like bottoms, and slips became shorter and held printed patterns (Tortora & Eubank, 2010). The exhibit will stage another Mrs.

Sylvia Peddler piece on loan from the Costume Institute collection from about 1964 to demonstrate shrinking hemlines. (see Appendix S) Her halter-style design is made of a sheer, nude fabric with ribbon and bow detail. (see

Appendix T) Again, on loan from the Costume Institute collection, the exhibit will behold a zebra-like printed chemise made out of synthetic material from the Iris Lingerie Co., Inc., and once again, a masterpiece by Mrs.

Sylvia Peddler (see Appendix U). To finish out the underwear of the 1960’s, a sheer, black” No Back Bra” design by

Rudi Gernreich, still in very good condition, in size 32B will be purchased from Etsy online for $125. Nylon coral bikini panties, which have never been worn, will be purchased from Dandelion Vintage for $10 and will be placed on the same mannequin (see Appendix V).

Lingerie in the 1970’s

Like the 1960’s, the 1970’s continued to be as sexualized of a period, but lingerie styles seemed to have ventured back to their romantic roots. As stated in a summer issue of Ebony (1997), “fabrics are more sensuous with GROUP 8 –PART 2 7

a casual cling, draping to reveal and giving a touch of ultimate glamour.” Lace and pastel colors were recycled from the 1950’s. The most important addition to lingerie in the 70’s, was the debut of Victoria’s Secret. Roy Raymond, a

Stanford grad, founded Victoria’s Secret in 1977 in San Francisco, California (Quinn, 1993). The idea for this now lingerie empire came to Raymond when he set out to buy lingerie for his wife. He found that it was really uncomfortable to have sales associates stare at him, so, according to Quinn (1993), “he left empty-handed, wondering how a shy guy like himself could buy a slip for his wife without feeling like a sexual deviant.” After much thought, planning, and time, Victoria’s Secret was born. In the exhibit, a silk and nylon camel-colored peignoir designed by Bill Tice, dated about 1978, will be on loan from the Costume Institute collection (see

Appendix W). A black sheer, nylon slip and , both with ruffles, designed by John Kloss and dated about 1971 will be on another mannequin on loan from the Costume Institute collection (see Appendix X). As a tribute to the late Roy Raymond, our last mannequin of the 1970’s, will sport a salmon pink, chemise by Rogers, a lingerie label whom Victoria’s Secret carried in its first catalogue in 1977 (see Appendix Y).

Lingerie in the 1980’s

From the 80’s to present day, we will focus on the influence of superstars. Most of the garments will be from the beautiful woman of their era. Each showcase will have a small statement about the female trendsetter and what she did to liberate women with their style. In the 1980’s, several things were going on to influence a women’s undergarments. Women being welcomed into the workforce were a strong and powerful issue at the time. “In the

80’s, when a woman’s right to be in the workplace was cemented, power created an illusion of masculinity in a world where women were now securing careers, not just employment. Interestingly, lingerie trends polarized from this, becoming increasingly girly and frilly, a reactionary statement to having to conform to a masculine ideal in order to achieve success (Giles, 2007). Time has shown that when women get the chance to shine they do just that.

They always tried to personalize themselves in any and everything they did. In the 80’s, a style of lingerie was introduced that women had been waiting on.

For example, took the world by storm when she wore . As a trendsetter, the exhibit will display three garments of Madonna’s outerwear lingerie. These garments express the influence she had over women’s fashion. The first garment is made of a mink satin with built-in, cone-shaped bra cups. It is corseted to fit the body shape (similar to an ) and was worn with black underneath. According to GROUP 8 –PART 2 8

Greenway (2010), the garment is an “artfully letting slip that the delicate fringe of spidery fronds that edged each cup was known as 'eyelash lace'.” It was purchased at Apartment C in London (see Appendix Z).

The next garment Madonna wore on her 1985 Virgin Tour is provided by The Hard Rock Hotel in downtown San Diego. She wore this lace as she danced across the stage. This white bustier is covered in translucent sequins, clear stones, lace, wire and padded cups, and is wired around the body to keep the same corseted look (Hard Rock Cafe International Inc., 2011) (see Appendix A-1). Madonna did not wear the last garment until

1990, but it was still an important piece in her career. The garment was designed by for

Madonna's Blonde Ambition World Tour. Gaultier's reinvention of underwear as outerwear is the design of

Madonna's iconic cone bustier. The gold conical bra was an exact replica of the first garment mentioned above.

Gaultier constructed it out of salmon satin, lace, and with sharp pointed breast cups. The entire garment is a flesh- tone, lustrous color worn with tights underneath. Since obtaining the original is out of reach, the exhibit will feature a replica from the Pop Memorabilia Auction (see Appendix B-1).

Lingerie in the 1990’s

In the 1990’s, the bust was overly exaggerated. The best example of this style was worn by Selena

Quintanilla-Pérez .She influenced young girls to follow their dreams and never give up, meanwhile being a major trendsetter within her culture. The majority of Selena’s clothing is featured in the Q-Production's Selena Museum in

Corpus Christi, TX. The exhibit will be borrowing the lingerie from this location. The first garment is a white bustier bra with beaded balls and sequins for aesthetic appeal. The pants that go with this ensemble are white and skintight. They feature a wide, heavy flare that also consists of beads and sequins (see Appendix C-1). The second garment is a black high-waisted skirt that is cut higher in the front with a full backside that touches the floor. To bring out the bust area, the black sequin bustier bra has yellow and green sequins crossing over each other to form an “X” shape on the breasts. The bra straps are attached to the narrow, tubular sleeves (see Appendix D-1). The third piece featured a sequined bra and panties. The sequins form a pattern of black and silver on both bra and panties.

The bra is crosses around the chest forming an “X” shape. Another strip of fabric creates a “V” shape for aesthetic appeal, and tights are worn under the sequined panties (see Appendix E-1).

GROUP 8 –PART 2 9

Lingerie in the 2000’s

In the 2000’s, sexy and performing just went together. Beyoncé Knowles took the era by storm with undergarments worn as outerwear, creating a whole new genre for urban America. Inspiring people to be strong and bold, she revealed her body to the world not holding back any fear as women of the past had done. Beyoncé’s mother designed her outfits when she performed with her musical group, Destiny’s Child. Thierry Mugler, the

French couturier, was then named head costume designer for Beyoncé’s designs in the 2000’s. He made her look stand out from her competitors in the hip-hop music industry. Beyoncé set the tone for all singers to follow, being dressed in the sexiest bridal lingerie in an extreme way during one of her videos. “This garment a sheer, white number complete with corset lace-up back, and ” (Magrath, 2011) (see Appendix F-1).

Beyoncé took it up two more notches when she visited Africa and performed her song, “Who Runs the

World” live. Beyoncé brought a braided leather-strapped piece of lingerie to the stage. It is made of nothing but leather straps that are draped across her whole body covering nothing but her breast and lower half. The outfit is lined with a sheer tulle fabric, which matches her skin tone perfectly making it appear as if she is only wearing the leather straps (see Appendix G-1). Beyoncé declared, “Men have been giving the chance to rule the world but ladies our revolution has begun. Let’s build a nation woman everywhere run the world” (Staff 2011). Her last lingerie outfit showcased in the exhibit will be a uniquely created metal outfit made for her video that features singer Alicia

Keys. This garment is made of metal circular pieces attached together and only covers the breasts with small metal circles that form a point. Shoulder pads are attached to the bra. An open look with the same circular pattern on her lower half reveals metallic shorts underneath. If that isn’t enough she had the matching headpiece made of metal and red feathers coming out of it, with matching bracelets. The whole outfit is gold in color (see Appendix H-

1).

GROUP 8 –PART 2 10

References

1940's Women's Fashion. (n.d.). Just The Swing - Swing, History and more. Retrieved September 21, 2011, from http://www.just-the-swing.com/liv/dressing/womens-fashion/wf-1940s.

Binns, c. (2010, July 29). Who Invented the Push-Up Bra?. lifes little mysterys. Retrieved September 21, 2011, from www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/who-invented-the-push-up-bra-0982/

Butterick, D. (2011). Early 20th century fashion undergarments 1900-1909. Retrieved from http://www.vintagevictorian.com/costume_1900u.html.

Giles, S. (2007). http://lucire.com/2007/0621fe0.shtml.

Greenway, S.M. (2010, July). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1291995/Am-I-old--Underwear-worn- outerwear.html.

Haug, J. (n.d.). Lingerie | Hidden from View - 1920s Lingerie. Victorian Era | Victorian Style | Victoriana. Retrieved September 13, 2011, from http://www.victoriana.com/1920s/lingerie.htm

Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc, (2011) http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/memorabilia.aspx?LocationID=467&MIBenumID=3

Lingerie Goes Frilly. (1953). Ebony, 9(2), 117. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.emils.lib.colum.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e96db5ef- 439f-4792-895c- 076e270656de%40sessionmgr112&vid=4&hid=120.

Lounging In Lingerie. (1977). Ebony, 32(8), 147. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.emils.lib.colum.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&hid=120 &sid=e96db5ef-439f-4792-895c-076e270656de%40sessionmgr112.

Magrath, A. (July 2011). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2012471/Beyonc-bridal-lingerie-romantic- new-Best-Thing-I-Never-Had-video.html#ixzz1ZJJEK6Qy.

Mugler,T. (2009). http://www.zimbio.com/Beyonce/articles/537/Beyonc+Concert+Tour++Revealed.

Q-Production, (1999). http://www.q-productions.com/museum.html.

Quinn, M. (1993, October 3). Success ruined life for Roy Raymond Victoria's Secret founder killed himself when venture after venture failed to take off. The Kansas City Star. Retrieved from http://infoweb.newsbank.com.emils.lib.colum.edu/iwsearch/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_d ocnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date:D&p_product=AWNB&p_text_direct0=document_id=%28%200EAF3FA4 76C3ECDB%20%29&p_docid=0EAF3FA476C3ECDB&p_theme=aggdocs&p_queryname=0EAF3FA476 C3ECDB&f_openurl=yes&p_nbid=M63O56VMMTMxNjcxNjk0OC4zMDI0NDoxOjk6RUJTQ082MTA2 &&p_multi=KCSB.

Selke, L. A. (2011). History of teddie as lingerie. Retrieved from http://www.typef.com/article/history-teddies- lingerie/

Staff, B. (2011). http://necolebitchie.com/2011/05/22/beyonce-performs-and-accepts-millenium-award-at-the- billboard-music-awards/.

Storms, J. (2010). History of the petticoat. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?History-of-the- Petticoat&id=4236750

Thomas, P. W. (2005). Costume history fashion silhouettes timeline drawings for colouring in 1900 to 1910. Retrieved from http://www.fashion-era.com/la_belle_epoque_1890- 1914_fashion.htm#The%20Edwardian%20Silhouette%201908-1913 GROUP 8 –PART 2 11

Thomas, P. (n.d.). Bra History - Bras and Girdles - A Fashion History. Fashion History Costume Trends and Eras, Trends Victorians - . Retrieved September 13, 2011, from http://www.fashion- era.com/flapper_fashion_1920s.htm#The%20Bra

Tortora, P.G., & Eubank K. (2010). Survey of Historic Costume: A History of Western Dress-Fifth Edition. New York: Fairchild Books.

Wood, C. (2010). Bust Support Comes of Age: The Bra in the 1920's and 1930's. The Virtual Consumer, 8(3), 15- 24. Retrieved September 13, 2011, from http://www.siwcostumers.org/newsletterarchive/VirtCostV8-I3- 2010/VirtCostV8-I3-2010_15-bra.pdf

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Appendix A Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F

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Appendix G Appendix H Appendix I

Appendix J Appendix K Appendix L

Appendix M Appendix N

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Appendix O Appendix P

Appendix Q Appendix R

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Appendix S

Appendix T Appendix U

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Appendix V

Appendix W Appendix X

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Appendix Y Appendix Z

Appendix A-1 Appendix B-1

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Appendix C-1 AppendixD-1 Appendix E-1

Appendix F-1 Appendix G-1 Appendix H-1