A Small History of Undergarments: part 2

Undergarments to the Present Day

In the 1890s, undergarments became far more ornate than those worn at the beginning of the century. They were made in linen, silk, and chiffon trimmed with lace and ribbons. Embroidered stockings, originally worn by actresses were also worn by the general public.

In the 1900's a complete woman's outfit consisted of many garments. Restricting corsets were designed to slim the waist and to support and emphasise the breasts. Waists were pulled in with boned and tightly laced corsets, making hips appear more rounded. Corsets had been worn for several hundred years and were considered a practical necessity item of clothing if you wanted a fashionable figure. Some of the other underclothes that made up an outfit were-long knickers, underslips and several petticoats. The petticoats were often in cotton, lace or silk, often adorned with embroidery, very tiny pleats, ribbons and tucks. Girls began to wear corsets at the onset of puberty, this was not as severe as might first appear because as children, girls would have worn bodices.

Corsets for men were also available in the 1900's, worn by the military as stays and during such sports as horseback riding.

Completely different from the desirable curves of the 1900's was the straight silhouette of the 20's. A fashionable woman wanted a completely flat shape, this was achieved by wearing a corset designed to flatten the breasts. Some women bound their breasts since having a flat chest in the 20's was something to be proud of.

In the 1930's, undergarments for men consisted of a pair of loose underpants and a vest. Suspenders that clipped onto the wearer's socks were usually worn.

For women in the 30's the hourglass figure was back in vogue, new corsets were designed to pull in the waist and emphasise the hips.

  In 1947 Dior conceived "The New Look" and because of the cinched in waists and the new interest in bustlines, a new style of foundationwear was needed. Special bras to lift the breasts, and corselettes called "waspies" - elasticated or lightly boned - were worn to hold in the waist. And because some of Dior's skirts had 25 yards of material in them, petticoats and hip and stomach pads to fill out the full skirts were worn.

Dior also made it necessary for women to wear constricting underwear when he introduced the sheath dress in the 1950's. To achieve the smooth look that was demanded by sheath dresses, an all in one garment was worn that combined the bra, waspie and suspender belt. The usual underwear that a 50's girl would wear under her very full skirts and tight bodices, was a bra that lifted and enlarged her breasts with padding or blow up 'falsies', as large busts were considered an important part of a woman's sex appeal. Waspies were worn to cinch in the waist, with suspender belts that covered the stomach and hips, and flesh coloured nylon stockings. Most women just got along wearing a bra and suspenders.

Since the 60's, women have worn one garment or another usually considered underwear as outerwear. In the 1960's there was a craze for wearing Victorian-like petticoats as skirts. The 80's saw silk slips worn as evening wear and camisoles as tops. In Jean Paul Gaultier's 1988 Spring Collection, the French designer featured 50's style bras and corsets as outerwear in his runway shows. And we're all familiar with Madonna's style when she first broke onto the scene.

In the early 1980's, women began to wear men's underwear, which was considered sexy, although the same underwear on many men would not provoke the same feelings. These men's underpants for women were not strictly men's underwear; the legs were cut higher on the thigh and they came in more feminine colours.

Androgynous underwear was frequently worn as exercise gear, this style reflected a new ideal female -- strong and sexy, lean and muscular. Later in the 1980's underwear designers moved towards a classic female style.

As with any garment, the fashions of underwear are recycled with a more modern look.