Cause A Frockus

Vintage Expert | Mary with Vanities Fair

Aug 15, 2014 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns

Vintage fashion is a great opportunity to learn a lot about culture, as wearable art has always acted as a mirror to society itself. There are many different developments that happened as the times changed and sometimes it can feel overwhelming as a retro fashionista to sort through the maze of silhouettes and motifs. One of the best way to understand the clothing is to first understand the undergarments! The structures and shapes created by the lingerie of yesteryear created the foundation for each decade’s signature looks. Our latest vintage expert, Mary with Vanities Fair, walks us through each era with confidence. Enjoy and please let us know your thoughts in the comments…

---

Vanities Fair
New York, USA

“Fashion trends are a reflection of the world climate and each era’s silhouette is defined by the undergarments worn at the time. Although vintage lingerie is difficult to date in terms of specific seasons or year, there are distinct characteristics that identify each decade.”

Find amazing vintage lingerie treasures of your very own at the Vanities Fair Etsy shop and find even more inspiration on their Pinterest and Facebook pages.

---

Vintage Lingerie | The Edwardian Era, 1900s

The definitive fashion icon of the Edwardian era is the “Gibson Girl”, personified by actresses Camille Clifford and Evelyn Nesbitt. A mature, womanly figure with full breasts and hips and an emphasis on a small waist was the ideal. Known as the S-bend or hourglass, this silhouette was achieved through a tightly laced corset with a firm front busk that forced women to tilt awkwardly forcing the breasts prominently up and forward and pushing the hips back. (As seen in the above picture.)

The bust of Edwardian ladies was supported by the corset’s tight lacing and extensive boning which resulted in a round, full monobosom. For those less well endowed, bust enhancers were already in use in the form of soft padding.

At the turn of the 20th century, women spent a great deal of time and effort dressing every day, donning copious layers of camisoles, drawers, vests and petticoats before even considering their outermost layer. In addition to their feminine appeal, these undergarments also served a practical purpose. Corsetry was difficult to clean and maintain. Layers worn next to the body could be delicately hand laundered and served to protect a lady’s foundations from excessive soiling.

Vintage Lingerie | The Teens, 1910s

The shift toward a more active lifestyle, increased awareness of health problems associated with tight lacing and the concern for women’s comfort and safety as they entered the work force during WWI all signaled the demise of the corset.

The definitive silhouette of the 1910s is exemplified by the clothing designs of Paul Poiret. Poiret’s introduction of the first corset-free gown in 1907 embraced the new ideal: a lithe, elongated, high waisted, full bosomed silhouette that favored a more natural body shape. Corsets during the teens were designed to de-emphasize the waist and minimize the hips and thighs. They were cut with a stiff busk, straight front and extended well down the thighs (sometimes almost to the knees!).

The corset’s longer length eliminated the need for excessive boning. Boning was evenly spaced in vertical rows through the torso but did not run the full length of the corset in order to facilitate movement. The “waistline” of these new corsets also migrated south, ending only several inches above the natural waist. Without the support of a tightly laced corset, the bust bodice became indispensable.

The forerunner of the modern brassiere, the “Bien Etre”, was based on the concept of separating the corset below the breasts and creating two separate garments. This innovation was meant to facilitate movement by lifting the bust via shoulder straps as opposed to pushing the breasts upward by constricting the torso. These early bras were essentially an extension of the corset, lacing up the back and often times supported by boning. By 1914 a simple darted band a few inches wide just covering the nipples and supported by fine straps began replacing the more cumbersome earlier bodice. The result was a lifted monobosom that was a bit higher than the Edwardian silhouette.

To accommodate the slimmer silhouette of the 1910s, underpinnings also began morphing into more streamlined, lighter weight pieces. A simple camisole and knickers, combinations (camisoles and drawers in-one) and princess seamed chemises allowed for less bulk under the new silhouette.

Vintage Lingerie | The Jazz Age, 1920s

Women were now fully embracing their new found freedom. They had become active participants in what was formerly considered a man’s world. Liberation from the corset was a symbol of this new lifestyle.

The iconic 1920s silhouette celebrated a young, thin, androgynous and athletic figure. Girdles (now replacing corsets as the foundation garment of choice) were designed to slim the hips, flatten the stomach and create a straight waistline. Although most women still considered some method of control and shaping a necessity, the underlying appeal of the new silhouette was freedom of movement and progress made in the previous decade lead to much more comfortable, flexible and streamlined options through the use of elastic panels and less boning. The more risqué abandoned the girdle altogether, opting for the more abbreviated garter belt or individual leg garters worn directly above the knee with the stocking welt rolled over narrow covered elastic bands.

A boyish flat bust was envied and desired and most women could only achieve this effect by binding their breasts. Bandeaus that supported breasts by compressing them were the bra of choice. These boneless, lightweight bras were a simple band of fabric with minimal shaping to give room for some fullness of the breast. While they sometimes had center front seams or gathering that distinguished the breasts this definition was very subtle and can’t be confused with truly separate cups.

The ultimate goal of underpinnings during this decade was to create as little bulk as possible under the new silhouette. One-piece undergarments like the chemise and step-in were favored and produced a sleek, uninterrupted line under foundations and outer garments. 1920s lingerie was cut in simple shapes with minimal seaming. Despite this seemingly innocent simplicity, side vents were often cut high on the hip bones for a flash of leg and crotch panels were positioned several inches below what might be considered modest.

Vintage Lingerie | The Great Depression, 1930s

The Great Depression brought conservatism and a need for escape. Women relished the fantasy and glamour projected on the movie screen and Hollywood film stars became the new fashion icons.
The return to a more natural feminine silhouette was the new ideal.

Slim hips were still favored but the suggestion of a waistline began to reemerge. It was essential that foundations provided a streamlined, close to the body canvas for the bias cut clothing popularized by designer Madeline Vionnet and Hollywood icons like Jean Harlow. Elasticized panels that offered control and support with less bulk continued to replace heavy boning and lacing. Side hook and eye fasteners eliminated the bulk of a front busk or lacing closure and the corselette, a full body foundation that combined bra and girdle in one, gained popularity.

Innovations in bra design including cup sizing, adjustable straps, under wires and removable padding introduced in the 1930s propelled bra design into the 20th century. The Kestos bra was the first commercially produced bra distinguished by two separate cups that defined the breasts. Under bust straps that wrapped and crossed in back and fastened under each breast with a button provided the uplift required for a more natural silhouette. By producing bras with cups attached to the new elastics, the breasts were supported, separated and lifted and the modern bra was born.

The fascination for bias cut garments was also evident in 1930s underpinnings…and a necessity as well, providing the clean, smooth, unbroken line required for the fashions of the decade. Underpinnings were bias cut and tailored to closely conform to the body’s contours. Popular items during this period included chemises, teddies and tap pants, sometimes with a matching bra.

Vintage Lingerie | The War Years, early 1940s

The world was at war. Women returned to the work force and a practical, utilitarian, somewhat masculine simplicity in fashion was born out of necessity. The iconic silhouette during the war years featured a trim waist and hips, broad chest and wide shoulders. Fabric restrictions and a shortage of supplies impacted any major changes in trends and styles during the first half of the decade. Women’s foundations varied little from those of the 1930s, still favoring a natural look with narrow hips and defined waist.

Girdles were still worn but constructed with less elastic than those pre-war. The side hook and eye closure was most often replaced with a metal zipper. A panty version of the girdle was also available due to the popularity of women’s trousers but many women chose not to wear girdles at all during wartime, opting for just a bra and panties. Bras provided full coverage with wide backs and a substantial width of fabric at center front to separate the breasts. Wide under bust bands and adjustable straps that were positioned over the center of the breast facilitated the desired uplift. A slight conical shape with a softly pointed breast was the favored silhouette.

The need to simplify during wartime trickled down to underpinnings as well. Loose fitting, full coverage panties with a waistline rising above the belly button and figure flattering full slips were standard fare.

Vintage Lingerie | The New Look, late 1940s

With the war’s end in 1945, women began looking toward glamour and fantasy as a means to escape the hardships of the early 1940s. In 1947, Dior’s New Look took the fashion world by storm and would impact the silhouette of foundations well into the mid-1950s. The New Look showcased nipped wasp waists, a narrow ribcage with pert uplifted breasts, soft sloping shoulders and full rounded hips. These Couture creations were engineered with complex interior structures of stiff interlinings and boning although an additional arsenal of sturdy foundations was still required to achieve the ultimate hourglass figure.

The “waspie”, new, lightweight version of the corset was introduced as the ultimate waist shaper. This modern corset was app. 5-6” wide and constructed of rigid fabric with elastic inserts, flexible feather boning and laced up the back. The waspie was meant to be worn tightly cinched over a panty girdle or roll-on girdle.

Girdles were now considered an indispensable piece of shaping equipment and became more restrictive as continued advances in powerful stretch fabrics flooded the market. The all-in-one corselette was still popular. Panty girdles and open-bottom girdles that extended below the hips were worn with separate bras, most often a long-line to create a smooth, uninterrupted line thru the torso. A high, cone shaped bust was the ideal. Separate shoulder pads and hip padding were often used by die-hard fashionistas to achieve a more extreme Couture version of the New Look. Stiff, layered petticoats in tulle, nylon and horsehair added dimension and volume to the full, longer skirts of the decade.

Vintage Lingerie | The Atomic Age, 1950s

The 1950s brought renewed optimism as the country recovered from war and the economy boomed. Men were reentering the workforce and women’s roles took a dramatic shift back to that of wife, mother and lover. The overtly romanticized vision of womanhood exemplified by the New Look perfectly complimented this changing attitude. The continued emphasis on silhouette and form created a dependency on foundation garments and the burgeoning ready-to-wear industry with it’s aggressive marketing strategies along with a demand for a greater variety of consumer goods were instrumental in creating a foundation wear boom.

As fabric restrictions imposed during the war years lifted, new materials developed during the previous decades became available. Nylon, rayon and elastics allowed for more experimentation in extremes of shaping and a wide variety of options were now available. The girdle remained a constant but most notable during the 1950s is the advancement of the bra. Women began to expect more support and shaping from their bras. New fabrics and construction techniques incorporating circular stitching, stiffening and padding allowed for much more supportive and structurally complex designs.

The definitive bra silhouette of the 1950s was a conical shape with pre-formed circular stitched cups that pushed the bust upward in exaggerated points. Yes, the “bullet bra”! The push-up bra with it’s underwire construction and built-in under bust padding was also incredibly popular.

Long line versions, already popular in the 1940s, served double duty, creating the desired bust line while smoothing and contouring through the rib cage. In 1952, Warners introduced the “Merry Widow”, a push-up demi-bra with a boned bodice that ended at the top of the hips. Although it was boned, the Merry Widow was not intended to fit as tightly as a corset instead fastening with a zipper or hook and eye closure.

Hollywood’s magical allure still held a special appeal. The increasing exposure of lingerie in film helped establish the romanticism, glamour and sex appeal of women’s under garments. Women longed to emulate the voluptuous sweater girls and glamorous sex symbols of the era. Lingerie featured in films was desirable and coveted. Two of the most quintessential lingerie items of the 1950s, the half slip and full slip, achieved cult status when they were immortalized on film.

Once women began returning to the workplace in greater numbers in the 1960s, the popularity of exaggerated, stylized femininity began to wane. The turbulent 60s set the stage for the way the modern woman views her role in contemporary culture but her innate desire for beauty, sensuality, glamour and fantasy will never die.

---

Cause A Frockus would like to thank the wonderful Mary with Vanities Fair.

For our readers: Do you like to wear vintage lingerie? If so, tell us what your favorite era is in the comments!

---