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| Swiss belt corset 1980 |
The
Queensland Museum is exhibiting underwear. The exhibit, called Undressed, is a
collection of 350 years of underwear in fashion. In collaboration with the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the collection has about 80 pieces –
mainly women’s underwear, but there are some men's undergarments.
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| Queen Victoria's drawers 1860 |
It
starts with the large signature-embroidered linen “drawers” of Queen Victoria
to the itsy-bitsy lace, cotton and leather pieces of today. There’s the iconic “Wonderbra”
and garments from designers such as Gianni Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, and (my
favourite) Vivienne Westwood.
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| Half-boned Stay 1770 |
I
liked the half-boned stay in bright red silk damask, buckram and whalebone of
the 1770s given to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1913 by Harrods.
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| Bust bodice 1830 |
In
the 1800s in Britain the bust bodice had no wires or whalebone, although often
women wore them underneath this cotton bodice. The tie around the ribcage was
adjustable.
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| Leather corset 1883 |
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| Corset bodice 1890 |
An
interesting corset is the 1883 Dermathistic corset of tan colored leather and
red sateen trimmed with machine lace. This one was advertised as a
“ready-to-wear” corset available in department stores or mail order: “Ladies
who indulge in healthful and exhilarating exercises as Rowing, Riding, Driving,
Lawn Tennis &c will find the D invaluable, the leather being a sure
prevention against Bones, Busks and Steels breaking whilst it renders the
Corset most delightfully comfortable.” The corset bodice of the 1890s was
unbleached wool with mother-of-pearl buttons. Wool was advertised as warmer
with more ventilation than linen, sateen or whalebone.
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| Bust bodice 1910 |
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| Kesto bra 1930 |
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| 'Divorce' bra 1950 |
The
1910 bust bodice of silk satin ribbon and bobbin lace was described as a
“monobosom” look – and often worn over a corset or chemise. The Kestos bra of
the 1930s was silk and elastic that was actually two folded handkerchiefs,
overlaid, with shoulder straps and long elastic ties that wrapped around the
body. It didn’t offer much support or lift but it was perfect under the simple
clothes of the 30s to the 50s. In the 1950s the black “divorce bra” was popular
– named because it separated the breasts. It was a long-line bra with under-wire
cups.
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| Colette girdle 1957 |
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| Corselette 1959 |
The
Colette girdle of 1957 made by Christian Dior in Paris is skin-coloured elastic
net and nylon with machine nylon lace and cotton velvet criss-crossed shaping
bands. It was called the “New Look” as it was first produced in 1947 with
padded hips and wasp-like waists for an hour-glass figure. The one photographed
was made in 1957 in Bri-Nylon lace which could be laundered and drip-dried. The
lace Seductress corselette of 1959 had elasticized nylon lace with a lace
“skirt” and bra attached – designed to make the wearer “more graceful, more
feminine than ever.”
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| Foam padded bra 1960 |
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| Mary Quant bodysuit 1965 |
The
pink and white-spotted cotton bra of the 1960s had under-wiring and foam padding
for uplift. Bright colours were popular with teenagers. This one had no stretch
fabric making it comfortable and “curvaceous” – “more Bridgit Bardot than
Twiggy.” They were also usually sold as matching bra and knicker sets. The Mary
Quant bodysuit of 1965 was an all-in-one Lycra garment with a non-padded bra
for the “younger, more natural” woman. It was called Youthlines Q Form.
The
collection includes bustles, crinolines, dressing gowns, corsets, girdles,
suspender belts, slips, petticoats, camisoles, cami-knickers, bras, and
bustiers. It has everything that women and men wore underneath to make bottoms,
breasts and bulges either smaller and flatter or bigger and better.
The
exhibit is showing from 12 November 2014 to 1 February 2015.
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