Fashions in corsets and lingerie, year by year: 1900 - 1950

Slideshow of adverts and mail order cat. illustrations mainly, with some magazine feature and manufacturer's material. Have included a few stocking ads, as well. [Error in vid: the first frame for 1920 has two pictures of women in girdles on the left - these should have been dated 1930, if in fact, any firm year can be assigned to them.]The absence of the garter (in widespread use until c 1930) from this material, seems odd - presumably they were covered by the lengthy bloomers etc.Also, in order the better to display their wares, manufacturers' photos for ads etc always show models wearing their underwear beneath , say, a hip girdle although from the early to mid 30s (and from the mid 20s, in the case of the suspender belt) when corsetry could be worn next to the skin, it would, when possible, be worn over it, in real life.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• corsets
• lingerie
• underwear
• fashion
• history
• costume
• Edwardian
• 20s
• 30s
• 40s
• twenties
• thirties
• forties

[fraulinesienna2007]

what is the name of the piano song? i love it!

[wallygreeninker]

Debussy's Arabesque No 1 followed by his Arabesque 2. You can download them free at the Piano Society website.

[leep5]

Yes, what IS the name of the 1st piece of music? Very beautiful.

Interesting subject. I read someplace that steel "boned" corsets went by the wayside because the steel/iron was needed for warships in WWI.

[wallygreeninker]

The music is Debussy's Arabesque no1 followed by no2. Apparently when the US government asked women to stop wearing corsets in 1917 it resulted in an amount of steel being saved that was the equivalent to that needed to construct two battleships.

[1400deadwood]

Maybe it's cause I'm getting old, but somehow, I find yesteryear's fashions to be more beautiful, charming, and sexier than today's fashions.

Very nice video.

[kissiebooashes]

I've been obsessed with these sort of fashions because they are the embodiment of elegance and poise, even if one's body isn't the 'right' body type. Women back then, fat or skinny looked gorgeous in these fashions. At times I wish we could revert back to these times instead of clothes being made for one body type and being too focused on sex.

But by all means, the fascination with this sort of style spans all age groups. It's not just you and your age.

[luv2bellydance4life]

@1400deadwood I think Its more beautiful too. Wish it would come back in style.

[zyanurito]

luv it!!

[engelarzt]

great job, love the photos!! for half a century our worries lies all about: the waist!!!!! kkkkkkkkkk Woman, the most amazing animal ever!!!

[MissMortViolette]

@kissiebooashes Ah ha! But these fashions *were* about sex. The woman with the ideal body type of the time was more likely to attract a mate, so most women strove to achieve that ideal. It's a bit different today, but we're still trying to attract the opposite sex - just not always for a marriage proposal! In fact, women of the past played just as much to men's fantasies as they do today (an issue that really should be resolved - women are still objectified tremendously).

[Ophelide]

@Ophelide And I don't say every corsets are dangerous, but some are.

[Ophelide]

Remember you all the dead people because of broken ribs. :/ It's not just a rumor, it's fact.

[kelseydaydreaming]

It's amazing of how fashion has come so far. I'm wantin 2 get a corset just 2 help get me 2 my ideal figure

[POKIUNA]

and for those who say that corsets did nothing, well u're wrong, there are several documentaries on corsets and the damaged they did, of course they were waayy tight, like the ones of 1900's and before, they made stomaches to be absurdly small, like 2 inch diameter, and ribs to bend to the insides, and yes it all depends on how hard u go with the corset, but back in the day it was beautifull to have a 40 cm waist, so they had serious stomach problems. don't go crazy on them

[POKIUNA]

weirdly 50's corsets were way tighter than 20-30's corsets, awesome how everything changes and comes back

[Persphonefallen]

As the girl below me says

I wear a chemise corset. It helps with posture and is warm in the winter. I don't need the shape but it makes you move in away. Your back straight ppl take notice.