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From corsets to the Wonderbra, fashion museum traces the history of lingerie

June 14, 2014 by  
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NEW YORK, N.Y. – From a 1770 corset to a 2014 bra-and-panty set in lacy stretch silk, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology has put the focus on lingerie and ladies foundation garments in a new exhibition.

In about 70 pieces, “Exposed: A History of Lingerie” touches on the mechanics, marketing and cultural touchstones — hello Wonderbra! — that not only shape and adorn but also helped define culture around the globe.

The exhibition, which spans the 1760s to present day, opened June 3 and runs through Nov. 15. A companion book will be released by Yale University Press this summer.

___

THE CORSET’S RISE AND FALL

The corset’s profile was first upped in the late Renaissance and remained popular in many forms through the early 20th century.

“It was a pretty essential element of fashionable dress for about 400 years,” said assistant curator Colleen Hill, who organized the exhibit.

The corset, which originated within aristocratic court culture and gradually spread throughout society, was all about a slender waist, she said. By the mid-18th century, the desired silhouette was an inverted cone, lifting the breasts with the help of stays crafted out of silk, whalebone or wood.

Decorative centre busks were carved, painted and adorned with text or years. They were key in thrusting a woman’s posture upright to make the most of the shape the corset was intended to achieve, Hill said.

By the early 19th century, the corset still included a centre busk but lacked all-around stays for a more softly structured fit that still encased the body and kept a woman’s posture erect.

“It was important for women to have this correct posture,” Hill said. “It was essential for fitting into your clothes, for decorum and for modesty.”

At the dawn of the 20th century, some corset makers continued to promote their wares as “healthy style,” but the designs remained “extremely restricting,” she said. Certain designs made a woman appear rigidly straight in front while resulting in a severely arched back.

By 1920, the corset had essentially become a girdle.

___

THE PEIGNOIR AND LOUNGEWEAR

One late 19th-century article discovered by Hill said American women wore loungewear with a corset underneath while doing morning household chores or preparing for their day.

The corset under a peignoir “is something French women did not do,” she said. “I thought that was very interesting because some of these garments were meant to essentially be a reprieve from these really constricting foundation garments like the corset.”

By the early 20th century, Hill said, loungewear served more functions. The tea gown developed from the peignoir or dressing gown and was worn during 5 o’clock tea.

“It was something that a woman could wear within her home but you would greet your guests at home for tea in this garment, so you still wanted something really fashionable, as luxurious as you could afford, but it was something that could be worn without a corset. We don’t see tea gowns today.”

___

SEDUCTION AND EROTICISM

The British company Agent Provocateur, founded in 1994 by Joseph Corre, the son of Vivienne Westwood, and his now ex-wife, Serena Rees, represents a turning point in lingerie’s modern history, Hill said. They opened their first boutique in 1996.

“They were selling lingerie that was highly eroticized, things that were high end and beautifully made, so they’re classy yet they’re taking a cue from things like the old Frederick’s of Hollywood catalogues that are just really overtly erotic,” she said.

The evocative nature combined with high-end craftsmanship offered by Agent Provocateur led to a greater acceptance of eroticized undergarments and lingerie, Hill said. The company now operates boutiques around the world.

___

THE WONDERBRA

Pre-Wonderbra, women looking for some help in the bust department relied on “gay deceivers,” an early 20th-century euphemism for falsies that could be placed inside bras, Hill said.

“Even some corsets from the 19th century have these kind of falsies built into them, so the idea of augmenting your natural breast size in some way is very old and probably impossible to trace all the way back,” she said.

Enter the Wonderbra, with its plunge, padding and pushup via underwire. According to some reports, the name was first trademarked in the U.S. in 1955 but came out of Canada in 1939 as developed by Moses Nadler, founder of a corset company. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the Wonderbra really took off, Hill said.

Sales were driven by a 1994 ad campaign that featured smiling model Eva Herzigova looking down at her breasts in a Wonderbra with the tagline: “Hello Boys.” The popularity of the ad, including billboards, sent sales skyrocketing. At one point demand exceeded supplies, Hill said.

“There’s an urban legend that when people saw these billboards on the street they would literally cause traffic accidents,” she said.

___

Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie

___

Online:

http://www.fitnyc.edu/336.asp

© Copyright Times Colonist

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‘The sexiest pictures I’ve ever done’: Made In Chelsea’s Binky Felstead shows …

June 14, 2014 by  
Filed under Lingerie Events

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<!–

  • Binky is the new face of lingerie brand Bluebella
  • She said she felt inadequate next to her co-stars
  • She lost a stone in six weeks in order to sizzle on the shoot
  • The MIC star says she has never felt sexier

By
Martha Cliff


Published:
02:11 EST, 10 June 2014

|
Updated:
03:17 EST, 10 June 2014

After dropping a stone in six weeks, Slinky Binky, shows off the results of all that hard work in her very first lingerie shoot.

The down-to-earth Made in Chelsea star is almost unrecognisable as the face of the high-end lingerie brand Bluebella.

The 23-year-old star said that she has never felt sexier as she posed for her first lingerie shoot for the brand.

Femme fatale: Binky says that this is by far the sexiest photo shoot she's ever done

Femme fatale: Binky says that this is by far the sexiest photo shoot she’s ever done

‘I must admit they are the sexiest pictures I have ever done’ says Binky, who was quick to add how pleased she was with the result.

‘I absolutely adore them. There are only so many days in a girl’s life when everything falls into place and you really do look your best. That was one of those days.’

Binky, said that she wouldn’t have had the confidence to go ahead with the shoot in earlier series of Made in Chelsea

‘I ended up wearing a lot of the sort of clothes I wore at home in the early days of the show – like leggings, tracksuit bottoms and off-the-shoulder jumpers.

‘I quickly realised that even though they may have been comfy, I needed to up my game, with people like Millie Mackintosh and Rosie Fortescue in the show.’

She recalls a pyjama party in series three when she realised she needed to transform her wardrobe.

Binky lost a stone ahead of her shoot with Bluebella

Binky lost a stone ahead of her shoot with Bluebella

Binky says that in the past she hasn't felt as sexy as her co-stars

Binky says that Bluebella is suitable for every girl

Bluebella picked Binky as the face of the brand because she’s a real ‘girl’s girl’

‘Millie and the other girls wore soft and silky negligees and amazing skimpy underwear sets and I turned up in my most worn T-shirt and ancient tracksuit bottoms,’ she explained.

She continues to say that although everyone else found it endearing she felt like the odd one out.

‘Everyone loved it and thought it was really amusing, but I felt quite self-conscious and under-dressed, and it hit me then that maybe I should start caring more about how I looked. I think I had lost touch with my appearance a bit.’

Since then, Binky has completely transformed her image recently dropping a stone and a dress size in the space of six weeks.

Binky realised that she had to start making an effort when she was shown up by co-star Millie Mackintosh at the pyjama party in series three

Binky realised that she had to start making an effort when she was shown up by co-star Millie Mackintosh at the pyjama party in series three

Binky realised that she had to start making an effort when she was shown up by co-star Millie Mackintosh at the pyjama party in series three

The reality star is now at peak fitness, which is clear as she shows off her toned body in the new range for Bluebella.

Despite the fact that Binky’s weight loss is obvious in her bare-all shoot, Binky insists that she was under no pressure to lose weight from the brand.

‘The most surprising thing was that Bluebella  made no special requests from me in the weeks building up to the shoot. I did get in shape but that was all about personal pride and had nothing to do with Bluebella.

‘Bluebella didn’t really mind what size I was for the shoot. They
create lingerie from a size 6 to a size 26 and all about making every
woman feel fabulous whatever her size or shape, but I wanted to feel my
most confident best.’

Playful: Binky says that the Bluebella collection is perfect for teasing

Playful: Binky says that the Bluebella collection is perfect for teasing

Binky admits that she had been apprehensive about posing in just bra and pants

Binky admits that she had been apprehensive about posing in just bra and pants

The range has a certain Belle de Jour feel about it and although Binky is thrilled with the photos she admits that she did have her doubts when it came to posing in so little.

‘I was really thrilled to be asked to be the face of Bluebella lingerie but I was seriously worried that I would not look good in the photos. There’s nowhere to hide the bits you don’t like when you are wearing just a bra and knickers.

‘It was a big step for me fronting my own lingerie campaign but I am thrilled with results.’

Although the campaign is fronted by a Chelsea girl, famed for her high end taste, Binky insists that this is a collection for every budget.

Binky says that Bluebella suits every budget and can be worn everyday

Binky says that Bluebella suits every budget and can be worn everyday

Binky calls Bluebella 'provocative at its best'

Binky calls Bluebella ‘provocative at its best’

‘The beauty of Bluebella is that at less than £50 for a set, you don’t have to save it for a special occasion, you can wear it every day.It means you can look absolutely stunning without maxing your Amex. What’s not to like!’

Binky says that a new lingerie set is just the ticket for an instant confidence boost.

‘It was a big step for me fronting my own lingerie campaign but I am thrilled with results’

‘It gives you inner confidence -
whether you’re out with a gorgeous new man, going for an important job
interview or spending an exhausting 12 hours filming Made In Chelsea.

‘It
doesn’t matter if no one else knows you are wearing it, you know. It
gives you extra zip.’

Bluebella founder Emily Bendell said that she chose Binky for the brand because they wanted to make it more approachable and Binky was just the friendly face they were after.

‘Binky is incredibly likable, fun and down to earth as well as being gorgeous’ Emily says, ‘Bluebella is all about making women feel amazing and Binky is a real girls’ girl.’

It appears that Binky may finally be moving on from loverat boyfriend Alex Mytton, claiming that the lingerie gives plenty of flirting opportunities…

Bluebella is available at Selfridges, figleaves, ASOS
and via Bluebella.com, the latest collection is available from next month.


Comments (230)

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The comments below have not been moderated.

Ishkandar,

London,

1 day ago

An average girl with an over-blown ego !!

Huggy,

Preston,

1 day ago

since when do suspenders go over your panties….. that’s awkward in so many ways

A wise guy,

St Elsewhere,

2 days ago

Pretty but just not sexy!

ARodrigue,

Rouyn-Noranda, Canada,

2 days ago

Nice girl but she is no model. I mean, she’s pretty and has a nice body but she is no model, her poses look forced and unnatural. She doesn’t “smile with her eyes” so she just looks angry most of the time

bob,

london,

2 days ago

Who comes up with these poses? It’s like: now I want you to look like you’ve just got whiplash, oh yeah that’s sexy, now one of you looking over a really steep but unimpressive cliff, yep, the money shot right there.

Me,

Uk,

2 days ago

Sexy? Are we looking at the same pics ?

Sarah,

Scotland,

2 days ago

She’s the girl next door but she’s really not sexy. She’d pretty in a different way.

GKJ,

UK,

2 days ago

Binky, this isn’t good for you. There are so many more worthwhile things you could be doing.

richardcheese,

bugaboo, Malta,

2 days ago

Is it just me or does it seem she popped out of her mother feet first, hence the odd shaped head/face?

tonyefc,

Liverpool, United Kingdom,

2 days ago

Who.

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