Antique Lingerie : Advertising from ELLE, 1951
11/24/2007
Do you remember (...) ? A revolution with two new concepts :
Run resistant shape : Bra made 100% with textile, flexible and rigid together.
Ladderproof : made from knitted fabric or elastic lace.
The advertising concludes that the bra makes you "slimmer without efforts".
The 50' s lingerie were not concerned too much about fashion. It was a new start for the profession since the industry collapsed during WWII, as materials were missing. However, "sexy" fashion appeared in the early 50,'s with the massive blast made by the bikini.
Banned in most countries (banned in France by the mayor of Biarritz...), named devil's invention by the Vatican, the bikini introduced charm and seduction for women clothing.
Women had to wait almost three more decades to find eventually lingerie designed for charm and seduction.
And still, only in the early 90's lingerie became really seductive apparel for the public, with colors and trends fully steeping into the collections.
However, already in the 50's there was growing concerns about not getting too fat. The standards were probably not as high as they are today (Good old time...)
So what this has to do with ecology and lingerie? Well, pollution and harmful chemical in textiles didn't build up in one day. As far back as you go, the more you have chance to have natural garments. The main issue being that it was REALLY uncomfortable. It was not due to the fabrics itself, but rather by a lack of knowledge about good fitting (It took actually longer for humanity to get good fitting bras than to go on the moon: no comments). Although the industry of natural cotton is a disaster for the environment, the introduction of Lycra and polyester into garments took its share in global pollution and not a small one sin some countries. Nevertheless, thanks for this brand for trying to make women's life more comfortable on day to day.
