1950s Lingerie

How about a bit of French lingerie for Valentine's Day? Mais, oui!

Noële Valmont, 1950

Noële Valmont, 1950

Noële Valmont, 1951

Laure Belin, 1953

Laure Belin, 1954

Happy Valentine's Day from Couture Allure!

Vintage Corsets - 1935

It's 1935 and clothes are slim and body conscious. Bias cuts reign, which means your dress clings to every curve, bump, and ripple. What's a gal to do?

You wear a girdle, of course! One piece girdles or corsets with attached bras were in commercial production with the aid of a new latex yarn called Lastex, which slimmed and supported the figure without the use of heavy boning.

Low cut backs in dresses called for ingenuity in the design of corsets. This one, without garters, was advertised as being wearable under evening gowns and swimsuits.

Here we see another low backed design and the attached ribbon garters used to hold up one's stockings.

In 1935, Warner's introduced better fit with 4 different cup sizes - A, B, C, and D.

Many evening gowns of the 1930s were daringly low cut, sometimes backless, with tiny straps. Now, what's a gal to do?

This ad for lingerie by Maguerite Sacrez solves the puzzle. This long line girdle extends up to just below the breasts. Also shown in the ad is a separate bra that could be worn with the girdle, if desired.

Corsetry - 1940

"Long and lean", "slim silhouette" and "slender lines" are words used over and over in a magazine from 1940. To look her best in these fashions, every woman wore a good corset like the ones shown here.
Nemo Sensations girdle and bra made with Lastex yarn, will "mold a new and lovelier you".

Le Gant laced "Sta-Up-Top" girdle extends above the waist to "erase the spare tire and give the long lines of fashion".

Gossard all-in-one gives a "long concave curve from the bust to the hip bone. The pull of the elastic straps tapers the waist".

With this Charmis combination, "you are assured of a firm yet supple line, the latest look". Note the ruffle at the hem of this corset and the Le Gant above. I've never seen this before, but the ruffle is there to cover the garters so they don't show through. Great idea!

Floral Printed Lingerie - 1964

Warner's bra and girdle

Printed lingerie is quite common today, but in the early 60s, bras, panties, slips, and girdles in pretty floral prints were a new and revolutionary idea. Women could be just as pretty underneath their clothes as they were on the outside. And who wouldn't want to wear these spring floral prints instead of plain old white? These images are all from 1964.

Saramae nylon half slip with scalloped hem

Lejaby print bra with lace

Gotham chemise slip with lace edges

Formfit-Rogers bra and slip in black and white poppy print

Triumph International all-in-one corset with pale gray and blue print

The trick to wearing printed lingerie? Don't wear it under white or pale colors if you don't want show through! And did you know, if you're wearing white, you should wear flesh colored lingerie. A white bra or white panties will be glaringly visible under white clothing.

Vintage Brassieres - 1948

And you thought our obsession with uplift and maximum curve was a modern one?

Lovable Brassiere Co. ran a series of ads featuring the Lovable Girl of the Month. Here, their strapless bra is worn under a Margot strapless dress. The bra is boned for support, and they promise "You'll be lovely too, in a Lovable bra."

Exquisite Form patented the V shaped wire that separated the cups on their bras to be worn with low cut garments. They call it "Hi-Low Witchery".

Starlight bras and girdles will make you feel "heavenly" with their patented inner control, whatever that is. This one features circle stitching on the undercup.

I don't care about my bra making me feel lovely, witchy, or heavenly. I just want it to be comfortable!

Vintage Bras & Girdles - 1949

In the 1940's, nearly all advertisements and editorial features about lingerie were illustrated with drawings or paintings, not with live models. I'm not sure when this changed, but these little drawings from 1949 give us a clear look at the seaming used in various bras and girdles. The ones in pink have the added bonus of outlining a typical dress shape that would have been worn over the lingerie. Click the pictures for a larger view.

A. Exquisite Form bra with wrapped elastic straps to wear with a low-backed dress. Flexnit nylon leno girdle with a pretty shell stitched at the back.
B. Flexees All-in-one with embroidered nylon bra cups and nyralon satin and net lastique body.
C. Munsingwear rayon satin bra and nylon coated laton pantie girdle.

D. La Trique strapless bra in nylon elastic and a Femode nylon net and satin girdle.
E. Maiden Form rayon satin and lace bra with a Wispese elastic nylon lace pantie girdle.
F. Lady Marlene demi-cup long line bra in nylon satin with net frills and a nylon tissue batiste girdle by Smoothie Jr.

G. Venus nylon taffeta bra with lace edging and nylon leno and taffeta girdle with ruffle bottom.
H. Lovable rayon satin bra with a cut-away underarm for deep cut sleeveless garments is worn with a Slack-ees nylon pantie girdle.
I. Jantzen nylon taffeta bra with plastic fabric cups and a satin and power net panty girdle with high waist. Plastic fabric??? Maybe it was made to wear under a swimsuit???

1940s Lingerie for your Valentine

Here are three ways to enjoy Valentine's Day 1940's style!

Be enticing in sheer chiffon and lace that covers but doesn't. This gown from 1948 is by Lady Duff.

Go sweet and innocent with pretty ruffles and opaque nylon. This gown, from 1949, is by Tewi.

My favorite - satin loungewear. Who wouldn't feel great by a romantic fire in luxurious rayon satin from the 1940s? Ladies, if you've never felt rayon satin, believe me, you've never felt satin. These pieces were made by Tommies, who offered the pajama top, short pants, long pants, bra top, and menswear style jacket as mix and match pieces. All from 1948.