The Fashion History of Undergarments
A costume history of underwear from stays, paniers, corsets to crinolines, bustles, bras to girdles. Click on the headings to go to individual web pages.Early Corsetry
A look at corsetry fashion history from classical Crete, to Medieval and C16th iron corsets, farthingales, bum rolls and boned stays.
C18th Paniers
Historical development of the sack dress. Styles of panier hoops and developments to the polonaise.
Stays to Corsets
The costume history changes from stays to corsets at the start of 1800 to early Victorian era.Crinolines
Various Victorian crinoline styles and the differences between style silhouettes in fashion history.
The history of the cage crinoline of 1856. Pictures of crinoline frames and early bustle supports.
Bustles
How to spot the differences between bustle styles. The costume history of the first and second bustle eras.
Pictures of bustle mesh frames.
Edwardian Corsetry
Edwardian S-bend corsets, mono bosoms, long corsets, elastic improvements and bust bodices. Veblen's corset theories.
Undergarment History Knickers Fashions
During the Regency era women began wearing lower undergarments. Drawers were made of more feminine cotton lawn fabric and laced at the waist.1950 Underwear Adverts
1950s Petticoats & Stocking Adverts
Bras and Girdles Before 1950
The fashion history of bras from the first bra and historical changes in bras and girdles in the early 20th century.