~History of Lace and Underwear~
In the previous posts on the history of lace, we mainly read about lace beautifully visual in and as outerwear.
But when was it that lace started to be used in luxury lingerie?
We would see it being used as trims in some of the multiple layers of underwear in the 18th and 19th century.
Using lace for different layers of undergarments, probably made these items sorta more sensual?
Perhaps this was the basis and the start of what we can call lace lingerie?
~Layers of Underpinnings~
The underpinnings of back then consisted of underdresses (chemises or shifts), bustle (or rump; often a type of pillow-like pad at the back), (hoop-) skirts or petticoats, stays, etc.
All these layers helped to determine the shape of the way the outerwear dresses looked.
A last bit of kit to also help shape the way the outerwear hung off you, were panniers.
Panniers were contraptions that extended the hips on either side and came in all sorts of designs.
Another type of underpinning were the pockets, which were tied around the waist with ribbons.
The pockets were accessible through slits in the upper petticoat(s) or hoop skirts.
These pockets were basically the handbags of yore.
The more well-off you were, the more layers of underwear you’d wear.
~History of Lace, Stays, and Corsets~
n the 18th and 19th century, elaborately decorated corsets were also worn over the dress or attire.
So not always as part of the underpinnings, but as a final touch to a ladies’ outerwear.
If we’re talking about stays then we’re looking at corsets that were stiffer than an average corset and these would give the lady that triangular upper shape.
There was quite a lot more whale-boning involved in stays than in a corset.
Stays would support the bust, trim the waist and held back the shoulders (they would be that stiff that shoulderblades would even touch!).
This would give a lady that ultimate inverted triangle shape to the torso.
When will more lace be used in luxury lingerie?
I guess we might just discover this in a next blog mes chéries…
~*~
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