• 'La Panthère' Sequinned Halter Bodysuit With Tail By Erté, c. 1939, France. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    ‘La Panthère’ Sequinned Halter Bodysuit With Tail By Erté

    'La Panthère' Sequinned Halter Bodysuit With Tail By Erté Date: c. 1939 Origin: France Fabric: Cotton bobbinet, rayon satin, silk lamé, silk velvet, painted canvas, metal and gelatin sequins Brand: Erté   This halterneck bodysuit has an exposed bust, thong cut and an extended train that finishes as a tail. The base fabric is a…
    October 17, 2025
  • 'Un Vrai Paradis' 1939 Programme By Le Bal Tabarin, France. The Underpinnings Museum

    ‘Un Vrai Paradis’ 1939 Programme By Tabarin

    'Un Vrai Paradis' 1939 Programme By Le Bal Tabarin Date: 1939 Origin: France Brand: Le Bal Tabarin In the spring of 1939, Paris cabaret Bal Tabarin premiered a revue called Un Vrai Paradis, presented by Pierre Sandrini and Pierre Dubout and directed by Sandrini. The production was divided into three acts: earthly paradise, paradise lost,…
    October 17, 2025
  • 'Kestos And The Modern Gown' Advertisement By Kestos, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum

    ‘Kestos And The Modern Gown’ Advertisement By Kestos

    'Kestos And The Modern Gown' Advertisement By Kestos Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Brand: Kestos   This circa 1930s Kestos advertisement depicts a smiling young woman with waved, bobbed hair, donning a two-cupped brassiere, a corset paired with stockings, and a fashionably high-heel. Behind her stretches an Art-Deco-style illustration showcasing men and women socializing…
    July 21, 2025
  • 'Votre Gaine Doit Être Faite Pour Vous' Advertisement By J. Roussel, c. 1930s, France. The Underpinnings Museum

    ‘Votre Gaine Doit Être Faite Pour Vous’ Advertisement By J. Roussel

    'Votre Gaine Doit Être Faite Pour Vous' Advertisement By J. Roussel Date: c. 1930s Origin: France Brand: J. Roussel   This circa 1930s lingerie advertisement by French company J. Roussel depicts a smiling woman, pictured off-center, dressed in a corselet, stockings, and fashionable high-heeled shoes. The fit and style of the lingerie reflects the fashionable…
    July 9, 2025
  • Pale Blue Satin Sling Bra By Charnaux, c. 1930s, Germany. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Pale Blue Satin Sling Bra By Charnaux

    Pale Blue Satin Sling Bra By Charnaux Date: c. 1930s Origin: Germany Fabric: Rayon satin Brand: Charnaux   This German-made sling bra, crafted in a pale blue rayon satin, was produced by the twentieth-century women's undergarment manufacturer Charnaux. The barely-there cups of a sling bra offered a gentle lift to the breasts, while the exposed…
    July 1, 2025
  • Machine Lace Nightgown Bodice Insert, c. 1930-40s, France. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Machine Lace Nightgown Bodice Insert

    Machine Lace Nightgown Bodice Insert Date: c. 1930s-1940s Origin: France Fabric: Cotton machine-made lace Brand: Aux Trois-Quartiers   This French-made nightgown bodice insert, sold at Aux Trois-Quartiers, epitomizes 20th-century innovations in women's fashions. It was made circa 1930-40s. The use of machine-made lace, indicated by the label which reads “dentelle mechanique," reflects the growing adoption…
    June 15, 2025
  • 'The Art Of Figure Sculpture' Lingerie Catalogue By J. Roussel, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum

    ‘The Art Of Figure Sculpture’ Lingerie Catalogue By J. Roussel

    'The Art Of Figure Sculpture' Lingerie Catalogue By J. Roussel Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Brand: J. Roussel   This 1930s catalogue by French lingerie company J. Roussel, titled “The Art of Figure Sculpture,” offers a glimpse into the era’s design sensibilities, as well as the fashionable female form.  The cover page of this…
    May 1, 2025
  • 'La Gaine Alpha' Advertisement By Alpha Paris, c. 1930s, France. The Underpinnings Museum

    ‘La Gaine Alpha’ Advertisement By Alpha Paris

    'La Gaine Alpha' Advertisement By Alpha Paris Date: c. 1930s Origin: France Brand: Alpha Paris   This is a 1930s Alpha Paris girdle advertisement illustrated by Georges Lepape. Translated from the French, the advertisement reads, "The Alpha Girdle, made from very supple and odorless rubber, slims and provides perfect support. Invisible under the lightest dress,…
    January 12, 2025
  • Knitted Brassiere Advert By Arista, c. 1930s, France. The Underpinnings Museum

    Knitted Brassiere Advert By Arista

    Knitted Brassiere Advert By Arista Date: c. 1930s Origin: France Brand: Arista   This 1930s advertisement for a knit brassiere is from the French brand Arista. Translated into English, the copy advertises that the brassiere in the photograph is “knitted in shape, without sewing.” It also describes a version with the addition of a “stomach…
    May 8, 2024
  • Collection Of Embroidery Samples For Silk Lingerie & Nightwear, c. 1930s, Great Britain. Photography by Tigz Rice. The Underpinnings Museum.

    Collection Of Embroidery Samples For Silk Lingerie & Nightwear

    Collection Of Embroidery Samples For Silk Lingerie & Nightwear Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk Crepe Brand: Unknown   A collection of elaborate embroidery sample cards, with designs intended for use in nightwear and lingerie. It is likely that these embroideries were prepared overseas, to later be used in manufacturing within Great Britain,…
    September 30, 2023
  • Collection Of Embroidery Samples For Silk Lingerie & Nightwear, c. 1930-40s, Great Britain. Photography by Tigz Rice. The Underpinnings Museum

    Collection Of Embroidered Silk Neckline Inserts

    Collection Of Embroidered Silk Neckline Inserts Date: c. 1920-30s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk Crepe Brand: Unknown   A collection of machine embroidered neckline inserts for lingerie. These are created from bands of silk georgette, with appliquéd motifs of elaborately embellished cotton tulle. These inserts would have been intended to be applied to the necklines…
    March 14, 2023
  • Floral Jacquard Rayon Sling Bra By Fina, c. 1930s. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Floral Jacquard Rayon Sling Bra By Fina

    Floral Jacquard Rayon Sling Bra By Fina Date: c. 1930s Origin: Unknown, possibly Germany, Austria or Switzerland Fabric: Rayon Brand: Fina   A sling style bra that offered gentle lift and shaping to the breasts, with the exposed top cup allowing the nipple to give a gently pointed bust silhouette. This lightly lifted and pointed…
    March 8, 2023