• Embroidered Tulle & Elastic Homemade Kestos Style Bra, c. 1920s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Embroidered Tulle & Elastic Homemade Kestos Style Bra

    Embroidered Tulle & Elastic Homemade Kestos Style Bra Date: c. late 1920s-early 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Cotton tulle, silk georgette, elastic Brand: Custom made   A soft cup style bra based on the ‘Kestos’ bra of the late 1920s. The bra design was patented in 1926 and the bra was arguably one of the…
    July 18, 2020
  • Hand Embroidered Silk Georgette Kestos Style Bra, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Hand Embroidered Silk Georgette Kestos Style Bra

    Hand Embroidered Silk Georgette Kestos Style Bra Date: c. late 1920s, early 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk georgette Brand: Custom made   A soft cup style bra based on the ‘Kestos’ bra of the late 1920s. The bra design was patented in 1926 and the bra was arguably one of the first commercially produced…
    July 18, 2020
  • Crochet Kestos Style Bra, c. 1930s, Spain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Crochet Kestos Style Bra

    Crochet Kestos Style Bra Date: c. 1930s Origin: Spain Fabric: Cotton yarn, rayon satin ribbon, elastic Brand: Custom made   A soft cup style bra based on the ‘Kestos’ bra of the late 1920s. The bra design was patented in 1926 and the bra was arguably one of the first commercially produced bras with seperated…
    July 18, 2020
  • Pink Satin 'Zoma' Suspender Belt By Kestos, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Pink Satin ‘Zoma’ Suspender Belt By Kestos

    Pink Satin 'Zoma' Suspender Belt By Kestos Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Rayon satin Brand: Kestos   A suspender belt in heavy rayon satin, with keyhole cutouts at the hips. Satin ribbon forms crossover strapping at the centre front, with this detail reminiscent of the Kestos' brand signature bra shape. The original owner…
    July 18, 2020
  • Black Cotton Tulle Ruffle Bra, c. 1930s, France, The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Black Cotton Tulle Ruffle Bra

    Black Cotton Tulle Ruffle Bra Date: c. 1930s Origin: France Fabric: Cotton tulle, rayon satin ribbon Brand: Unknown   A triangle cup style bra of cotton bobbinet tulle, with tulle ruffles stitched to the cup outer in a spiral shape. This style of ruffle appliqué was likely intended to boost the wearer's bust size whilst…
    May 20, 2019
  • Three Knots Hosiery Colour Sample Card, 1930, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum

    Three Knots Hosiery Colour Sample Card

    Three Knots Hosiery Colour Sample Card Date: 1930 Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk Brand: Three Knots Sample cards for stocking shades from the brand Three Knots, offering three stocking qualities in artificial silk (most likely rayon), and a 'Keystone' branded range of more luxurious silk stockings. It is noteworthy that the brand offered a wide…
    May 15, 2019
  • Rayon Satin & Elastic Sling Bra By Tre-Zur, c. 1930s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Rayon Satin & Elastic Sling Bra By Tre-Zur

    Rayon Satin & Elastic Sling Bra By Tre-Zur Date: c. 1930s Origin: United States Fabric: Rayon Brand: Tre-Zur   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 shape was in…
    March 22, 2019
  • Lace & Celanese Boudoir Cap With Floral Trims, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Lace & Celanese Boudoir Cap With Floral Trims

    Lace & Celanese Boudoir Cap With Floral Trims Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Celanese Rayon Brand: Unknown   A boudoir cap made of fine machine lace and pale pink 'celanese', a type of branded rayon produced by the company British Celanese (the name comes from a contraction of 'celluloid' and 'ease'; rayon is…
    March 22, 2019
  • Silk & Lace Appliqué, Cut Out Step In Teddy By Nuff's, c. 1930s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Silk & Lace Appliqué, Cut Out Step In Teddy By Nuff’s

    Silk & Lace Appliqué, Cut Out Step In Teddy By Nuff's Date: c. 1930s Origin: United States Fabric: Silk and lace Brand: Nuff's   A step in teddy with an unusual cut out silhouette, with the garment appearing as a separate bra and tap pant from the back view. Silk crêpe forms the body of…
    March 20, 2019
  • Elastic & Leather Sports Belt, c. 1930s, Spain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Elastic & Leather Sports Belt

    Elastic & Leather Sports Belt Date: c. 1930s Origin: Spain Fabric: Elastic and leather Brand: Unknown   A structured and supportive corset belt designed to be worn by men, made of a heavy weight elastic and leather. It's supported throughout with spiral steel boning and a busk closure at the centre. The back adjusts with…
    March 5, 2019
  • Silk Crepe With Lace Appliqué Girdle By Kestos, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Silk Crêpe With Lace Appliqué Girdle By Kestos

    Silk Crêpe With Lace Appliqué Girdle By Kestos Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk and elastic Brand: Kestos   The Kestos lingerie brand was founded in 1925 in London by Rosamond Lilian Klin. The brand is best known for the 'Kestos' style bra (patented in 1926, and arguably one of the first commercially…
    January 15, 2019
  • 'When Dancing Wear A Kestos' Brassiere Advertisement, 1932, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum

    ‘When Dancing Wear A Kestos’ Brassiere Advertisement

    'When Dancing Wear A Kestos' Brassiere Advertisement Date: 1932 Origin: Great Britain Brand: Kestos   The ‘Kestos’ style bra was one of the defining moments of 1930s lingerie, marking the move from the 1920s trend for a flattened bust to the more lifted ‘natural’ silhouette of the 1930s.  It was one of the first commercially…
    January 15, 2019