• Embroidered Silk Crepe Kestos Style Bra, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Embroidered Silk Crêpe Kestos Style Bra

    Embroidered Silk Crêpe Kestos Style Bra Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk Brand: Custom made   A soft cup style bra based on the ‘Kestos’ bra of the late 1920s. The original design was patented in 1926 and the bra was arguably one of the first commercially produced bras with seperated cups. It…
    January 15, 2019
  • Eau De Nil Silk Crepe & Lace Appliqué Slip, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Eau De Nil Silk Crêpe & Lace Appliqué Slip

    Eau De Nil Silk Crepe & Lace Appliqué Slip Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk crêpe & lace Brand: Custom made   A slip in silk crêpe with machine made lace trim appliquéd at the neckline, under the bustline and at the hem. The garment has been well worn and used, but all…
    January 14, 2019
  • Pointed Tea Rose Brocade Coutil Girdle With Side Lacing, c. 1930s, France. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Pointed Tea Rose Brocade Coutil Girdle With Side Lacing

    Pointed Tea Rose Brocade Coutil Girdle With Side Lacing Date: c. 1930s Origin: France Fabric: Coutil Brand: Unknown   A short girdle in a tea rose pink brocade coutil, with a panel of heavy elastic forms the centre back. Unusually, the girdle laces at a side seam, with a hook and eye opening at the…
    January 14, 2019
  • Satin & Elastic Boxed Sock Garters By Cambridge Garter, c. 1930s, England. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography By Tigz Rice.

    Satin & Elastic Boxed Sock Garters By Cambridge Garter

    Satin & Elastic Boxed Sock Garters By Cambridge Garter Date: c. 1930s Origin:  England Fabric: Rayon and elastic Brand: Cambridge Garter   In his 2010 book The story of Men’s Underwear, Dr Shaun Cole writes that: ‘After the invention of Lastex, a rubber thread, in the late 1920s socks appeared with Lastez in the ribbed…
    January 4, 2019
  • Pink Spiral Cup Crochet Bra, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Pink Spiral Cup Crochet Bra

    Pink Spiral Cup Crochet Bra Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Cotton Brand: Custom made   Crochet brassieres were first popularised in the 1930s, giving the lightly lifted bust line that was so fashionable for the time period, with a number of crochet patterns available for home crafting. This example was crocheted as a two pieces…
    November 30, 2018
  • Silk & Lace 'A'Lure Alphabet' Bra By Warner, c. 1930s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Silk & Lace ‘A’Lure Alphabet’ Bra By Warner

    Silk & Lace 'A'Lure Alphabet' Bra By Warner Date: c. 1938 Origin: United States Fabric: Silk, rayon and cotton Brand: Warner   This bra is a relatively luxurious product from Warners, using fine fabrics such as silk blend satin and leavers lace, with hand finishing techniques such as hand stitched faggoting joining the body of…
    November 30, 2018
  • Black Silk Boudoir Cap With Machine Embroidered Trim & Ribbonwork, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Black Silk Boudoir Cap With Machine Embroidered Trim & Ribbonwork

    Black Silk Boudoir Cap With Machine Embroidered Trim & Ribbonwork Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk Brand: Unknown   A boudoir cap with a black silk base and multicoloured embroidered cotton tulle trims. It is embellished with a single piece of twisted ombré silk ribbon, with small embroidered floral motifs at the anchor…
    October 10, 2018
  • Ivory Silk Crepe Slip With Pastoral Embroidery, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Ivory Silk Crêpe Slip With Pastoral Embroidery

    Ivory Silk Crepe Slip With Pastoral Embroidery Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk Brand: Custom made   This elegant silk slip is made from a lightweight silk crêpe. The cut of the garment is a little unusual, with angular shaped panels at the high hip, and darts at the waist. A delicate lace…
    October 10, 2018
  • Embroidered, Bias Cut, Jacquard Silk Trousseau Slip & Tap Pants, c. 1930s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Embroidered, Bias Cut, Jacquard Silk Trousseau Slip & Tap Pants

    Embroidered, Bias Cut, Jacquard Silk Trousseau Slip & Tap Pants Date: c. 1930s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk Brand: Custom made   This set of a slip and tap pants were originally created for a wedding trousseau, sewn with a mix of machine and hand stitching. Both pieces are made from a jacquard woven, floral…
    October 10, 2018
  • Peach Silk & Horseshoe Lace Insert Bra, c. 1930s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Peach Silk & Horseshoe Lace Insert Bra

    Peach Silk & Horseshoe Lace Insert Bra Date: c. 1930s Origin: United States Fabric: Silk, lace, cotton tulle Brand: Unknown   A luxurious soft bra, sewn with an exterior of silk satin with 'horseshoe' shaped leavers lace inserts over the bust. The shoulder straps are made of fixed length silk ribbon. The lining is a…
    October 10, 2018
  • Machine made lace from the collection of Karolina Laskowska. The Underpinnings Museum

    Collection Of Machine Made Laces

    Collection Of Machine Made Laces Date: c. 1870s-1950s Origin: Great Britain, France Fabric: Silk, Nylon   A collection of machine made laces. Many of these laces were not intended for lingerie, but would have been produced with the same machines and technologies as those that were. Dark coloured 19th century laces in particular would have…
    August 28, 2018
  • Lamé Brocade Fabric Samples, c. 1920s, France. The Underpinnings Museum.

    Lamé Brocade Fabric Samples

    Lamé Brocade Fabric Samples Date: c. 1920s - 1930s Origin: France Fabric: Lamé silk Brand: Mollon, Busseuil & Cie   A collection of samples of lamé silk brocade in incredibly vivid colours, though it must be noted that the metal threads have tarnished somewhat with age. This variety of fabric was likely never intended for…
    August 28, 2018