• 'Oktis' Corset Shields, c. 1910-1920s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    ‘Oktis’ Corset Shields

    'Oktis' Corset Shields Date: c. 1910-1920s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Metal and cotton Brand: Oktis, manufactured by William Pretty & Son   Oktis brand ‘corset shields’ were designed to be sewn to the interiors of corset waists and purported to ‘double the life’ of the garments by preventing the corset bones from breaking at stress…
    November 18, 2020
  • Padded Silk & Chenille Embroidery Garters With Metal Springs, late 18th century, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Padded Silk & Chenille Embroidery Garters With Metal Springs

    Padded Silk & Chenille Embroidery Garters With Metal Springs Date: Late 18th century Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Silk, fine metal springs Brand: Custom made   Before the invention of suspender belts, stockings and garters were commonly worn by all genders. There were no discernible design differences between the stockings and garters worn by men and…
    July 17, 2020
  • Hose Supporter With Fleur-De-Lis Adjusters By Velvet Grip, c. 1890-1900s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Hose Supporter With Fleur-De-Lis Adjusters By Velvet Grip

    Hose Supporter With Fleur-De-Lis Adjusters By Velvet Grip Date: c. 1890-1900s Origin: USA Fabric: Cotton sateen, elastic Brand: Velvet Grip   These hose supporters were designed as a detachable accessory, intended to be pinned to corsets rather than stitched into the garments, allowing them to be worn with a number of different corsets. The suspender…
    July 17, 2020
  • Carved Wooden Sweetheart Busk, late 18th c. - early 19th c., Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Carved Wooden Sweetheart Busk

    Carved Wooden Sweetheart Busk Date: c. late 18th century to early 19th century Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Wood Brand: Custom made   Early busks were often made of wood, bone or baleen and would be inserted into the centre of stays or corsets to help support the garment and shape the body. Busks could be…
    July 17, 2020
  • Lingerie Guard Clips By Newey, c. 1950s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Lingerie Guard Clips By Newey

    Lingerie Guard Clips By Newey Date: c. 1950s Origin: England Fabric: Metal, nylon Brand: Newey   'Lingerie Guard' clips formed of safety pins, lengths of satin ribbon and metal popper closures. The intended use for these clips was to prevent bra straps from slipping off the shoulder and becoming visible. by connecting dress and blouse…
    May 20, 2019
  • Hand Painted Souvenir 'Menton' Wooden Busk, c. 1850s, possibly France. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Hand Painted Souvenir ‘Menton’ Wooden Busk

    Hand Painted Souvenir 'Menton' Wooden Busk Date: c. 1850s Origin: Possibly Menton, France Fabric: Wood Brand: Unknown   A tapered wooden busk, hand painted with a floral design and the name 'Menton'. Early busks were often made of wood, bone or baleen and would be inserted into the centre of stays or corsets to help…
    May 20, 2019
  • Novelty Fig Leaf Pastie & Merkin Gift Set, 1962, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Novelty Fig Leaf Pastie & Merkin Gift Set

    Novelty Fig Leaf Pastie & Merkin Gift Set Date: c. 1962 Origin: United States Fabric: Plastic and wire Brand: The Leister Game Co.   A novelty gift set comprising of plastic and wire pasties and a merkin in the style of figleaves. It's unlikely these were ever intended to actually be worn on the body,…
    May 20, 2019
  • Lingerie Clasp By Wilsnap, c. 1926, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Lingerie Clasp By Wilsnap

    Lingerie Clasp By Wilsnap Date: c. 1926 Origin: United States Fabric: Steel Brand: Wilsnap   Similarly to lingerie chains, lingerie clasps were designed to attach to shoulder straps of lingerie and outerwear, to prevent straps from slipping down or becoming visible. They first began to appear on the market in the 1910s as sleeveless womenswear…
    May 15, 2019
  • Adjustable Garter Buckle Cards By Wilsnap, c. 1920s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Adjustable Garter Buckle Cards By Wilsnap

    Adjustable Garter Buckle Cards By Wilsnap Date: c. 1926 Origin: United States Fabric: Metal Brand: Wilsnap   These garter buckles were designed to allow women to create their own garters with any piece of elastic, allowing them to adjust the fit to their own body. Most garters were made of fixed lengths of elastic, resulting…
    May 15, 2019
  • Stocking Illusion Tights By Jean Paul Gaultier For Wolford, c. 1999, Austria. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Stocking Illusion Tights By Jean Paul Gaultier For Wolford

    Stocking Illusion Tights By Jean Paul Gaultier For Wolford Date: c. 1999 Origin: Austria Fabric: Nylon/elastane blend Brand: Jean Paul Gaultier for Wolford   These fine nylon tights have been knitted with a contrasting yarn pattern and later appliquéd with further nylon motifs in a Trompe L'Oeil style, to emulate an ensemble of seamed stockings,…
    March 22, 2019
  • Watered Silk & Elastic Hose Supporters With Gilded Suspender Clips, c. 1890s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Watered Silk & Elastic Hose Supporters With Gilded Suspender Clips

    Watered Silk & Elastic Hose Supporters With Gilded Suspender Clips Date: c. 1890s Origin: United States Fabric: Silk & Elastic Brand: Unknown   A pair of luxurious hose supporters made with watered silk ribbon, trimmed with fine lace trim and embellished with cream silk rosettes. Narrow pale blue elastic strips lead to gilt metal suspender…
    March 22, 2019
  • Hosiery Storage Pyrography Wooden Box By L. F. Grammes & Sons, c. 1890-1900s, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Hosiery Storage Pyrography Wooden Box By L. F. Grammes & Sons

    Hosiery Storage Pyrography Wooden Box By L. F. Grammes & Sons Date: c. 1890-1900s Origin: United States Brand: L. F. Grammes & Sons   This decorative wooden box was intended for the storage of hosiery. It is embellished with decorative pyrography, a technique where designs are burned into the wood. The stockings found within the box…
    March 20, 2019