FabSugar

Corsets: Lots of Controversy Squeezed Into One Undergarment

Tara Block — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:40:11 PST

Nowadays, women who want a trimmer waist in a pinch typically turn to Spanx or some other body-slimming underwear. But when it's less about practicality and more about looking sexy in nothing but your skivvies (like for your Valentine's Day date night, for instance), you may choose to don a corset. While modern women are free to wear these fitted underpinnings whenever we want to spice things up in the bedroom, corsets and the idealized tiny waists they create have a long and controversial history that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

Just last September, Vogue Italia controversially featured Ethel Granger and her 13-inch waist, which she achieved by wearing a corset 24-7. Ethel, who holds the record for the smallest waist in recorded history, went through the painful process for her husband. Her motivation brings up one of the main issues with corsets: are they for the men or the women? And Romanian-born model Ioana Spangenberg, "the human hourglass," is being criticized for setting a bad example with her 20-inch waist, even though she claims she can't help her shape and didn't use corsets to achieve it.

To find out more about what made corsets so controversial back in their heyday (including info from Valerie Steele's book The Corset: A Cultural History), let's look back at some of the vintage ads and photos of these constrictive undergarments and the nonhuman-like shapes they created on women.

Sexy Vintage Lingerie Ads

Tara Block — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:25:00 PST

Curvaceous models are prepping to bare it all at the Victoria's Secret fashion show, as the lingerie company's annual show hits the runway today. And just as the show has evolved a lot since its inauguration in the '90s, lingerie itself has changed by leaps and bounds (thankfully) since it was first introduced in the late 19th century.

We have some groundbreaking women to thank for where lingerie is nowadays. British fashion designer Lady Duff-Gordon, "Lucy," was one of the first pioneers of lingerie, creating underwear that was more about being beautiful than practical and constricted in corsets. And Mary Phelps Jacob patented the first brassiere in 1914 (conveniently two days before Valentine's Day). But it was Frederick's of Hollywood, founded in 1947 by the inventor of the push-up bra, Frederick Mellinger, that really put the sex in lingerie.

See how the sultry little things we wear under our clothes have been targeted to women over the years with a look back at vintage lingerie ads!

Wardrobe Refresh! Pretty Spring-Inspired Lingerie

Hannah Weil — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:01:00 PDT

With Spring in the air - and now in our closets - our lingerie drawer was feeling a little neglected. To capitalize on the season, we're adding eyelet, neon lace and floral underthings to our lingerie wardrobes. All the trends we're craving look just as pretty on a delicate, little romper ($39) or sweet, lace bra ($44) - perfect for when you're lounging around the house from now into Summer. Just click below to shop our editor's picks for something sweet and just a little sultry to slip into this Spring.

Readers Vote Bikini and Thong as Their Go-To Workout Underwear

Angelica Marden — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:00:13 PST

What cha got on under there? The choice of loose vs. formfitting workout clothes is a matter of personal style and preference, but even more personal is the question of what to wear under your workout wear.

We asked FitSugar readers to help us solve the debate about the best underwear for every workout by weighing in on their favorite pair or style. The results varied by workout, but, in general, bikini and thong tied for the most popular styles. The remaining 20 percent of readers said they prefer to go commando, and 12 percent said they pick boy shorts.

Here's the breakdown of underwear preference by exercise.

Weigh In: What Kind of Undies Do You Wear to Work Out?

Angelica Marden — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:05:57 PST

The choice of loose versus formfitting workout clothes is a matter of personal style and preference, but even more personal is the question of what to wear under your workout wear. Sixty percent of polled FitSugar readers say they always wear underwear when exercising, but 21 percent say nothing gets between them and their workout bottoms. Of course, high tech fabrics, wicking panties (specially designed to keep your nether regions cool and dry), and built-in lining just add to the options. Help us solve the debate about the best underwear for every workout by weighing in on your favorite pair or style.

Sexy Underwear Can Make Your Day, If You're Even Wearing Any

Annie Scudder — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:15:32 PST

A recent survey set out to get into women's pants and found out that some of the time women won't be wearing anything under them. In addition to discovering that one in 10 women admits to leaving the house sans undies, the survey came up with these intimate findings:

On average, a woman owns 21 pairs of underwear.
27 percent of women say an ill-fitting or unattractive pair of underwear puts them in a bad mood.
27 percent of women simply toss their underwear in the drawer instead of folding them.

You can fold underwear? Anyway, while I think a wedgie will ruin any girl's day, I'm not so sure ugly lingerie puts me in a bad mood. What about you?

And if you'd like to add to your underwear collection, don't forget to enter our amazing holiday giveaway: we're giving one lucky reader $1,000 to Victoria's Secret!

Lula Lu's Got Love For the Little Ones

Hannah Weil — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 09:00:04 PST

Lula Lu makes it their mission to find pretty, perfect-fit bras for the small-busted among us, so that you don't have to. Forget hunting around stocked department store shelves or trolling online for a petite-fit coverage, we're talking AAA, AA, and A cup sizes. Lula Lu's entire site is devoted to the small-chested, and each piece is thoroughly tested for quality and fit, so you don't have to worry about that either.

5 Things to Know About the History of Corsets

Colleen Barrett — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:00:15 PST

Women have always found ways to shape their bodies in all the right ways, from when they pasted tightly laced bodices in the Middle Ages to the Spanx we squeeze into for special occasions today.

We're lucky; we endure a few nights of mild discomfort a year while, until 50 years ago, women survived varying levels of agony daily. We know bras have a fascinating history, so let's look at the evolution of corsets.

Discovered by accident: Metal bodices date back to the early 16th century, but most likely they were used as orthopedic devices and not fashion. However, women already wore tight-fitting, shirt-like garments underneath dresses, which occasionally caused lasting physical damage when worn too tight. They were prescribed the metal, corset-like piece, which worked better, and it was only a matter of time before word spread.
Animals suffered for fashion: In the 17th century, whalebone became the piping (or boning) of choice for women's petticoats. It was not made of actual bone, though, but a protein found in the upper jaws of baleen whales.
French designer coined "corset": Corsets were called "stays" until 1829 when French designer Jean-Julien Josselin patented the word for his new undergarment: a one-piece that could be fastened and unfastened without assistance.
Bloody dangerous: In the late 19th century, it became acceptable for women to play sports like tennis, croquet, and golf, but not acceptable to dress down for such activities. Bloodied corsets became a common sight in tennis club dressing rooms, so the Dermathistic - a corset made of leather - was invented. Comfortable!
Pregnancy was no excuse: Popular thought, magazine articles, and advertisements into the early 20th century warned that abandoning the corset while pregnant could lead to a permanently stretched-out uterus and abdomen. The only concession was a few laces were added, so a woman could let the bodice out as her stomach grew.

The invention of nylon elastic got rid of boning once and for all in the 1950s, though the word "corset" was replaced with a sexier term: girdle.

Link Time - The History of Thongs

TresSugar — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:45:59 PDT

A short history of skimpy underwear - College Candy
Literature's 10 best-dressed authors - Flavorwire
A chart of annoying female stereotypes - The Frisky
What to expect when changing birth control methods - Lemondrop
Life lessons from rock climbing - FitSugar
15 literary tattoos - Huffington Post
Can fantasy football save a marriage? - YourTango
15 iconic cartoon characters to inspire your Halloween - BellaSugar

Grab Bag! The Cone Bra Comeback

TresSugar — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:40:01 PDT

Would you embrace a pointy-bra trend? - The Frisky
Men have many more options when it comes to greeting cards - Lemondrop
Letting parents pay for your home down payment - SavvySugar
5 products you need after a date - YourTango
Do, dump, or marry: Emmy presenters - Glamour
The ideal fourth-date meal - The Awl
Signs you're just the rebound - GuySpeak
What advice would Disney's Belle give young girls? - Flavorwire