The Modern appeal of Lingerie of the 1950s
The vintage lingerie market today
Femininity with a touch of modesty was the keyword in fashion during the 1950s. Teenage girls could not wear pants or jeans to school, gaudy prints were nowhere to be found and a girl did not wear a dress or skirt without the proper slip, panties and bra. Baby doll pajamas or fluffy nylon chiffon shorty nighties in many pastel colors were seen in abundance at teen-age girls' slumber parties!
Before 1950, the flapper of the 20s, the art deco goddesses of the 30s and the pre-war ladies of the 40s mostly wore silk, satin or cotton undergarments and sleepware. Nylon was discovered by a chemist for DuPont in the 1940s giving ladies lingerie a whole new appeal. "Nylon Chiffon" lovelies were in every ladies wardrobe during the 1950s.
A ladies' undergarment drawer would hold nylon waist panties with either elastic or smooth shorts type edges, heavily stitched pointed bras in satin or nylon in a bevy of colors, and a few full length slips with adjustable straps and lace trim at the bottom. It was also pre-pantyhose, so there would be a panty girdle, a functional no-frills garter belt and boxes of 15 denier nylon hose. In her closet would be hangers with full ruffly crinoline and nylon petticoats and full half slips.
The most elite designers and labels to be sought after today from this vintage stock are: Vanity Fair, Olga, Miss Elaine, Lucie Ann, Van Raalte, Kayser and Shadowline. What is the appeal today?
Vintage lingerie is being sold very successfully on auction sites like eBay. Some buyers want to display it on a mannequin as part of bedroom decor; some are looking for proper period clothes for an authentic costume or outfit for a dramatic production: and a lady or 2 really still prefers it. But, there is one market that outweighs all others: Crossdressers!
Crossdressers "covet" Antron II, Chiffons and Nylons of the 1950s. They look for that illusive item that is brimming with femininity, in perfect wearable condition, and in a large enough size for the male physique. Very lucrative market today, indeed! VanRaalte Slips and Olga Nightgowns are among the best sellers, with prices exceeding $200.00 quite often.
The items that most crossdressers love to buy are full length slips (think: Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on the Hot Tin Roof); Peignoir sets that are long and flowing with yards of material (think:Grace Kelly); Real girdles with garters attached, half slips with appliques and designs and pleated lace; and the authentic "bullet bra" (think: Jayne Mansfield).
Comments
Nice hub and such a lovely picture of Liz Taylor. Sometimes less is more, but sometimes more is more:) Covering up a bit can be sexy too.
Jean Bakula 3 months ago
It's great to see someone who recalls when we were not allowed to wear slacks to school! My Mom was a big Elizabeth Taylor fan, and since she passed on recently, I was thinking how funny it was that men got so excited by seeing a woman in a full slip like she wore! Being a child of the 60's, and braless, my Mom didn't like that, or that I didn't wear slips. I mean, the skirts were so short, the slip would be ridiculous! And big deal if somebody saw our legs. OMG. I have discovered the beauty of camisoles now though, they are both pretty and warm. I think Madonna is entertaining halftime at the SuperBowl. I wonder what she will do. She's over 50 now, so she can't go dancing about in a pointy bra without looking silly! Best wishes.