Beneath It All: '50s and '60s Underwear
by Pat JacobsAfter World War II, lingerie designers celebrated their liberation from wartime restrictions with a lavish use of color, sheer fabrics, and lace (In the 1950s, printed and colored underwear were successfully marketed. New fabrics like Dacron and nylon debuted. There was increased use of rayon.)Women missed and wanted glamour again that had been deprived in the war; enter the conical bra, the height of 1950s underwear fashion.The Bullet Bra (featuring exaggerated pointing or cone-shaped cups) and Push-Up Bra (by Frederick's Of Hollywood) all debuted during this decade. Women now appeared to have breasts that almost reached their necks!Panties became more colorful and decorative.Hollywood and the movies also influenced undies: "Sweater girl" Lana Turner's bras helped to make her an anatomical wonder (Legend has it that Jane Russell's bras were designed by Howard Hughes) and the T-shirt (Named because of its shape and design) became popular.
T-shirts were previously worn as strictly underwear, but Marlon Brando ("A Streetcar Named Desire", 1951) and James Dean ("Rebel Without A Cause", 1955) remade this item into an icon of cool (for men only at this time).
As the '50s went on, Elizabeth Taylor in "Cat On AHot Tin Roof" (1958) made a fashion statement (andprobably scandal) wearing a custom-made slip throughmost of that movie.
Slips were also featured in "Psycho" (1960) withJanet Leigh in a white bra and slip, than later as adecamping embezzler in a black ensemble.Frederick's Of Hollywood and Maidenform becamenationally prominent during this decade. Frederick'swas created by Frederick Mellinger (he claimed to haveinvented the first push-up bra) in 1946. He started out with a racy catalog which quicklybecame popular, then branched out into a chain of morethan 175 stores. You could say that Frederick's wasthe Victoria's Secret of its day.For two decades (1949-1969) Maidenform had one ofthe most successful advertising campaigns ever. Theyconverted everyone's worst nightmare-appearingundressed in public-into an effective way to sellbras.The ads featured models in everyday or fantasticsituations, elaborately costumed but wearing only aMaidenform bra above the waist, with the slogan "IDreamed I (whatever action the ad conveyed wasinserted here) In My Maidenform Bra". For example, "IDreamed I Painted The Town Red In My Maidenform Bra". A typical late '50s underwear ensemble mightconsist of a very structured pointed bra to givedefinition for fitted bodices, while sheer petticoatslong and short were layered to add buoyancy to fullcircle skirts.The year 1959 would see some innovations that wouldcarry over well into the sixties and beyond. Mesh stockings (or hose), which previously wouldhave been worn only on stage or for seductionpurposes, began its way into the mainstream.
Women's involvement in active sports (and dance)also contributed to female undrwear change (pun fullyintended), but not quietly.
In 1955 Italian tennis player Lea Pericol revealedlacy panties during her game that caused a sensationat Wimbledon. In 1959, another tennis player,"Gorgeous Gussie" Moran's one-piece tennis dress withlace-trimmed underpants made headlines worldwide.As the new decade dawned from 1960 to 1963, men hada new underwear option: briefs and boxer shorts couldnow be bought with bold patterns or with images onthem (Except for this and a wider array of colorsavailable, men's underwear basically remained thesame).
However, Ringer T-shirts (the collar and sleeveends are of a different or contrasting color than theshirt itself. Introduced in mid-decade, this tookhold in the late '60s. Tie-dye and screen printingT-shirts were also in demand.) became popular amongthe youth and rock sub-culture.
For women, the bosom was still the main fashionfocus: Bras, due to newer, lighter material (Lycra)became prettier, easier to wash, and more wearable.In 1961, the Model 1300 plunge push-up bra debuted.This was the forrunner of the Wonderbra (made by thesame company).
A typical early-mid '60s underwear ensemble were asofter, lighter bra and panty girdle. But even withthis vast improvement, more changes were underway.By mid-decade, fashion went through a completerevolution like everything else, it seemed.
Innovations such as panty hose (seamless debutedin 1965 and in 1967 strong colors were consideredcutting edge; hosiery was still usually flesh-toned)and mini-skirts made the girdle obsolete to a newgeneration of women.
A few designers, such as Yves St. Laurent and RudiGernreich put out sheer blouses without bras, or a"no-bra bra" (this had molded nylon cups with a narrowelastic band that encircled the rib cage), but thesewere impractical for most women. (Inspired byGernreich's creation, Warners developed the bodystocking in 1964 or '65. Acounts vary.)Smaller panties, like hip-huggers and bikinis, became available.Ankle-to-shoulder underwear for slacks and tights debuted in '65.By 1967, underwear no longer hid the body shape,instead revealing and controlling it. Bras were wireand padding-free (if you were wearing the newest ones;Many women stayed with what they were used to.) The Wonderbra debuted in 1968 (It made a 34 cuplook 36) and was a huge hit, as were bra slips.It was also the era of protest. Some womenstopped wearing bras or underwear, period. It becamefashionable in some circles, perhaps in response tothe hippie movement. But most didn't, because most NEEDED theirundergarments (Small-breasted women could go bralessand still look decent, but if you were a size 38 or 40D, come on now!).