The guide to all things of fashion – Wigiksworld.com

It is well known that the feminine shape varies a great deal. History tells us that it has always been so!

Throughout the ages, what’s been fashionable for the shape of the feminine body has gone from one extreme to the other. However, the charming feminine body has always been subject to what happens to be covering it and history shows us that it’s been covered in many different ways. Also, different parts of the feminine form have been intensified, obscured, reduced, increased by the style of the current fashionable adornments.

We’ve witnessed some unimaginable extremes, from devices that required a small army to coerce the unlucky fashion victim into, to the flimsiest, most whimsical mere flutter of a garment. Let’s take a look back in time at how sexy lingerie has developed and how it got to where it is today.

First of all, let’s get some terminology sorted out. Thanks to the world’s most amorous language, we now almost always refer to feminine ‘underwear’ as ‘lingerie’ – unless we’re being derogatory in which case, depending on where you reside, you can fill in the blanks!

When we (at least us of the male persuasion) think of lingerie, we think of a flimsy material embellishing the feminine body in a way that gives us a hint of the delights that lie underneath. But the ‘first’ lingerie, probably from one of the Ancient Greek islands, was far different. These captivating Greek women used a boned corset fitted tightly around the midriff, not for support or even for a ‘slimming’ effect, but to attract their men by showing their thrusting breasts in a most conspicuous way. Probably not what we would call lingerie today but with much the same desired effect.

As time rolled on, the feminine form took on new ‘perfect’ shapes dependant on the in thing. As each ‘perfect’ form emerged, adornments were designed and brought out to embellish and accentuate that desired shape. The culture of the society dictated whether the breasts, the bottom or both would be highlighted and revered. You could argue that nothing much has changed!

During Medieval times it was thought that the natural form and shape of a woman should be constricted and that the breasts should be firm and small. This state of affairs was probably fine for those built naturally that way but perhaps not so good for those of a more ample construction. Many different sorts of corset were worn with the single purpose of flattening the breasts and/or the bottom. It has been said that, in order to draw attention to that part of the anatomy that shouldn’t draw attention, some women wore tinkling bells around their neck to remind the men folk of the delights that still lay beneath.

The ‘modern’ corset is attributed to Catherine de Médicis, wife of King Henri II of France. She enforced a ban on broad waists at court attendance during the 1550s and had a questionable effect on women for the next 350 years.

The Renaissance saw another change in the preferred feminine shape. Women now required cone shaped breasts, flat stomachs and slim waists. In order to realize this look, they also needed to employ maids or family members to dress them because the cinching up of their corsets was done from behind and required much effort.

Due to this unnatural method of acquiring ‘perfection’, Doctors and other notaries made the case that these corsets confined women’s bodies so tightly that their internal organs were being damaged and their ribs were being permanently misshapen. Around that time it was common for women to blackout or fall into a swoon. This was usually put down to their delicate nature but, in fact, it was because they simply found it very hard to breathe! There are many accounts of women dying because of fatal punctures to vital organs due to this practice.

In the early 18th century the whalebone corset still kept women tightly bound but the artistry that reflected the times was painstakingly incorporated into clothing and the corsets were decorated with charming ribbons, lace and embroidery. A part of this lightening up was the fact that it became fashionable for the breasts to be pushed upwards to the point of almost popping out.

Towards the end of the 18th century the corset was being worn by gentry, the burgeoning middle class and even by nuns in convents. It was often proudly displayed by its wearer because it was a visible outer item of clothing at that time. In itself it was an object of beauty and ornamentation and its display was part of social courtesy.

However, as people became more educated and aware, they started to question and critique many things including art, politics and, you guessed it, in thing. Backed up by professional people like doctors, public opinion became such that boned corsets were actually outlawed in many countries.

By the early 19th century, a much softer approach to the feminine shape became popular. The in thing still required the support that the old corset had given so it returned with more elaborate methods of construction. Boning was still used in small sections which allowed for better and more comfortable movement.

The in thing at the time was for a more separated look for breasts and a corsetiere by the name of M Leroy (who designed the wedding corset for Marie Luise of Austria when she married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810) designed a model which he called a ‘divorce’, allegedly because of the ‘separation’ involved. The most significant aspect of this perhaps, was the fact that women were able to dress and undress themselves due to more elaborate lacing methods.

During the 1840s the extremely exaggerated shape for women caused whalebone to make a comeback with huge hoops and crinolines that were covered with all kinds of fabric and fineries. Unfortunately for women, it became the in thing to have waists small enough for a man to put his hands around and the need for even harder waist-cinching became the feminine nightmare of the day.

It wasn’t long before hoops and crinolines were replaced by the soft ‘S’ silhouette. This style still used the corset but added a bustle to the back creating an exaggerated posterior. Once again it was the women who had to suffer for in thing, needing to stand most of the time due to the cumbersome bustle on their posteriors. Obviously men found this appealing because it gave them more opportunities to stare at the sexy women with their large bustles.

As more innovation came to in thing design, greater varieties of corsets were brought out. During the morning, a lady could wear a lightly-boned corset for promenading, an elastic corset for riding sidesaddle, a boneless corset for a trip to the beach and a jersey corset for riding her penny farthing. The corsetry industry was in its heyday!

Towards the end of the 19th century the corset supported not only the breasts but also the newly developed stocking. Stockings were held up by garters and suspenders which were then attached to the corset. These devices, although a triumph of design, probably added yet another frustrating dimension to the in thing-conscious feminine of the day.

By the beginning of the 20th century, corsets were being laced down as far as the knee. But many people didn’t like that style, and in thing designers were leaning towards an uncorseted, more free-flowing style. Sexy lingerie was about to take a whole new dimension. With the advent of the industrial revolution, and the introduction of the sewing machine, Germany and France opened the first corset factories.

In 1910 New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob brought out a new type of brassiere. Not satisfied with the corset stiffened with whalebone which she was meant to wear under a new sheer evening gown, Mary worked with her maid to stitch two silk handkerchiefs together with some pink ribbon and cord. It was much softer and shorter than a corset and it allowed the breasts to be shaped in their natural condition.

Mary Phelps Jacob was the first person to patent an item of underwear named ‘Brassiere’, the name derived from the old French word for ‘upper arm’. shortly after, she sold the brassiere patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for $1,500 (over $25,600 today).

In 1917 the United States War Industries Board asked women to stop buying corsets to free up metal for the production of war materials. This step released some 28,000 tons of metal, sufficient to build two battleships.

Allegedly the success of the brassiere is due primarily to The Great War. The Great War changed gender roles forever, putting many women to work in factories and wearing uniforms for the first time. Women needed practical, comfortable undergarments. Warner went on to rake in more than 15 dollars from the brassiere patent over the next thirty years.

The other thing to consider in the downfall of the corset was that The Great War had taken its toll on the number of men. This meant more competition for finding a man so women needed to look their sexiest!

With the Roaring Twenties and its sophisticated parties, in thing was turned on its head, the boyish look was in. The pursual of flat chests and stomachs along with straight hips and buttocks led to the creation of the liberty bodice, the chemise, and bloomers which were loose-fitting and light. For the first time pastel-colored underwear appeared to replace plain old-fashioned white. To enhance the boyish look the first brassieres were designed to flatten the breasts. What happened to the corset? The posterior part that held up the stockings was shortened and became the suspender belt.

The full-figured look came back in the 1930s. The feminine look once again became the in thing. Women were encouraged to look well-proportioned with a full-figure while remaining fairly slim in the hips. Now women had a full set of underwear to help with the image: breast-enhancing brassieres, elastic suspender belts, not forgetting the girdle, which kept all the curves in their designated place.

The 1930s also saw one of the biggest advancements in the underwear industry when the Dunlop Rubber company developed Lastex, an elastic, two-way stretch textile made from the fine thread of a chemically modified rubber called Latex. This could be interwoven with fabric which allowed the industry to make underwear in a multitude of sizes to appropriately fit a woman’s body.

The arrival of World War II and its shortages meant that Germany was unable to import the fabrics they had used before then and their industry failed. Forever inventive, people started making underwear knitted at home out of materials to hand. Not the sexiest of lingerie but at least they kept warm.

After the war underwear consisted of basic brassieres and suspender belts. This was acceptable to many women but the teenage girl, just coming out of the hardship of the war years, became a target market. These young women couldn’t wait to blossom into women and wearing lingerie was a fantastic step towards achieving that goal. The German underwear industry brought out lingerie sets that appealed to these young girls and the industry never looked back.
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ThePinkSlip offers the best of the best in trendy and sophisticated merchandise with great brand names like Cosabella, Hanky Panky and On Gossamer.

The Pink Slip was born out of a genuine love and passion for fine lingerie and comfortable loungewear. This love and passion grew into a successful business beginning with the first Pink Slip store opening in the heart of New York City, Grand Central Station, in 1999.

Convenience is the niche that The Pink Slip first captured, offering busy travelers access to intimate gifts and forgotten “must have” items. Within months, The Pink Slip became “the” place to shop by the savviest and most discernable of shoppers-New Yorkers. Backed by industry recognition and a reputation for quality, selection and price, The Pink Slip sought to expand and share its unique approach to convenience and overall shopping experience-to those outside of New York.

You may be passing through a terminal on a layover in one of many airports and notice your favorite lingerie store right in front of you. Perhaps you prefer to shop from the comfort of your own home, either way, we at the Pink Slip want to ensure that you always have access to those all too important “must have” or “just want to have them” items.

With decades of experience and large merchandiser buying power, The Pink Slip is able to offer customers the widest selection of brand name intimate apparel, loungewear and accessories at the best prices. So, whether you’re a busy traveler, enjoy the occasional vacation, prefer cotton over lace, need advice about what to wear or how to wear it-we’re here for you.
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When was the last time you had yourself measured for the correct bra size? Do you even know your correct size?

These questions are pertinent to you getting the right bra, as well as saving you money and undue stress. To help you avoid some common pitfalls, I have listed a few more important questions that you really need to ask yourself, before buying a bra:

-Do your bra straps dig into your shoulders or rib cage?
-Does your bra ride up your back?
-Is the front of the band too tight to get a finger under?
-Do your bra cups feel slightly empty or too full?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the likelihood is that you are not wearing the right size. You should not assume that the size you were two or three years ago is the same size you are today. Your body will change, as will your bra size. If you have lost or gained weight, chances are that you will need to change your bra wardrobe.

You Should Be Fit By A Lingerie Specialist At Least Once A Year.

A well fitted bra is essential for both comfort and posture and is especially important during teen years. A badly fitting bra can be the reason for back problems and muscle tension, this can lead to life long problems with posture and back pain. For this reason, you should be fit by a lingerie specialist at least once a year or, preferably, after every noticeable growth or even reduction. This advice is even more important for teenagers who are just beginning to wear bras.

Take A Quick Measurement At Home.

You can take rough measurements at home which will give you a good idea of what your size should be. A simple way of doing this is by following these very simple steps:

1. First stand up straight and wrap a tape measure around your ribcage, under your breasts. Pull it firm but not tight.

2. To measure your cup size, wrap the tape around the fullest part of your bust, and again pull it firm but not too tight.
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As women today, it’s all too easy to let our sensuality wane. After all, we have demanding careers, kids who need our love and attention, and a million errands to run and chores to do. The intimate relationships we have with our husbands or boyfriends often take a backseat to the activities that make up our life. It doesn’t take much, though, to rediscover our sensuality and reignite our passion – some sizzling hot lingerie will do the trick almost every time.

You don’t have to be Shirley of Hollywood or memorize the Kama Sutra to add some spice to your love life. You really just need a bit of time, some privacy, and some sizzling hot lingerie.

Time

No one ever has enough time, so you have to make it a point to carve out some time for you and your husband to be together. If you don’t have kids, it’s relatively easy to set aside one night a month for “date night.” If you do have kids, well, that’s why grandparents were invented. A sleepover at grandma’s, your sister’s house, or a good friend’s house will give you and your mate an opportunity to have a leisurely evening, night, and morning alone. That should rekindle the flames!
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