The Golden Age of Corsetry
D.A. Cooke
Introduction
History
A Note on Sizes
Listing by Manufacturer
Introduction
This catalogue describes some of the figure-shaping underclothes
worn by
Australian women in the fifties and sixties. It is intended as
a reference for historians and collectors, and to encourage anyone
interested in producing new garments inspired by these designs.
Styles are listed in approximate chronological order of their
first appearance in the Australian retail trade. Each manufacturer's
styles are listed by name (an asterisk for unnamed styles), and
style numbers have been included where known.
History
In the late fifties and sixties foundation garments reached a
peak of
sophistication. They were no longer awkward constraints for the
body, but had become an essential element of the feminine image
alongside cosmetics, hairstyles, jewelry and perfumes. It was
significant that their styling resembled swimwear or the sleek
costumes of dancers and acrobats at a time when street clothes
tended to conceal the figure by angularity or fullness. Corsetry
designers tried to express desirable femininity in the lines, textures
and ornamentation of garments that were an idealized image of
the female body. They were essentially private garments in an era
when sexuality was less freely expressed than it is today, and
their contribution to their wearers' erotic self-image may have
been as important as their utilitarian function. The development
of corsetry was clearly a part of the broader fashion picture
of the period. For example, the vogue for tailored slacks and
trouser suits in the mid sixties encouraged the wearing of long-
leg panty girdles to give a smooth seat and thigh line. But corsetry
design developments were more often driven by innovations in the
technology that made these garments possible, in synthetic stretch
fabrics or cutting and sewing techniques. The ancestor of the modern
girdle was the foundation, a combination of
brassiere and elastic corset pioneered in the thirties by Warners
with the introduction of the two-way stretch in Latex. In the
fifties, girdles were constructed with rubber elastic and the newer
stretch net fabrics in rayon or nylon. They were classified as:
->wrap-ons (which opened out fully like corsets and were closed
by hooks and eyes)
->step-ins (zippered or laced girdles)
->roll-ons (all-elastic tubular girdles that were rolled on
like a stocking)
->pull-ons (tailored girdles elastic enough to pull up like
a pair of briefs).
Girdles often carried a reminder of their evolution from laced-
up foundations in
the form of a tiny, non-functional bow in the front of the waist.
This ornamental vestige persisted into the sixties, when it was
replaced by other tiny appliqués or vanished altogether. Bras in
this era were usually of non-stretch cotton or nylon. All-in-ones
or
corselettes and torsolettes combined a girdle with a long-line
bra in one garment to give a long smooth line. The corselette,
combining a bra with an open girdle, was very popular from the
early fifties and usually appeared as plain functional styles.
The torsolette was a long-line bra extending below the waist with suspenders
on longer straps or ribbons, worn under formal dresses, and developed into
fantasy garments like Warners' Merry Widow. These garments were
of complex cut, often incorporating elastic darts or
inserts, to overcome the limitations of the materials. They had
a high labor input and were therefore expensive: in 1959 a lady
might pay over 5 guineas for a high-fashion girdle or 8 guineas
for a corselette. The introduction of the synthetic elastic fiber
lycra by DuPont in the early
sixties made possible the stretch bra, and also much simpler and
softer pull- on girdles which were basically one-piece designs
with a double-layer front panel. But more elaborate styles were
soon developed, with patented control panel designs such as Hickory's
"Caress Control". Bras and girdles could now be promoted to wider
markets as alluring, even fun, clothes. By 1968 most makers were
producing them in colored and flower-patterned fabrics for the teenage
and young adult markets. The open girdle or hip girdle was worn
with stockings. It always had
suspenders (attachments for stockings, called garters in the U.
S.A.), fixed to the lower edge. There were usually four suspenders,
or six on some up-market styles. A slip was worn over the girdle,
and panties were worn either either under or over it. Figure support
was achieved by reinforcing fabric panels, called control panels,
that made some sections of the girdle less elastic. The simplest
construction was in two sections joined by seams at the front and
back with a control panel, cut from the same fabric, in front.
A design refinement was to run two main seams down the sides of
this front
control pane, which could then be formed by overlapping, rather
than as a separate piece, with a third seam at the back. Alternatively,
two seams could be placed at the sides of the girdle, again with
a third at the back; the control panels could then take the form
of bands across the front and anchored to the side seams. Waistbands
usually came to the narrowest part of the waist, as the girdle
was
intended to support the hips and abdomen. To reduce the waistline,
there were high-waist girdles reaching 5-8 cm higher. In the fifties
this extra height was achieved simply by increasing the vertical
dimensions of the girdle with the top boned to prevent it rolling.
More modern high-waist girdles usually have a broad elastic waistband
added on to the standard design. The introduction of pantyhose
in the sixties caused a fall in popularity
of the open girdle. The panty girdle had been invented in the thirties,
but until the introduction of light stretch fabrics it was not
popular. In the sixties it became the commonest type of girdle,
as it could be worn directly under pants or with pantyhose under
a skirt, giving welcome freedom from bulky layers of underwear.
At the same time, the corsolette evolved into the bodysuit, closing
at the crotch with hooks-and-eyes or press studs. Panty girdles
usually still came with suspenders that could be removed from
their
tabs when not needed. Styles ranged from briefs to the long-leg
panty girdle with legs extending to the mid-thighs. "Hostess pants"
(called pants liners in the USA), which sheathed the whole leg in
lightweight lycra, were briefly on the market here in the late
sixties.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The basic form of the bra is the bandeau or shortline, with each
breast
enclosed in a cup supported by a centrally placed strap and a
band around the chest (the diaphragm band) joined by hooks-and-
eyes at the back. Bra cups were commonly constructed with two panels
in the lower half and one panel in the upper, forming a T-shaped
seam pattern. Later designs often have one seam only, either horizontal
or diagonal and slanting from the point where the strap is attached
down to the midline. Cups built from four panels joined by seams
forming a cross were also tried in the early sixties. Padded bras
had cups with a layer of soft fiber between two cloth layers.
The
stiffened cups of the contoured bra gave the desired conical shape
to the breasts; this concept originated with circular stitching,
introduced by MaidenForm back in 1936. A continuous spiral of
stitching was more readily machined, and was used in Berlei's 1953
Hollywood Maxwell bra and other American designs like the Spirella.
On the other hand, the minimiser bra was designed to flatten the
breasts with cups made of thick, non-stretch fabric. Other bras
used various types of internal supports (also pioneered by MaidenForm)
or lift pads to raise the line of heavy breasts; and for figures with
a "midriff bulge", the longline bra extended down to the waist
as like corset. The underwired bra was developed in the forties
to enable more cleavage to be
shown; a rigid curved wire under each breast enabled the straps
to be moved to the sides of the chest where they would be invisible
under low, wide necklines. The cups could now be reduced to three-
quarters or less of their full depth to expose the top of the breasts.
A further development was the plunge or decollete bra, with cups
that came to the top of the breast at the side but plunged low
in front, often with a single point of contact between the cups.
This led to the development of the push-up bra in which underwiring and
light padding were used to give maximum cleavage and uplift. The
most successful bra of this type was the Wonderbra, patented by
Canadelle of Canada in 1964 and later marketed around the world
under licence by Gossard. There was also the front-opening fashion
bra with a continuous back but the cups joined by a central clasp
in front. But for wearing under strapless evening gowns and very
plunging necklines, a
strapless bra was needed. These were underwired or contoured bras
which dispense with straps by providing a firm fit with a broad
elastic diaphragm band. And convertible bras had removable straps
which could also be worn in bandeau or halter-neck style, or crossing
behind the back according to the style of gown or summer frock.
There had been a big market for corsetry for teenage girls since
the fifties
in the USA, where there was at least one brand name, Teenform,
specially for this market. Corsetry for schoolgirls caught on
more slowly in Australia where suspender belts were part of school
uniform but girdles were semi-formal wear. Special junior bra and
girdle styles such as Liberty's Gro-Bra were first launched here
in 1964. All department stores had large corsetry salons, and designers
and fitters
from the major manufacturers toured to advise customers. Berlei's
Jean Plant and Jenni Peterson, Formfit's Judy Gibbs and Enid Conran,
Gossard's Ida Christie, Hestia's Helen Lingen, Moira Meakes and
Pamela Wrigley, Hickory's Barbara Gold and Warners' Judith Bowen
became household names. Styles in Australia followed cues from
overseas, particularly from the
overwhelmingly large market in the USA. Designs released here
lagged at least six months behind releases in America, and further
behind the new designs exhibited at the annual International Corsetry
Fairs in Cologne.
By the end of the sixties, corsetry was cheaper than ever before
or since due
to the volume of retail sales. Good quality bras could be bought
for around $A5 and girdles for $A7-10. However, the many advertisements
for clearance sales and price reductions on corsetry appearing
in 1969 suggest that this boom had already peaked. In the seventies
there was a simplification of designs because corsetry was
no longer high fashion. The exotic colours and print fabrics disappeared;
they had never caught on as they easily showed through outerwear.
As early as 1965, overseas designers had begun a contrary trend
toward "invisible underwear" such as the body stocking, in the
high fashion market. But clothes at all levels of sophistication
were becoming sloppier in this era, expressing a society with looser
standards and more casual lifestyles. Though few women followed
this trend to the extent of literally burning their bras, many
now preferred a more rounded and natural line. A few manufacturers
continued to supply the reduced demand, and there was a Sydney
mail-order company, Star Form, for customers unable to find their
favourite styles in the chain stores. A revival of classic fashions
at the end of the 1980s renewed an interest in
high-quality corsetry at the upper end of the market. By 1990
Hickory was again sending fitting consultants on tour of Myers
and John Martins, although corsetry was still poorly represented
in downmarket stores. But the market for these garments was still
small, and prices in real terms were much higher than in the late
sixties and more comparable to those at the beginning of that decade.
A Note on Sizes
Before the introduction of standard metric sizes in the seventies,
bras and
corselettes were sized according to the bust measurement in inches.
The majority of bras were available in sizes 32 to about 42. Cups
were sized A, B, C, D and DD. Most girdles were sized S, M, L up
to XL or XXL. However, some manufacturers produced their more expensive
girdles in sizes according to waist measurements in inches; eg,
Hickory's Four Spot and Diamonet girdles were introduced in sizes
24 to 31.
Listing by Manufacturer
BERLEI
Australia's major manufacturer of corsetry was founded by a Mrs Burley and Mrs
Gower in 1907 and had become a multinational by the thirties. The Sarong was
their main girdle design throughout the 50s and 60s. Its front overlap was
outlined by seams which extended down the front of the leg, leaving both the
sides and front panel seamless; this construction was rarely chosen by other
makers. Various other original styles designed to increase freedom of movement
were marketed under the name Fancy Free. Berlei was taken over by Courtaulds
in 1984.
Unda-Lift
1953 Bras with full horizontal-seam cups in white leno.
Sarong
1954 Firm control girdles in white stretch nylon and rubber elastic
with four suspenders fixed to seams at the back and front of leg;
overlapping front panel and satin lastex back panel.
Open girdle (step-in) with zipper at left side.
Corselette with full horizontal-seam cups; low back.
Sarong
1958 Firm control girdles in white stretch nylon with front overlap
panel covered in embroidered nylon marquisette; left side zipper
and satin lastex back panel, four fixed suspenders.
Open girdle.
Corselette with nylon marquisette horizontal seam cups.
Criss-cross
1958 Bras in white nylon and cotton to match the Sarong girdles; full
horizontal-seam nylon marquisette cups supported by crossover
front with deep cleavage; adjustable non-stretch straps.
Bandeau with small elastic inserts in diaphragm band.
Longline with full elastic front panels, low back.
Sarong Junior
1958 Medium control open girdle with four fixed suspenders; front
overlap panel covered in embroidered nylon marquisette; side panels
of white leno elastic.
Gothic
1960 Bandeau bra in plain white cotton. Full horizontal-seam cups
joined at the midline with petal-shaped Cordtex supporting
panels; stiff Cordtex front diaphragm band with small elastic
inserts at the sides; adjustable Twinflex elastic non-ride back;
adjustable non-stretch central straps.
Youthlyne
1960 Firm control open girdle (step-in) in white stretch nylon with front
and back seams. Non-stretch satin front panel overlaid with a nylon
marquisette applique of flowers and leaves; non-roll high waist,
Talon zipper on left side; six suspenders. The sides of the front
panel were boned. Produced in nine fractional fittings.
Promise
1962 High-waist open girdle (step-in) in white stretch satin and leno
with overlapping front panel; firm control. Four fixed suspenders,
zipper on left side.
Sarong
1962 Step-in girdles reissued in white stretch nylon with left side
zipper and Flatterbak stretch satin back panel.
Open girdle.
Hi-waister girdle.
Corselette with embroidered nylon horizontal seam cups.
Sarong
1963 Bandeau bra in plain white cotton with dacron crossover diaphragm
band; full T-seam cups, adjustable non-stretch straps, light side
bones.
Criss-cross
1963 Bandeau bra in white cotton; crossover diaphragm band with small
elastic side inserts; embroidered full T-seam cups with Easy-
Lift, adjustable non-stretch straps.
Sarong
1963 Firm control high-waist girdles in white lycra with back seam and
satin Secret Stitch front overlap; 3" waistband lined with
Helanca. Seams extend down front of leg on pantygirdles, meeting
the overlap join of the non-roll legbands.
Open girdle with side zipper.
Pantygirdle with 6" leg.
Sarong Junior
1963 Light or medium control girdles in white lycra with back seam and
nylon lace Secret Stitch front overlap. Seams extend down front
of leg on pantygirdles, meeting the overlap join of the non-roll
legbands.
Open girdle.
Boy-leg pantygirdle.
High-waist girdle.
Sarong-Plus
1964 Open girdles in white lycra with seams at back and front of leg
continuous with suspenders; nylon floral lace-covered front
overlap redesigned with curved seam and allowing freer movement;
no side seams.
1" waist junior girdle with front bow on non-roll waist.
2" butterfly waist with elastic waistband covered by front
panel.
Criss-cross
1964 Bandeau bra in white or black lycra lace; crossover diaphragm
band with small elastic inserts at the sides; full T-seam cups
joined by a bow; adjustable straps.
Gothic
1964 Bras in white cotton with small embroidered floral pattern. Full
T-seam cups joined at the midline with petal-shaped Cordtex
Arietta support panels; adjustable Twinflex elastic back;
adjustable stretch straps.
Bandeau; diaphragm band with elastic inserts flanking
Cordtex front.
Longline; elastic panels at the sides.
Make Believe
1964 Bra in white cotton with lycra lace stretch straps continued
along top of cups; T-seam full cups contoured with foam rubber,
separated by midline seam with bow.
GiGi
1964 Light bandeau bra in black or white marquisette for teenagers.
Lace
1964 Bras in white or black lycra lace with lycra back and sides;
central stretch straps; full T-seam cups separated by midline
seam and bow.
Bandeau with lycra inserts below plain cups.
Bandeau with lycra inserts below contoured cups.
Longline with front overlaid by lace; elastic waistband.
Sarong
1965 Reissue of 1963 styles; new variants included:
High-waist pantygirdle with 7" leg.
High-waist pantygirdle with 7" leg and side zipper.
Fancy-Free
1965 Girdles in white lycra with front and back seams. Overlapping
control panel cut to body contours in front and back. No lace or
embroidery; four suspenders; tiny rosette bow. The pantygirdles
had an expanding mesh Action Insert at back of leg, and were
at first promoted as sports girdles with ads showing women fencing
or playing tennis.
Open girdle.
Pantygirdle with 3" leg.
Pantygirdle with 5" leg.
Pantygirdle with 7" leg.
1967 Convertible contour bra in white lycra with nylon lace cups and
detachable semi-side straps.
Double Sarong
1968 High-waist open girdle for firm control based on the Sarong-Plus
design; the waist was extended 3" with the normal shallow-V
non-roll waistband.
1968 Open girdle in white lycra with side zipper; lace-covered
front panel with bones concealed by pale blue criss-cross ribbons.
An expensive older-style girdle designed for maximum control.
X-tasy
1968 Girdles in plain pastel-coloured lycra: pink, blue ice, lemon
soda or sherbet (green). Oval front panel with an embroidered
flower motif; control panels crossing across front anchored to
side seams. Light or medium control.
Open girdle.
Panty brief with boyleg.
Pantygirdle with 5" leg; detachable concealed suspenders.
1968 Contour underwire bra in pastel-coloured nylon tricot: pink, blue
ice, lemon soda or sherbet. Full T-seam cups separated by
midline seam, side straps, lycra back. Matching X-tasy girdles.
1968 Long-leg pantygirdle in white lycra for maximum control with side
seams and the same front panel as the X-tasy, but with more
complex overlapping control panels forming a triple thickness in
front. Non-roll waist, 8" leg, four detachable suspenders.
Sarong
1969 Girdles in white or fleshtone lycra with floral embroidered
front panel corresponding to the overlap on earlier Sarong designs.
The pantygirdles were usually worn without suspenders. Leg bands
plain. An ad showed a family of women, grandmother to early teenage
daughter modelling various styles from the range.
Boy-leg brief with light control panel [# 703].
Pantygirdle with 4" leg, light control panel [# 706].
Pantygirdle with 6" leg, light control panel [#709].
Pantygirdle with 4" leg and heavier control panel [#714].
Pantygirdle with 6" leg and side zipper [#736].
High-waist brief with elastic waistband and cotton gusset.
Pantygirdle with 6" leg, vent above crotch [# 744].
High waist open girdle.
Willpower
1969 Firm control girdles in two layers of white lycra,
with all-over control from the inner layer which was cut away in
strategic spots to improve freedom of movement; kite-shaped
marquisette front panel surrounded by complex stitching and smooth
clinging leg bands; with front and back seams, four concealed
detachable suspenders.
Pantygirdle with 4" leg.
Pantygirdle with 6" leg.
1969 Firm control pantygirdles in white or natural lycra with front and
back seams; kite-shaped front panel with marquisette inset; full
control panel over thighs; four detachable suspenders.
Brief.
Pantygirdle with 4" leg.
Pantygirdle with 6" leg.
Fancy-Free
1969 Low-cut bandeau bras in white or black nylon with lycra back;
three-quarter T-seam cups, semi-side straps. For evening wear.
Bandeau with plain cups.
Bandeau with contoured cups.
Fancy-Free
1969 Medium control girdles in white lycra with contoured Shapemaker
panels added over thighs, 1.5" lace trim on legs, no expanding
inserts in legs; now promoted for evening wear.
Pantygirdle with 3" leg.
Pantygirdle with 5" leg [# 566].
Lace Lift
1970 Underwire bras in white, natural, wedgwood or coco-creme nylon
crochet with satin straps and lycra back; separated T-seam cups.
Bandeau with full cups, central straps.
Plunge bra with three-quarter cups, semi-side straps.
CORLASTO
An American girdle manufacturer who pioneered the production of all-elastic
girdles from rayon and nylon before lycra was introduced. The following
styles were designed or adapted and manufactured locally.
Lady of Spain
1958 High-waist girdles in white or tearose stretch rayon with a plain
satin front panel, back seam, no decoration, four suspenders.
Waist boned. Firm control.
High-waist pull-on girdle [# 682].
High-waist step-in girdle with zipper at left side.
Rayon Pantee
1958 Pantygirdle in white or tearose stretch rayon with oval front
panel, front and rear seams; detachable gusset; four detachable
suspenders on hem of the short legs; no ornament [# 705]. Light
control.
Open-crotch Pantee
1958 Pantygirdles in white or tearose stretch nylon with straight
front panel; no gusset; four fixed suspenders; no decoration.
Light control, advertised "For sport or everyday wear".
Pantygirdle with standard waist [# 721].
Pantygirdle with 1.5" waistband.
Tropi-Girdle
1958 Open girdle in white lightweight stretch rayon with knitted-in
reinforcing bands; rectangular flower-patterned front panel; back
seam; four suspenders [# 6027]. Light control.
All-Elastic
1958 Open girdle in white stretch rayon with knitted-in reinforcing
bands; fully seamed elliptic overlap forms front panel; four
suspenders [# 6032].
All-Elastic
1960 Open girdle in white, pink or pale blue stretch rayon with
knitted-in reinforcing bands; front and rear seams, double front
panel; no decoration, four suspenders.
Egyptian Queen
1961 Firm control girdles in white stretch nylon with sewn-in reinforcing
strips crossing over in front to form a broad V in back and anchored
to side seams; no other control panels, front and rear seams, no
bones, four suspenders.
Pull-on open girdle.
Step-in open girdle with Talon zipper.
High-waist pull-on girdle.
High-waist step-in girdle with Talon zipper.
Pantygirdle 2" leg, gusset crotch, detachable suspenders.
Egyptian Queen - Lover's Knot
1963 Girdles in white rose-patterned stretch nylon with sewn-in
reinforcing strips crossing over in front, forming a broad V in
back and anchored to side seams; no other control panels, front and
rear seams, four suspenders.
Pull-on open girdle.
High-waist pull-on girdle with boned 2.5" waist.
Pantygirdle with 2" leg, silk gusset crotch.
High-waist pantygirdle with 2" leg, silk gusset crotch.
1967 Pantygirdles in white lycra with front and rear seams, plain
overlaid front panel, no other reinforcement; four concealed
detachable suspenders, rosette bow.
Pantygirdle with short leg.
Pantygirdle with 6" leg.
FORMFIT
Formfit designs from the U.S.A. were manufactured in Australia in the fifties
by Merica Pty Ltd, and known as Formfit-Merica. Later the parent company
became Formfit International, and the local company known as Formfit Pty Ltd
remained Australian owned until 1991.
Revel
1959 Bras with side support in white poplin; full horizontal-seam cups
joined at midline seam of garment; straps angled to side.
Bandeau with embroidered cups and elastic side darts [# 551].
Skippies
1959 Girdles in white Lanolised Elastic; four suspenders, no ornament:
Pantygirdle with 3" leg, front and back seams, plain
elliptic front panel; non-roll half-waistband at back;
nylon tricot crotch and detachable suspenders [# 843].
Open girdle with side seams, kite-shaped front panel; side
bow; 2.5" boned waistband with crossovers in front and back
[# 918].
Open girdle with front seam, plain elliptic front panel,
lightly boned 2" waistband, and satin elastic Down Stretch
back panel [# 943].
Open girdle with front seam, plain kite-shaped front panel
with simple bow; non-roll half waistband at back, lightly
boned in front [# 944].
Friskees
1959 Open girdle in white stretch nylon with front seam running
through an overlap, patented as Centre-Pull, covered by an
embroidered panel framed by seams continuous with four
suspenders. No side seams. 2.5" lightly boned elastic
waistband. Medium control.
Continental
1964 Underwire bra by Emilio Pucci in white or black lace marquisette;
three-quarter horizontal-seam cups; support panel under each cup
is continuous with the broad stretch side straps; small central
rosette. Made in small sizes [# 200].
Incanto
1964 Underwire bra by Emilio Pucci in white embroidered voile. Narrow
side straps. Low-cut cups separated by midline seam expose
cleavage; lycra back [# 267].
Hi-Line
1964 Bras in white cotton. Full horizontal-seam cups joined at
midline. Plain narrow central straps. Wing-shaped supporting
panel under each cup; tiny bow.
Bandeau [# 555].
Longline [# 556].
1964 Basic bandeau bras in white cotton with full T-seam cups joined
at midline seam and centrally placed stretch straps:
Embroidered with small leaf pattern, with adjustable
straps; central bow [# 590].
In floral lace, with low back, adjustable straps [# 592].
In floral lace with broad frilled straps continuous in a
cross between cups to the lower edge of the stretch back
panel [#593].
Embroidered with small leaf pattern, with adjustable
straps; cups with small lift pads on inner side. Could
be worn as a tennis bra [#596].
1964 Longline bra with broad stretch straps continuous down the curved
lycra back panels joined by 11 hooks-and-eyes; broad elastic
waistband, full separated T-seam cups in white cotton embroidered
with small leaf pattern [# 692].
Confidential
1965 Padded bra in white dacron Zephaire embroidered with small leaf
pattern; full T-seam cups padded with Kodel separated by a bow;
plain central straps. In small sizes only [# 880].
Skippies
1966 Girdles in white, black or powder buff terylene with front and
back seams, Triple V panels at front and kite-shaped control
panel at back; non-roll waistband with small bow.
Open girdle with four fixed suspenders.
Permanent Press
1967 Bras in white embroidered Tetoron and lycra with full T-seam
cups, the lower part contoured with fibre-fill and the seam
curved, separated by a midline seam.
Bandeau with ruched stretch straps.
Longline with broad plain straps and low back.
Little Zipper
1967 Firm control girdles in white lycra with front and back
seams; zipper in centre of a non-stretch lace front panel;
overlapping inner control panel, four suspenders.
Open girdle.
Long-leg pantygirdle; 6" legs with lace trim.
Figure 8
1967 Girdles in white Bri-nylon and stretch satin with side seams;
narrow oval front panel; double V of inner front control panel
anchored to the side seams.
Open girdle.
Pantygirdle with 6" legs, four detachable suspenders.
Side Show
1967 Bandeau bras in white or black nylon Swiss lace and lycra;
adjustable stretch straps and back, low-cut under the armpit;
contoured T-seam cups.
1967 Open girdle in skintone lycra, plain with embroidered nylon
overlaid front panel.
Flowernet
1968 Girdles in white, black or "mink" floral jacquard lycra; front and
back seams with control panel over back and kite-shaped in front.
Waist shallowly V-shaped in front and trimmed with a bow. Six
suspenders. Medium control.
Brief with detachable suspenders [# 831].
Pantygirdle with 4" lace-trimmed legs; detachable suspenders
[#834].
Open girdle [# 936].
Side Show
1968 Reissued in white, black, mink, blue or pink floral jacquard
lycra to match the Flowernet girdles [# 586].
Skippies
1969 Pantygirdle in white lycra with all-over control from an inner layer
over back and sides, and a kite-shaped control panel in front.
Small nylon marquisette overlaid front panel; bow. 4" legs
trimmed with lace. Six concealed detachable suspenders.
Plunge
1971 Underwire bra in white, black or skintone nylon lace with lycra
back, convertible side straps, slanting three-quarter cups
contoured with fibrefill, separated by a bow and topped by lace.
New Wonderwire
1971 Underwire bra in white floral voile with joined three-quarter
diagonal-seam cups; lycra back, narrow straps angled from centre
[# 235].
Streamliner
1971 Girdles in white or skintone lycra with front and back seams, and
inner control layer cut away in strategic points to allow freer
movement. Heart-shaped front panel with embroidered ornament in centre.
Four suspenders, tiny bow in front. Medium control.
Brief with gusset crotch, boy leg with lace trim, [# 851].
Medium-leg panty with oval crotch, grip leg bands,
concealed suspenders [# 854].
Long-leg panty with oval crotch, grip leg bands, concealed
suspenders [# 856].