The Magic Reversible Kimono

Here's the last of the "magic" patterns I have from a 1930's edition of Fashion Service Magazine from The Women's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences.  Looks like I need to get into that closet and start photographing again!

Once again, if you make this, send me a picture.

The Magic Nightgown

I can't promise that this nightgown will make your nights magical, but it is attractive and relatively easy to make.  Look for a delicate, tightly-woven 100% cotton.  The back side of the lapels will show, so keep that in mind, or applique lace on them.

Originally published in a 1930's edition of Fashion Service Magazine, published by the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences.

Drawers, Pantaloons, Combinations, Tap Pants, Bloomers, et al.

This is one of my absolute favorite pieces of vintage clothing in my collection.  Closed drawers that fit close through the hips and flare out at the knee.

Just look at that beautiful handmade lace!  The medallions are machine made, however.

In the 1920's, the combination was usually what was worn under the corset.  This one is a simple model of cotton with a drawstring, silk ribbon straps, and a button crotch.

A very simple rectangular shape and simple to reproduce.

Here is her fancier sister. 

Heavy silk satin, drawn work, applique, a closed crotch, and handmade in Belgium.

Eventually underwear evolved into the more modern shapes we are familiar with.  These are tap pants made of silk satin and have embroidery on the legs.

Finished very nicely for minimum bulge.  Here is the trademark information for Trillium Silk Underthings.  It looks like it was first used in 1920 and expired after 1983.  Here is an ad from 10 November 1922.  And another nice one from 1923.

Here is another peach pair (peach became very popular for all underwear during the 1920's and 1930's) with scallops, applique, and embroidery.

And they're hand made.  You can see the hand stitching on the waistband.

Meant To Be Seen

I'm sure this sweet brassiere was meant to be seen through one of the filmy georgette blouses of the 1920's.  Just look at that lace!  I just wonder how often those silk ribbon straps snapped, though, as the ones I've seen are usually just hand-stitched on.

 Here is the back.

As you can see, this is new old stock.  Never worn.  No maker, either.

This one is likely from the 1930's.

It's apparent that support is becoming more important.  Look at the reinforcement on the cups.

Here is the inside.

An early attempt at lifting and separating.

The back, with some nice, heavy elastic.

I wish I could read the label, but someone washed this never-worn bra.

If anyone has seen a tag that looks vaguely like this one, please let me know what it says!

Two Early Brassieres

An unmarked, probably 1930's brassiere, never worn.  Ecru lace top and bottom, silk ribbon straps, rayon cups.

The back is rather low, and has hook and eye tape.

If you blow up the picture below, you can see the rough finishing and the long machine stitches.  Gone are the days of hand-made lingerie.

A really pretty bandeau type bra, yet with cups.  This would look nice with a wrap top.  The lace and cups are cotton, the straps are silk ribbon.

It has three back hooks and eyes.

And a tag I can't read.  It says Silver something.  If anyone has one of these that's readable, please let me know.

Sil-O-Ette

More of a combination garment than a brassiere, the patent dates this to 1935-1937.  The patent is actually for the way the garment is cut so that it hugs the figure--something new for that time, I guess.

The brassiere is lined in cotton, and the rest of the garment is rayon knit.  The straps are silk ribbon.

It closes on the side with hook and eye tape.

It actually looks very comfy, and quite a change from a corset.

The Sil-O-Ette Intl. Apparel Company is still in existence in Clearwater, FL, although their offerings now are run-of-the-mill fleecewear and t-shirts.

Mary Phelps Jacob, Inventor of the Modern Brassiere

So she is sometimes called.  You can read her story here.  A link to her invention is here.  A Wikipedia article says she was persuaded to sell her fledgling company to Warner Brothers Corset Company by her second husband and join him in debauchery in Europe. (He came to a bad end.)

Below are instructions for you to make your own brassiere, somewhat like the one she made and like the one in the early movie from a few posts ago.  These pages are from the Underwear and Lingerie volume of Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences series, Part 1, 1925, updated 1930.

If anybody makes one, let me see it!

Maidenform Dec-la-Tay

This Maidenform brassiere features a plunging front and back and nice cup shaping.  The lace is backed by cotton netting and the seams are flat-felled.  The straps are pretty insubstantial silk ribbons and the back is elastic.

 This can be dated to around 1933, as the trademark for Dec la Tay was filed in June and secured in November.

Lookie what I found!  

Here's an interesting tidbit from the Wikipedia article on Maidenform:  " They named the company Maiden Form, a deliberate contrast with the name of a competitor, "Boyishform Company".^[33][52] Maiden Form routed Boyishform by 1924, accenting and lifting rather than flattening the bust. In 1927, William Rosenthal, the president of Maiden Form, filed patents for nursing, full-figured and the first seamed uplift bra.^[53]"

Medieval Linen Brassieres!

I read in the paper today that there has been a unique discovery of pieces of medieval garments used as wall filler in an old castle in the Tyrol.  Naturally I went online to see if I could find out more about it and find better pictures.  Unfortunately, the archaeologists aren't sharing the pictures--probably so they can write some papers about the garments, but this website gives a really good description and explanation of the finding of the garments.

You can see remnants of needle lace on the edges, and here is a link showing how that needle lace was made.

(I had to go back and repair links and missing pictures for this post in 2021.)

More Early Brassieres

I just ran across this wonderful vintage Pathe film with instructions on how to make a "camisole".  Isn't it cute how the model puts the finished bra on over her camisole?

That got me thinking that I haven't showed the rest of my early brassiere collection.
Here's a pretty homemade one.

It's light yellow silk, but may have been pink at one time.  The filet lace is handmade and cream colored.  The straps are grosgrain ribbon.

Here's the back closing.  The maker added some elastic as she gained a little weight.  That's hook and eye tape.

Check out how the maker folded and stitched the lace to make a tight fit.  She didn't cut the beautiful lace.

I Lied

I said I was done posting about La Jeanne Lingerie Guards but I ran across two more I had collected and stored in a different place.  These are black and pink!  I have all the colors--my life is now complete.

And look what else I found that I thought I was done posting about?