Mar
Tiny History of the Girdle
What exactly is the girdle, and what is it’s history?
A girdle is a restrictive garment used to shape a woman’s body, and hold up her stockings. It is form fitting and usually made out of stretchy elasticized material, sometimes incorporating a brassiere. The most common girdle is probably the open bottom girdle, and looks like a larger version of today’s garter belt. There are also girdles called panty girdles that have panty bottoms with legs to about mid-thigh. They look like a tight pair of shorts with a high waist.
Girdles basically replaced the corset as they were more comfortable, and yet still provided support and an altered waistline. Women wore them from the early 1900s through to the 1960s when pantyhose began to replace them. Pantyhose did not need to be held up with clips as stockings did, and they could be bought with a “control top” if women still wanted the shaping properties a girdle would have provided. In time, girdles became a fashion of the past.
Recently, girdles have been making a small comeback as rockabilly fashion and vintage becomes more popular. You’ll find all kinds of girdles worn by model Eve at her site Vintage Queens, and girdles can be purchased at GirdleBound.com, where I recently bought my own open bottom girdle.
