’60s lingerie: Today’s girdle acts as your conscience (1968)
Pantyhose did it. They made the girdle — for garters’ sake — obsolete. They added comfort to living in stockings for women. But they also sag, bag — and when they run, they run the budget right out the window.
So, the girdle came back. But not without some very drastic changes which have affected the foundations of many.
First, the girdle today is shorter. With skirt lengths as they are, a long-leg girdle is an absolute horror to sit down in — or in bending over, it can be even worse. Most popular today are the brief-leg length.
Second, girdles are made of softer, more flexible materials for the feeling of freedom that pantyhose introduced. They give two ways. They add support, but only a reminding kind of support — they remind you to hold your tummy in, instead of doing it for you.
Third, they have new garters. The brief and slightly supportive girdle for over the pantyhose may sound superfluous at first. But the rubber mesh garter cuff now sewn around the inside of the leg is designed to hold those pantyhose up and keep them there. (Article continues below)
Sears International Set bra & long-legged control-panel panty (1968)
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Vintage ’60s lingerie – panty girdles
’60s lingerie: girdles, garters and pantyhose
The pantyhose with detachable stockings, or replacements as some manufacturers call them, come with their own brief girdle. The garter is either the rubber mesh, grip-cuff type, tabs or hooks-and-eyes. Run one stocking and you don’t have to throw away the whole kit and kaboodle.
Upcoming in lingerie’s girdle realm is the girdle for pantyhose. This will combine all gartering possibilities into one, so that you can take your choice depending on what kind of hose you’re wearing.
CITYPANTS: They have also made their presence felt in the underwear business. Now the to-the-knee type of ever-so-slightly-supporting pantygirdle is designed to let you hide thigh and leg bulges, more noticeable under clingy citypants.
The small size in the girdle department is disappearing. For one thing, lithe figures don’t need garters, so why girdles? For another, fashion has taken us towards a natural look — bottoms are bottoms. Most bottoms and tummies weren’t that small to begin with — so now that it’s OK to have a figure again, we’re not going to continue self-torture.
As far as color goes, girdles are in the same basic colors as bra: pink, blue, yellow, beige, black, white. Greens are coming on stronger as lingerie colors, and nudes are important as well. Lest you fear that your favorite waist cincher will no longer be manufactured, don’t. Regular girdles and even corsets are still on the market… some of us still like to eat.
– Article by Georgia Brucken, Daily News Fashion Writer – Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) – November 4, 1968
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7 Responses
I am 65 years old. This story piqued my interest as I can remember when I was a young girl, for special occasions, my mom would pull on a girdle which was pink and one piece (no legs). She would have to put talcum powder on to squeeze into the thing and it was flocked inside, much like Playtex Living Gloves are. She was a stay-at-home mom, so struggling to get in/out of that girdle didn’t happen too often. I was scrolling through here looking for a comparable item – how she hated that thing!
I’m a straight guy who has loved wearing lingerie, garters and stockings since I was ten years old. Right now, I’m wearing a wonderful six strap garterbelt with very tightly fastened tan stockings. I loved the gentle thigh massage and tiny motion of my straps as I move about. I’ve also taken to layering my stockings ahd have worn as many as six pairs at a time.
Such great memories of the beautiful things my Mom, Aunts, friends Moms, and Girlfriends used to wear. The Montgomery Wards catalog is special because I used to work there. The first lingerie I bought was at Ward’s for my Mother’s birthday! She was surprised, but loved it and wore it often.
It is amazing how far we have come from the days of a straight-jacket foundation to the modern super fabric that helps control the bits you need support with. Gone are the days of canvas and the only thing I miss is the satin as it reflected light and gave off a unique body shape. But it is the youth days of yesterday when mothers dressed their daughters in layers of protective passion killers that come to reflection and the struggle to enjoy that first mutual experience together. The burning of the bras may have been a micro fraction of the global warming effect, although the fumes given off may have been toxic and having been present at an event where the clever removal of the bra from under the upper clothing was a sight to behold.
But the support these garments give has over the years become more important, once the medical profession prescribed the use of support wear for skeletal problems. In the UK the National Health Service indeed had a department in most Hospitals. We attended an exhibition on the garments and the area in the UK’s Midlands that was part of the Corset Triangle of the World. Buildings in other parts such as Letchworth have been saved as historic workplaces. So, to view such items even the V&A had a section. The memory of seeing these items on a Lady or Mother will be forever Historic. Thank you.
Being 65,I cane along around the same Era when pantyhose took over from panty girdles.
In junior high half the girls wore girdles and half wore pantyhose only.
Quite a number of my teachers wore them as well.
Fell in love with nylon and lace at a very young age ! The look ,the feel ,the fit ,even the scent of it . l just love my silky curves slithering underneath it . Am l a fetishist.?….nowhaa…well l dont think l am .Maybe l should see a therapist :)
Or maybe just get some more nylon and lace :)
i think its wonderful to look back and see all those lovely.corsets and girdles..thank you so much would love to see moor or to chat about our memories.