fifties and sixties shapewear in the news again, partly as a result of the TV series Mad Men actresses don the original sixties pull -on belts to achieve these shapely figures women enjoyed all showcased through the fifties until the call for them to "burn their bras' came and to be liberated! Now these modes are back with a vengeance.
Some people collect vintage shapewear just for fun, to have a collection of vintage fashion history, buy different to wear and buy others as an investment. In contrast to the modern retro copies there are a variety of hazards to negotiate when you field of vintage belts and corsetry enter for the first time. the first question I am often asked is, why someone should buy lingerie fifties, when it is already so a wide range of modern lingerie available. The detailing and hand finishing to exquisite fifties satin ball bras and the art deco-inspired stitching must be seen in the fifties long line belts, to be believed. It would be impossible for the modern shapewear, mass production is to come close to this level of processing, without cost a small fortune.
The following tips you should the background enter need when you start your own vintage lingerie collection.
Sizing: size specification has changed over the years - you should be aware that a modern size 12 will be substantially larger than a size 12 from the fifties, and also varies in different countries is sizing - a US size 12 could be a UK size 16!
materials: It was rubber, vintage shapewear has its elongation properties. The modern counterparts are Lycra and Spandex. Unfortunately vintage lingerie latex contains, is particularly vulnerable to deterioration over time, even more so if the clothes was not stored in temperature-controlled conditions. If you stretch a belt and it remains stretched, then it will not be portable, and certainly not a collector's item either! From the forties continued some producers a form of foam as a cushioning used in their corsets and bras (effectively a corsage and belt occurred in a garment). Often such vintage shapewear will have failed the test of time - the foam is often rock hard and inflexible, or worse, crumbling into a gritty powder.
All reputable vintage lingerie online stores will check the condition of the tissue and to describe, but you must be especially careful when using an online auction site to reflect your shapewear. Garter clips from this era used a metal frame with a rubber garter Tab Whenever a nice fifties belt is made less desirable by the rubber flap hardening -. The first time one tries to open the Garter the tab cracks clip and crumbling. Of course, if you are handy with a needle and thread, it is possible to replace the garter tabs; the resulting garment to wear a joy, but less attractive for the purist collectors, for the initial state and the building is still very important.
Condition: The closer the state of the garment to "factory fresh" the more collectible it will be - this is of course more difficult to achieve with elements of the twenties and thirties as of the sixties. Currently, there is little demand for laundry after the Sixties, because at that time all but killed pantyhose stockings, suspenders and belts. Collectors for clothes look that are clean, show no signs of wear without deterioration of materials, rust or storage. Frankly for collecting investments often focus be risky because subtle deterioration may be running without expert care - to collect it is better to wear to enjoy with the bonus that if you treat the items with care you are likely to recoup your costs, if and when you decide to do, to dispose of them. Age: It's obvious, is likely worth more than a recent example that be an older item in very good condition. Check the label - Old labels are hand washing instructions have - when you wash the machine see symbols, then you are looking at modern shapewear! An indication of the age have the older garments rubber, cotton, viscose used ... have more modern clothes Lycra. Remember that when the labels have been removed from the garment, it is unlikely to be a collector of great interest. Another indication of the age is that objects from the forties often "Utility-label ', had looked like a pair of' pac men '. The holy grail for collectors is" new old stock, see "obtain, often sold by the acronym "NOS" -. not only the labels are intact, but its original cardboard sales tag on the garment, and perhaps even the primary packaging
to be able to online shop has reinforced the popularity of vintage shapewear, but as with any other collectible, it is always a case of "buyer beware" - the more detailed the product description, cover sizing, labeling and state, and the more detailed the photos. more confidence you have in buying If you buy on an auction site, check how long the seller was a member of the site. Check the ratings of the member. All sellers whether auction or an online boutique, check return conditions.
