Evolution of French Lingerie

Courtesy of http://blog.parisattitude.com/french-culture/the-history-of-french-lingerie.html:

Fashion designers, haute couture, birthplace of clothing trends and artisans with unrivaled expertise, Paris is considered around the world to be the capital of fashion. But did you know that French lingerie is also known throughout the world? Paris Attitude offers you a brief overview of an industry that has been a part of women’s daily lives for centuries, and that has continuously evolved in accordance with eras and customs.

Present in the lives of women since antiquity, lingerie has continuously evolved over the centuries, especially with regard to its shape.In Ancient Rome,“body linen” (as lingerie was previously called) was a simple strip of fabric meant to flatten out the breasts. The Middle Ages gave way to the corset, a true straightjacket that imprisoned women’s bodies and was not without health consequences: deformity of the rib cage, difficulties breathing… The centuries passed and underwear evolved. At the beginning of the 19th century, the corset took the shape of an S, highlighting the female body, but aesthetics and practicality did not yet go hand in hand.

Lingerie experienced a genuine evolution during the Second World War. While men were off at the front, women had to replace them in factories or in the fields, and needed comfortable underwear that wouldn’t impede their actions. The girdle, used to cover shapes, appeared in the 30s. Then in the 50s, lingerie became sexier: bustiers, garter belts, even bras finally experienced some success, emphasizing the female bosom. Designer Christian Dior noticed women’s needs to reconnect with their femininity; with his New Look style, he offered plunging and slightly cone-shaped bras, a true clothing revolution for the era.

New materials emerged, such as lycra in the 60s, (then chiffon, lace, stretch fabric, silk, and fishnet) that combined aesthetics with comfort, while new technologies allowed for more appealing undergarments. Lingerie became a true asset of seduction!

In recent years, trends have intermingled, even bringing shapes from the past back into contemporary designs. Many French designers have taken hold of lingerie and made it an object of genuine couture, namely designer Chantal Thomass (whose collections are inspired by a “boudoir” ambiance) and the Cadolle fashion house, in existence since 1889, a genuine institution in the domain of French lingerie. The fashion house offers a few ready-to-wear models, but mainly custom pieces (€600-€1,500 for a bra, up to €5,000 for an haute couture bustier).

The EiFfel Tower, a genuine iron lady!
Did you know? When the Eiffel Tower made its appearance in 1900, Parisians thought the building looked like a woman’s leg in fishnet stockings, and the Eiffel Tower’s 4 “feet” resembled garter belt clips. Legend has it that Gustave Eiffel, inventor of the famous tower, had been in the habit of joking around about his wife’s stockings, saying they “corkscrewed” down her legs in an inelegant way. So she challenged him to develop a strategy that would prevent them from falling down…and that is how the garter belt was born!While it is amusing, the story is completely false.

See Ya Tomorrow! xo

Lingerie for Little Girls. Disturbing Fashion 'Faux Pas' For Sure.

Now, a new faux pas: a French lingerie line for kids that features girls prancing around in bras on its website. When it comes to the "sexualization" of LITTLE girls, France keeps stirring the pot. The website for Jours Après Lunes shows 10-yr-old girls in make-up and with voluminous up-dos wearing panties, bras, camisoles and T-shirts from the range, not to mention a sheer pair of panties that I personally would wear to turn on my husband. Fashion media, bloggers and parent groups have expressed concern over the undergarments, and I agree.


What's disturbing about this website is not just the fact that it's lingerie for people who probably shouldn't be old enough to even know what lingerie is, but the photographs on their website.

The French designer of this new range of 'lingerie', however this designer, calls it 'loungerie' for toddlers to preteens, says she is "shocked at the negative reaction to her promotional campaign." Gee..... I wonder why.

On the website, the French company offers undergarments for three different age groups: babies, children, and pre-teens. Don't worry, the baby section solely features onesies, but the other sections showcase children in delicate two-piece lingerie sets that are far from Frederick's of Hollywood, but bordering on Victoria's Secret.

In these sections, you will find panties, bras and camisole sets that are without a question, very pretty adorned with bows, lace, and frills, are downright inappropriate for children of all ages.

In the pre-teen section, a model is reading on a couch wearing sunglasses in her underwear, and in another photo, the same teen is wearing only a bra and panties while hugging a teddy bear. Downright disturbing if you ask me.

Since the era when Kate Moss catapulted to international fame as a topless teen for Calvin Klein, the world is becoming more accustomed to young sexual models. However, critics claim that Jours Après Lunes is treading on dangerously sexual ground, and I have to agree.

Why a toddler would need a top designed like a bra, unless she's in a swimming pool, I have no idea. But the French designer is defending her risqué line. In a letter to Fashionista, Sophie Morin wrote: “All I wanted to do was offer underwear that is soft and pleasant to wear,” adding that the materials “have no vulgar connotation: they are totally opaque, nothing transparent. The style is inspired by children's fashion, with spots, bows, etc.” Morin also said she is “extremely surprised by the current uproar.”

I get that France has different standards of what is culturally acceptable. Like running into a topless Heidi Klum on a beach over there is perfectly normal, and should be! HOWEVER, there are universal/standard ethics of what is inappropriate and unacceptable for our children. This seems to breach that understanding.

DOES THIS RANGE CROSS THE LINE??? Please leave your comments.