Tla Logo

Inclusivity matters in lingerie too!
Enter your email below to discover our Top 20 Lingerie Brands (and get a free chapter of my book!):

We promise to never send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

Looking for the Perfect Lingerie Guide? Signed Copies of In Intimate Detail are Now Available!

Order Your Copy Today!

Signed copies of In Intimate Detail Are Still Available! Click here to buy!

Flashback/Flashforward: 11 Classic Lingerie Silhouettes Revisited

This blog post contains images which are NSFW.

 

There is a saying in the fashion industry that everything old is new again, and this is perhaps no more true than in the world of lingerie. The basic silhouette of the bra and panty has remained unchanged for decades, and a global, interconnected intimate apparel industry (run by only a handful of major companies) means less variation in both style and form --- across countries, price points, and target markets.

As a way of differentiating themselves from the mainstream, many independent designers have taken to dipping into the historical fashion archives and recreating certain classic lingerie looks. As a lingerie enthusiast, I love seeing these vintage silhouettes make a modern-day reappearance. There's a certain magic, a particular glamour, in antique and vintage lingerie that a lot of modern pieces lack (especially in the United States with its emphasis on seamless, "practical" undergarments). The opportunity to own a bit of that magic, to freely incorporate a retro style into your wardrobe, not out of necessity, but out of choice, is a beautiful thing.

However, I have another reason for sharing these resurrected looks, and that's because of the direction I've seen the conversation on lingerie knockoffs take recently. Of course, it goes without saying that there's nothing wrong with a designer drawing inspiration from history. But, on occasion, some designers get very protective of these resurrected styles, claiming that a design which originally debuted in the 1930s or 50s or 70s is a 100% original creation (as a brief aside, this Frederick's of Hollywood catalog book changed my life when it came to recognizing these repurposed silhouettes).

That said, this blog post isn't about "calling people out" either (I've been compiling this article for several months now until I had enough pictures to actually publish something), nor am I implying that every item shown below is an identical copy. Rather, I hope this piece helps you connect certain historical looks with their modern-day counterparts, and to gain a better understanding, not just of the fashion and lingerie trend cycle, but also of how complicated and complex the knockoff conversation can be. Said another way, if many of the pieces and trends we think of as modern (such as bondage details, mesh bralettes, and ouvert knickers) have clear and obvious roots in fashion history, how do you define a knockoff in the modern era?

I don't know the answer to the question, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the paired items below. Are there any favorite modern day iterations of classic designs that I haven't listed? And while we're on the subject, what distinguishes a knockoff of a historical garment from a knockoff of a modern one? Let's talk about it in the comments.

Vintage ouvert knickers on left. Hopeless Lingerie 'Charlotte' knickers on right.

Vintage ouvert knickers on left. Hopeless Lingerie 'Charlotte' knickers on right.

Eartha Kitt on left. Hopeless Lingerie 'Lucy' Bralette on right.

Eartha Kitt on left. Hopeless Lingerie 'Lucy' Bralette on right.

Rudi Gernreich High Waist Strappy Knickers on left. Maison Close High Waist Strappy Knickers on right.

Rudi Gernreich High Waist Strappy Knickers on left. Maison Close High Waist Strappy Knickers on right.

agent provocateur low back dress vikki dougan vintage

Vikki Dougan photographed by Life Magazine on left. Agent Provocateur 'Mona' Dress on right.

Grace Jones on left. Chromat 'Android Arms' on right.

Grace Jones in Jean Paul Gaultier on left. Chromat 'Android Arms' on right.

Vintage bra photographed by Nina Leen on left. Miss Crofton 'Blush' bra on right.

Vintage bra photographed by Nina Leen on left. Miss Crofton 'Blush' bra on right.


Cora Harrington

Founder and Editor in Chief of The Lingerie Addict. Author of In Intimate Detail: How to Choose, Wear, and Love Lingerie. I believe lingerie is fashion too, and that everyone who wants it deserves gorgeous lingerie.