Vintage Lingerie Circa 1936

These ladies are dressed to the nines, yet they're not fit to be seen on any street in 1936.  In the 1930s, lingerie was as multi-faceted as a lady's outer wardrobe.  There were separate bras and underwear (called tap panties) as seen above, nightgowns and pajama style lounging outfits, girdles that covered the lower half, garter belts, and corset style foundations that included a built-in bra.  In the 1939 film "The Women", a lingerie model explains just such a foundation as one that "zips up the back and no bones".

"No bones" was still a recent idea in 1936, as women continued to bind and mold their figures like the Victorians until the mid-1910s.  After that, the flapper era heralded new ideas in lingerie, but "no bones" couldn't really come into the market until durable stretch fabrics were created that could offer the necessary shaping to substitute for boning.  And zipping up the back was non-existent in the mass market until 1935.  Those features were new and exciting at the time.

The ladies pictured are also wearing dressing gowns, a glamorous yet practical component of a woman's boudoir wardrobe.  The dressing gown allowed a lady to prepare at the mirror before she donned her street or evening attire.  Yet a vintage dressing gown is often just as finely made as a formal dress, albeit without severe structure.  Many vintage gowns we've had from the 1930s are exquisitely finished and some are hand-sewn - every seam, every hem, every edge.

The quality of the lingerie in this photo is of that sort, meticulously made for indoor glamour.  Fabulous!

What's Old In Kalispell, MT: Antique Lingerie Dresses

Classic antique dresses (like the one pictured) from the turn of the 20th century are white cotton lawn or batiste, sometimes with intricate pleatwork, lace and embroidery.  They can be works of art.  And there's a cache of them on display at the Conrad Mansion in Kalispell, MT through October 15, 2013.

Little Known Labels: Albert Capraro

One of the less commonly seen labels of the early-mid 1970s is Albert Capraro, a little-known designer today who had a big audience after dressing First Lady Betty Ford.  Capraro had gained eight years' experience working at Oscar de la Renta, crafting the boutique collection while honing his skills and readying to strike out on his own.

After a mere six months in business with his own label, Capraro got a call from the White House.  At first he thought it was a joke.  But in reality, Mrs. Ford wanted Capraro to create designs for her using Asian fabrics recently brought home by the President. 

Two days later, Capraro arrived in a government limousine at the steps of the White House.  After that first meeting, he designed five dresses from the imported fabric and thus began a series of appointments exclusively outfitting the First Lady's needs.



Albert Capraro's designs are clean and functional, of superb quality and were usually sold in exclusive boutiques.  The 1970s originals are hard to find because they were a high price range and lower production, so relatively few exist in relation to the mass quantity of other ready-to-wear lines.  If you can find one, consider yourself lucky.  You're dressing as well as a president's wife and with the chic sophistication this label was known for.

Source: The Fashion Makers by Barbra Walz & Bernadine Morris