The History of Lingerie

The history of feminine undergarments is linked to a variety of factors including the way in which the female body has been represented throughout history, erotic trends, social and religious practices, hygiene, and even techniques and changes in the textile industry. With rare access to the archives of one of the world’s leading fashion museums and complemented by newly-commissioned photography of exceptional pieces from a private lingerie collection, this book offers an unprecedented wealth of visual as well as historical documentation of the evolution of womens’ undergarments. Five chapters offer an authoritative and complete reference to the subject: Invention of Undergarments, Lingerie for Seduction, Feminine Theatricality, Lingerie as Architecture, and Second-skin Lingerie. This volume is packaged in a hot-pink satin corset slipcase with black velvet laces; it makes an unforgettable gift.

Anne Zazzo is a curator and art historian. She is head of the lingerie department at Paris’ fashion museum, the Musee Galliera. A leading authority on the history of undergarments, she edited a book on wedding gowns and wrote two catalogs on the history of fashion shows.