A useful start, but not an end
2 stars
"The History of Underclothes" covers undergarments from the Middle Ages to the 1930s. Undergarments are a critical piece of context to understanding the shape and function of the visible clothing, but are often neglected when fashion and clothing are discussed. This book attempts to remedy that, and does an admirable job considering the large scope and relative scarcity of information.
However, it misses some seemingly obvious things, like puffs worn under the giant sleeves of the 1830s, or the influence of pregnancy and menstruation, which casts doubt upon the reliability of the information it does have, and the sources it uses. That last omission is particularly troubling, though it's understandable given the much stronger menstruation taboo during the period this book was written (it was originally published in 1951).
I enjoyed how it tackled the erotic perceptions of those garments, that's a dimension I've not encountered in other books dealing …
"The History of Underclothes" covers undergarments from the Middle Ages to the 1930s. Undergarments are a critical piece of context to understanding the shape and function of the visible clothing, but are often neglected when fashion and clothing are discussed. This book attempts to remedy that, and does an admirable job considering the large scope and relative scarcity of information.
However, it misses some seemingly obvious things, like puffs worn under the giant sleeves of the 1830s, or the influence of pregnancy and menstruation, which casts doubt upon the reliability of the information it does have, and the sources it uses. That last omission is particularly troubling, though it's understandable given the much stronger menstruation taboo during the period this book was written (it was originally published in 1951).
I enjoyed how it tackled the erotic perceptions of those garments, that's a dimension I've not encountered in other books dealing with clothing history.
As a reference, it's difficult to use, as each chapter dealing with a particular time period builds upon the earlier chapters, requiring you to re-check those every time you want to check which garments would've been worn in a particular period. The garments are often described some distance away from where they're listed, and many are not adequately illustrated.
The illustrations are a mix of period drawings and photos of museum pieces laid flat, these do not do a great job of showing how these items looked in practice, or how they were made. The advertising drawings for undergarments of the 1840s and later have enough detail that you can get a sense for how those garments were structured, though. Overall, however, the illustrations aren't used very effectively by the text, and there aren't enough of them for this to be a good visual reference. It's worth nothing, however, that some other editions of this book apparently have more illustrations.
"The History of Underclothes" is a useful book to read, as it brings together terminology with context, and describes the changing meanings of the various undergarment terms, making it easier to find and interpret additional information elsewhere. I just wish I could recommend something better, something that could serve as a solid reference in its own right, rather than as a mere aid in further research.