Exposed: A History of Lingerie

The Museum at FIT – 3 June to 15 November 2014

The latest exhibit at The Fashion Institute of Technology’s Museum is a three hundred year history of lingerie. And although I have a ton of sewing and other work to do before our upcoming photo shoot, I knew I had to take a little time out and see this exhibit. The garments on display, in largely chronological order, demonstrate the changes in form, fabric, function, and even color. It is a very informative exhibit, especially in our current era of lingerie as outerwear.

Lingerie throughout the ages has served many purposes: cleanliness, modesty, sexuality, comfort, shaping; often all at the same time. It is an indispensible part of every woman’s wardrobe and yet something that only a few people see. And still even the most utilitarian pieces have often featured delicate feminine details. Most histories of fashion focus only on outerwear, but lingerie is the foundation that creates the silhouette to these styles. There is a very symbiotic relationship between lingerie and outerwear: lingerie reacts to changes in fashion, but developments in lingerie inspire new trends in fashion.

Of course you won’t be surprised that the main points of interest for me at the exhibit were the corsets, but there were so many other highlights as well. Photography is not permitted in the gallery, but I always go with my sketchbook in hand to get down the details that most capture my imagination. Here is just a taste of what I took away.