Here is an interesting post with a great contemporary quote about 14th century bust supportive. It's nice to have textual evidence for something bra-like as well as supportive gowns to fit in with all the great information that's been coming out about the Lenberg bras.
It's nice to know that boob wrangling was an issue for the ladies back then too. Somehow knowing for certain that women weren't running around with things flapping in the wind back then makes me feel better.
I think the only people who think that things were flapping in the wind are a) men and b) very small chested women.
ReplyDeleteEverybody else has a keen sense of gravity and the need for support.
Of course there's always the "Aboriginal women wearing grass skirts don't have bust supporting garments and they do just fine!" argument. But they also aren't very well known for their sewing and tailoring skills, and again, see answer a, above, men.
I suspect the same applies to underwear. No woman I've ever talked to has bought the whole no-panties thing either. Well, that's not true, one of my ex-SIL's did but she was nuts.
DeleteI think there's a huge difference between a) aboriginal women who wear no upper garments at all, b) cultures where upper garments are loose fitting, for instance in the 13th century in Europe, c) tight fitting fashions.
ReplyDeleteI used to do early 14th century reenactment, in which period the loose fitting tunics of the 13th century were still what everybody wore. In these clothes I have never found it difficult to leave my bra at home. It feels much the same as walking around in your nightgown. I think the same sort of experience goes for not wearing any upper garments.
In tight fitting late 14th century clothing however, it feels all the time as if everything is in the wrong place! I really need my supportive underwear to make me feel comfortable in my own clothes.
Even then, I am a small chested woman, but I can easily imagine that especially for well endowed women the supportive underwear is all the more neccessary.