Inside Out: A Brief History of Underwear

by Shelley Tobin, Andreas von Einsiedel (Photographer)

Drawing on the National Trusts costume collection, Shelly Tobin traces the items that were used to squeeze women into a variety of shapes and styles, from the stays and corsets of the early 18th century to the silk and lace-trimmed items of the early 20th century. She also looks at nightclothes, maternity garb, and menswear.

Genres: Fashion, History

48 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jenn]

It only went to the 1940's, she should have gone all the way to present day. I appreciated that she she used sources to try and piece it all together since underwear wasn't talked about much in the last couple of centuries. I think it being a "brief" history did her a disservice.

[Alessandra]

A nice little general introduction, with color photographs of original garments and artworks. It is almost entirely focused on women, with only a single page devoted to gentlemen's dressing gowns.