EDM Challenge #210: Draw Underwear
During the Medieval period, women wore only long shifts (chemises) under their clothes. Pantaloons and pantalettes were worn under dresses, especially in France, by young girls, but it wasn’t until the 1830s that women regularly wore bloomers with tight ankles and two legs attached at the waist with a draw string.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, bloomers were shortened as skirt lengths rose and by the 1920s women were wearing short panties with wide legs, called step-ins or boy shorts. They were still commonly made of two legs which were attached at the waist.
During the 1930s and 1940s, women wore girdles and then by the 1950s panties as we know them. From the mid-20th Century to the 1990s, granny pants became hipsters, then bikinis, then thongs.
The transition from bikinis to thongs, especially worn with cropped shirts and low waisted jeans, has resulted in more visible thong underwear and bare skin among my women medical students than I care to see. My kids call this sighting a "whale tail." What will the next fashion trend bring?
Comments
Great spread. I love the history lesson. many of my young coworkers also sport a whale tale.. I just don't get the appeal.
Posted by: Tyanne | February 13, 2009 10:34 PM
Nice history of underwear...I like it!
Posted by: Carolyn Roberts | February 13, 2009 10:36 PM
Love that you've drawn undies through the ages. Never heard of the G-string being called a 'whale tail' - v. funny. That will stick with me now. We call them cheese strings.
Posted by: Sarah Watson | February 14, 2009 7:24 AM
I really like this and I think it is really creative that you did all that research on the history of underwear. The whale tail think is very unattractive to me. In my opinion, the problem is that the pants are too low and not that the underwear is too high. It looks especially bad when people have belly fat and they get that "muffin top" effect!
Posted by: Carolyn Pappas | February 14, 2009 10:51 AM
I like the history lesson as well as the drawings. Very nicely done. Being a woman of 47 years, I am less than impressed with thongs (or whale's tails, as you call them). LOL.
:)
Ana
Posted by: Ana Tirolese | February 14, 2009 11:36 AM
Love yoru take on this challenge! I'm not sure, but in the future, there will be a trend to cover up and wear clothes backwards----shoes will be difficult but like always they will wear them that way to be cool
Posted by: E J Mordasky | February 14, 2009 6:23 PM
Hehe. Great post, Shirley. The thong really is one of the ugliest sights, isn't it? I think it's back to French knickers next. I hope.
Posted by: andrea joseph | February 14, 2009 7:42 PM
Great drawing and a lovely idea to go through the ages. funny too.
Posted by: sarah ketelaars | February 15, 2009 10:02 AM
Oh what a fun page, and such history, amazing how they have transformed to such little cloth!! AND I had notheard thongs refered to as the Whale tale :-)
Posted by: sandy | February 15, 2009 5:27 PM
Lovely drawings and a very interesting History lesson!! :-)
Posted by: Jussara | February 24, 2009 9:40 PM
I've not heard of thongs being called whale tails. My husband refers to them as "butt floss."
Posted by: Lisa B. | March 1, 2009 9:58 AM