William E. Macaulay Honors College
Marina NebroOctober 6, 2014Exposed: A History of LingerieThe Fashion and Textile History Gallery of the Museum at FIT is featuring an array of historical and contemporary examples of lingerie and sleepwear at its current exhibition entitled Exposed: A History of Lingerie. On show from June 3 until November 15, this 2014 display aims to educate the public about the progression of women’s undergarments from the 1700s to the present in regards to structure and style, availability and accessibility, and femininity and sexuality. Visiting the museum on September 6, I was immediately drawn to Valerie Porr’s 1976 silk lounging pajamas (Fig. 1). I was attracted to the eye catching pattern of the fabric as well as the relation between these pajamas and other pieces within the collection, specifically Elinor Toberoff’s generous gift of a silken, 1930s lounging set (Fig. 2). These two garments, spanning a time period of over forty years, reflect the ongoing and lasting trend of kimono style in Western fashion.To maintain a sense of chronology, it would be most beneficial to begin with a description about the importance of the lounging set, which includes a robe and blouse. Its style and cut can be compared to that of a kimono, as it loosely wraps around a woman’s bodice with a sash. One of the most recent examples of orientalism in the last two hundred years took place in the mid-1800s when Japan first opened its borders during the Meiji Restoration. During that time, not only did Japanese art influence the art movements of the West, but Japanese dress also became a major exported and appropriated commodity of the time. As silhouettes became decreasingly restrictive at the end of the 19th century and specifically during the Edwardian era, the looser Japanese style could more successfully be adopted in the West. According to the exhibit, kimono style loungewear and pajama sets were first seen beginning in the 1910s. Designers such as Poiret championed the use of the oriental motif in his various creations during the same decade. The fact that this example of robe and blouse on view in the museum appears two decades later shows how lasting this oriental trend had been.Though the silk lounge set does not prove itself to be radical in its form during the 1930s, there are aspects of the set that speak to its timeliness. It is interesting to note the emergence of fashion icons such as Chanel during the 1920s and the radical change that designers brought to women’s attire. Chanel was a trendsetting woman who dressed down and felt comfortable donning clothing similar to those of men. This de-feminization, in a way, of women’s fashion drastically impacted styles such as kimonos, which were seen as a pinnacle of Eastern, specifically Japanese, femininity. The Museum at FIT’s example of 1930s kimono-style wear may be dated in its cut, but its textile is anything but obsolete. The bold colors and geometric forms mirror the art movements of the time – Cubism and Constructivism. It goes to show that with the rejection of traditional artistic forms, prominent Cubist artists still drew inspiration from the harsh and sharp edges in the imagery of many oriental cultures.The museum’s 1976 example of basic kimono style loungewear by Valerie Porr very similarly demonstrates both the idea of looking back to fashion’s past as well as the idea of incorporating contemporary tendencies. The exhibit directly points out the parallel between the silhouette of Porr’s creation to that of the 1930s loungewear. Both the fact that the garment raps around the wearer’s bodice, as well as the use of silk show a connection with the earlier piece mentioned above. It is the drawing on the silk, however, that proves to be the most drastic difference between the apparel being compared. Just as the bold patterns on the 1930s lounge set embodied current artistic trends, the figurative image of a nude woman on the 1976 pajamas speaks to the cultural leanings at the time (Fig. 3). As stated by the exhibition, the nude woman represents the “emphasis on all things ‘natural’” such as the naked body. Here not only is the woman naked, as opposed to the idealized nude, but she also is depicted with pubic hair. Hair on a woman’s body is traditionally not depicted in the arts as it is seen as related to sexual power. The naked and natural movement was a universal one during the 1970s, but the added detail of pubic hair brings the image, and hence the garment, into the realm of feminist repertoire. The image, not only following feminist trends of the time, also has its own take on orientalism. The floral details visible below and above the mirror are quintessentially oriental in nature. The inclusion of a headscarf or turban also shows the Eastward leanings of the pattern’s artist.Although these examples of 20th century lounge wear and pajamas show both an affinity to fashion history and an interest in contemporary issues, it is the former characteristic of these garments that most represent how they may have been worn in their time, reflecting class and lifestyle. Valerie Porr’s garment may allude to the feminist movement as well as the naturalism and environmental movements, but it is the silhouette of the vestment that is the most telling. While the natural movement of the time “often manifested [itself through] revealing clothing styles,” this example is the complete opposite. Featuring long sleeves, full-length pants, and a modest neckline, the piece is anything but revealing. The woman wearing these pajamas would not be someone on the frontlines of the feminist movement. With the more conservative silhouette, she may have been supportive of the ideals of the feminist undertaking, but she may have also seen the fad as timely, fashionable, and modern. The use of silk as a textile in both the 1930s and 1976 garments reflect the higher social class that would have been purchasing these items. Synthetic fabrics such as spandex, nylon, and cotton would have been more accessible to the majority of the populace, at least by the later 20th century, and hence the choice of silk limits the clientele.In a reflection of home and country, both garments display quite international and universal viewpoints. Besides the feminist message, which would have been influenced by American Civil Rights, the oriental pattern designs, the garment cut, the look to European artists for inspiration, and ultimately the kimono style of the loungewear are innately un-American. Placing Valerie Porr’s 1976 set of pajamas alongside the 1930s lounging robe and matching blouse shows the progression of kimono and orientalist fashion through the 20th century. While both garments lack a trend-setting silhouette, they feature patterns and subject matter that is decidedly of the day. They represent a culture in which undergarments can be used as luxury items, being made of delicate and expensive materials. The garments also convey femininity and sexuality, however conservative and covering they may be. As loungewear and pajamas, both of the items shown at the Museum at FIT are examples of outfits worn for the benefit of the wearer and her own self-perception. The details and patterns, though produced in order to be seen, are not for the populace, but for the individual. Being part of Exposed, these ensembles acknowledge hidden fashion, clothing worn in private, away from prying eyes. 2286000-68580000-800100-685800002286000298450Fig. 2 Lounging set: robe & matching blouse, silk, circa 1930, prob. USA, FIT 90.190.20, Gift of Elinor Toberoff0Fig. 2 Lounging set: robe & matching blouse, silk, circa 1930, prob. USA, FIT 90.190.20, Gift of Elinor Toberoff365760015494000365760015494000-800100126365Fig. 1 Valerie Porr, lounging pajamas, silk, 1976, USA, The Museum at FIT 99.14.3, Gift of V.P.0Fig. 1 Valerie Porr, lounging pajamas, silk, 1976, USA, The Museum at FIT 99.14.3, Gift of V.P.171450040005Fig. 3 Detail sketch of pattern on silk fabric used by Valerie Porr0Fig. 3 Detail sketch of pattern on silk fabric used by Valerie PorrBibliographyBerger, John. Ways of Seeing. (London: British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books, 1972).Geczy, Adam. Fashion and Orientalism Dress, Textiles and Culture From the 17th to the 21st Century. (London: Bloomsbury, 2013).Goldstein-Gidoni, Ofra. “Kimono and the Construction of Gendered and Cultural Identities.” Ethnology. 38. 4 (1999).Hollander, Anne. Feeding the Eye. (Berkley: University of California Press, 2000).Storr, Merl. “Classy Lingerie.” Feminist Review. 71 (2002). ................
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