The History of Underclothes by C. Willett Cunnington

They amassed a vast collection of English costume between the 1920s and the late 1940s, which they stored in a big shed in the garden of their house in North London. Willett (1878 1961) and Phillis (1887 1974) Cunnington were medical doctors with a general practice in North London in the 1930s they were also major dress historians.

Illustrated with dozens of plates, 4 of them in color. DJ is price clipped, has many tears, rubs, bumps, crinkles. Pencil number written inside front cover, as well as previous owner's name sticker. B & W and Color 6 X 9 xii, 243 pages Hard cover is grey cloth with faded gold lettering on spine some bumping and shelf wear. A bibliography, appendix, and index complete a valuable reference work that will appeal to costume historians, sociologists, and other readers. 1750), footed long drawers (1795), nineteenth-century bustles, early nineteenth-century corsets for men, 'Frillies for the Tiny Lady' (1939), and much more. Drawing on extensive, research, the Cunningtons illuminate the role and function of underwear: it protected the wearer against the elements, supported costume shapes, served as an erotic stimulus, symbolized class distinctions, and fulfilled other social, sanitary, and economic functions.Įnhancing the detailed, comprehensive text are more than 100 period illustrations and photographs depicting a laced-up bodice of the twelfth century, embroidered linen drawers of the sixteenth century, a hooped petticoat support in bentwood (c.

Beginning with the Middle Ages, the authors cover centuries of clothing history, including the Tudor period, the Restoration, the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and the twentieth century up to the eve of World War II.

In a well-documented, profusely illustrated volume combining impressive scholarship with an entertaining, often humorous style, two distinguished clothing historians consider undergarments worn by the English over the past 600 years. Underwear - practical garments with a utilitarian function or body coverings that serve an erotic purpose? As this fascinating and intelligently written study shows, the role played by underclothing over the last several centuries has been a varied one.

The History of Underclothes by C. Willett Cunnington