Girdle pants
The girdle is a figure-shaping, elastic garment that is worn as part of female underwear. It shapes and supports the abdomen, buttocks and hips, and in the long form also the thighs, resulting in a slimmer and more even silhouette.
The girdle pants were created as a lighter alternative to girdles or corselets as early as the 1930s . It was only with the advent of pantyhose and the social acceptance of women's pants that it became increasingly widespread in the mid-1960s and largely replaced the girdle that had been common up until then.
In contrast to girdles, girdles are usually worn with tights or under pants, but suspenders can also be attached to some designs . Occasionally, girdles are also worn in combination with a long brassiere (longline bra) in order to be able to control the area between the waist and the brassiere, as with a corselet .
Strength and function
A girdle consists of more or less elastic, synthetic material, usually elastane or polyamide (nylon). In terms of its form force (strength), it is described as either light, medium or strongly controlling. The different firmness of girdles results from the strength, the elasticity and the combination of the materials used, e.g. B. the use of double or triple layers. In particular, the abdominal area is often reinforced by a flap with less elasticity or has a multi-layered design to increase its function . Often an additional, wide and tight waist band with chopsticks helps to prevent the waistband from slipping or curling up when sitting.
In the case of particularly strong shaping girdles or orthopedic back support girdles , flexible rods are also incorporated for stiffening. Such girdles can therefore often be opened with the help of a zipper or with hooks to make putting them on and taking off easier.
Short form
In addition to their shape, girdles also differ in their cut. A short girdle is similar to a slip usually cut without leg approach, but extends to the waist, in order to achieve a flattening of the abdomen. The buttocks are also modeled, partly supported by special cuts and materials of varying extensibility. Depending on the function, the designs range from highly elastic, seamless bodice briefs to multi-reinforced, highly controlled panty girdles with a high waist. There are also versions with short legs so that the girdle does not show up under tight outerwear.
Long shape
Long girdles (also known as girdles with long legs) have a pronounced base and thus also control the thighs. The leg length varies depending on the version from the middle of the thigh to the knee. There are even girdles that go down to the calf or ankle. The leg ends are often interwoven with rubberized threads or laminated with rubber to prevent them from sliding up while wearing. Long girdles are therefore also suitable for wearing nylon stockings, since the edge of the stocking and suspender belt are covered by the long leg of the girdle. Correspondingly, in the 1950s the further development of complete nylon tights with an opaque bodice followed, which at the end of the 1990s developed back into an independent type of long pantyhose, known as molded pants.
Sizes
The size of a girdle is determined by the circumference of the waist in centimeters. Commercially available girdles are usually available in sizes 70 to 100, in increments of 5 cm. American or British pantyhose sizes are based on the waist circumference in inches , here the sizes range from 28 to 40, in two-inch increments. The body circumference at the waist is measured without a bodice, with a waist circumference of z. B. 82 cm results in the closest size 80.
The intended reduction of the waist circumference has already been taken into account in the sizes, so there is no point in trying to achieve greater control of the figure by wearing panties that are too small. This only leads to the fact that the waistband of the girdle trousers becomes uncomfortable the longer it is worn. A generally more controlling model in the right size is the better solution. With regular wear, you get used to the restrictive effect over time.
Social relevance
Bodice pants (like girdles and corselets) have long been a product of fashion that required a slim, waist-accentuated silhouette. As a result of the emancipation movement, bodices received a negative image as an “instrument of oppression” and the fashion that was predominantly dictated by men. Young women in particular regard the pantyhose (as opposed to the bra ) as an out-of-date piece of clothing. The desire for comfort and a change in fashion have also led to the fact that girdle pants are only occasionally worn as purely functional items of clothing, for example in the long version to prevent intertrigo on the inner thighs, and are practically no longer advertised.
literature
- Beate Binder, Silke Gottsch, Beate Binder, Wolfgang Kaschuba: Location. Job. Body. Ethnography of European Modernism, Waxmann Verlag GmbH, Münster 2005, ISBN 3-8309-1530-6 .