The Rest of the World:

 

 

What a title for something in which we have so little experience! I hope this page will grow as we receive information from correspondents and extend the range of our travels. Certainly the Australians, Latin Americans and many countries in the Middle East have provided excellent examples of foundation wear, and still do in the case of the Latin Americans today. Watch this space as they say.

 

 

Australia:

 

 

 

Australia had numerous home-grown brands, a few of which, like Berlei, became famous worldwide. Others, like Jenyns, were famous but only in Australia. Some established companies from Britain, like Symingtons, recognising a potential market, expanded into Australia. After the war in the 1950's, that market would increasingly be populated by Britain's own own emigrants. The new immigrant on the 10 pound ship ticket, could now purchase the underwear that she had left behind, assuming her husband could find a job that is!

 

Innovations abounded as the Symingtons text shows "Nu-back, Concela, Lylow" to name but a few! Even Berlei came up with this classic piece of corsetry description:-

 

 

The Berlei "Controlacing" Liftbac, No. 7296, for the heavy abdominal figure.

 

New Zealand:

 

The images below come from the McCoy's catalogue (1980s). There were other local companies, but they faded away once political choices favoured imports from low-wage countries instead of local employment in manufacturing. Notice the emphasis below that their garments were only made from the finest WHITE materials. Interesting; was this because black would have been considered sinful?


The lady who kindly supplied this information recalls: "In the 1970s, when working over university holidays in the Wellington postal sorting centre, there would arrive sack after sack of packages from this company going out to their mail-order customers. In 2003, the company had shifted its factory, and a few years later had closed. The lead machinist had fallen ill, and what with the shortage of skilled machinists, the reduction in business, and demands from suppliers to buy only large amounts at a go (such as a container-full), the boss lady had decided to retire from it all. I never really found a use for the hooks descending from the long-line bra of model T as they just dug holes into my panties. And oddly, the model Y seems to have shrunk as there is no possibility of fitting in to it now, yet I haven't gained weight and the others fit. Indeed, they seem to have stretched, even though a seamstress tightened one. I could never do up the 'controlla' panel when wearing a girdle/corselette as shown on the cover page. Perhaps it just took practice."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey:

 

We found a modern source of Turkish garments that we have included here, partly for the interesting captions. I know it is rude to poke fun at translations when I don't speak a word of Turkish, but they are amusing. The language comes across very bluntly and actually says what it means rather than 'beating around the bush'.

 

The description leads one to imagine some latex device for incontinence, but no, this is no more and no less than a panty-girdle for the fashion conscious Turkish lady!

Stress is placed on the fact that this is a post-birth corset and not a surgical corset.

 

 

 

 

The Middle East:

 

In our travels we have been lucky enough to come across some interesting foundation garments from capital cities as unlikely as Cairo and Damascus. But, these cities are only unlikely candidates until one appreciates the culture, which, at least for weddings, closely resembles the family intensity of the film (2003) "My big, fat Greek wedding". The women who live around the Mediterranean Sea can be most voluptuous, walking that tightrope between beauty and obesity that is all too familiar to the Italians. 

In a back street in Cairo (1990), we came across a girdle that was a slightly worn Marks and Spencer, but with no packaging. From which hotel room or washing line did this girdle originate? The blistering heat of the Egyptian summer (often around 100o F in the afternoon), precludes tight clothes in general and girdles in particular! Nevertheless, we found an amazing long-line brassiere, its label in pure Arabic. This device, when laid on its side caused my husband to burst out laughing. It looked just like a pyramid! 

 

 
In a Damascus Hotel, we observed the entire female cast of an expensive Syrian wedding walking through the foyer. The women, far more heavily made up than their western sisters, carried the flounces and satin finery of the party in their arms; their hair-does were concealed by scarves, as this formidable army of shapely women marched, like some army of Amazons, across the marble floor in a heady waft of perfume. Powerful panty-girdles and brassieres we suspected were augmenting their figures. Any number of these well-made garments were available from shops in the local soukh (1995 below).

The labelling is interesting. The label on the Syrian girdle (above) reads

'Ayasku'. "I ask you" said my husband!

 

 

On the brassiere, it reads 'Abdul Haq' and the measurements B 40 / 90, catering for both western and continental tastes, since Syria was once the most cosmopolitan country on earth.

 
The advertisements (right) are not from Egypt, simply the marketing departments cashing in on Queen Cleopatra's famous beauty.

 

    

 

The Far East:

 

The Far East is rapidly gaining a reputation, similar to that of Latin America, of producing more traditional foundations. In that period of rapid economic growth where style is everything, but the surgeon's blade has yet to cut, any artifice to create a good shape will be employed. The lingerie stores of Singapore and Shanghai sport a whole selection of waspies, pantie-girdles and strange, complicated shapers. I've extracted our account from a trip to Singapore in November 2003.

A chance to travel in the Far East is always a pleasure, particularly as the mercury dips below 40o F and the days become progressively short and bitter in Europe. I'll not dwell upon the effects of corset bones and under-wiring on airport security devices, but, as my husband remarked with a sly smile, if I pass through the security gate and the alarm sounds, he feels confident that the machine is in good working order.

The 14 hour Amsterdam to Singapore flight was remarkably pleasant. Unaccountably we got upgraded, and we spent the flight (on a totally packed 747) enjoying excellent cuisine and wines to match. The charming Singaporean hostesses (of which more later) seemed all to eager to ensure that we should consume our way into a 10 hour torpor.

The whole point of this entry to the diary was what started as a desultory perusal of the stores along Orchard Road, the main shopping thoroughfare of Singapore. Having observed the minute frames of the average Asian woman, 99% of who appeared to be under 21, we considered that any foray into the lingerie sections of the major department stores would be a disappointment; as, quite frankly, it is in most cities these days. To our amazement, each store had a reasonable range of pantie-girdles. In addition, they would have a few examples of a long-leg pantie-girdle, with an attached waist cincher (similar to some USA Flexees products of the 1990's). Waist cinchers themselves were quite common, but we were quite mystified by a well-boned bustier device, the function of which my husband and I completely failed to understand. The helpful salesgirl (Asia is full them, and they are all young enough to be our grand-children) was most helpful and explained (and these were the words she used), all about the functions of the girdles and corsets in the department. I was dumbfounded, my husband was (in British parlance) 'gob-smacked'. This-slip-of-a-girl was using terminology that I thought had died a decade ago!

The girdle (lower right), is quite beautifully constructed and reasonably heavy too. There is a cunning seam at the front and rear that generates an artificial 'panty-line'. Presumably the wearer does not want the world to share the knowledge of her formidable underpinnings!

On the way back to the hotel, somehow inevitably, my husband's mind began to wander along those channels denied to the female imagination. The lore surrounding the airline stewardess and the girdle has been discussed for about seven decades. My husband, inevitably started surmising that perhaps what lay underneath the sleek form of the 'Singapore Girl', the immaculate airline stewardess, was not as simple as we imagined. I rapidly brought him back to earth. Decades ago, we all wore girdles. Today, we don't; and particularly Singapore Girl! I suspect my voice rose as I said this. But I do wonder who would buy these garments. Whoever does, and goes for the full upper and lower garment, will be confronted by no less than 12 bones and 24 hooks and eyes, and, I must add, no easy way to heed the calls of nature. There are, of course, any number of tubby Singaporeans (as there are anywhere), but are they trying to compete with their sylph-like sisters? Or are they designed for the 'billy-boys', that used to haunt Bugis Street before Singapore became squeaky clean? Who knows? I would love to have tried on the girdle, but my Anglo-Saxon frame is too large to accommodate oriental sizes. The salesgirl giggled in that polite covered mouth way, typical of Asia. Had she gone "tee hee", I would have burst out laughing as well. She suggested that I try America and, of course, she's probably right. 

 

Nigeria:

 

The wearing of corsets at formal functions in Nigeria is beginning to gather the ridicule of correspondents who report that some women experience extreme discomfort sitting, even if they can sit at all!

This ridicule is so similar to the warnings issued by doctors in the late 19th century regarding the evils and dangers of tightly laced corsets.

 

 

These Nigerian made dresses are now becoming fashionable proms items in the USA. I wonder what sort of tariff they attract?