At the end of April, the exhibition dedicated to history and design of underwear was opened. It takes place in Erarta(https://dancing-bear-tours.com/erarta-museum-of-contemporary-art/), museum of contemporary art and has arrived from Great Britain: London museum of Victoria and Albert presents more than 200 exhibits. Some of them belong to designers and private collectors.
They describe the history of underwear from 1750s up to today. Most of the garments were made in Britain, France and North America.
It will help you not only to follow the way technology of making underwear improved but also to notice how much morality has changed.
Underwear is the most intimate part of our clothes. It always had two functions: to protect the body (for hygienic reasons) and to shape it fashionably. This exhibition shows the evolution of underwear. You will find out when corsets were replaced by bras, when it was fashionable for gentlemen to wear strings.
Originally ladies had to wear corsets. It was impossible to appear in high society without wearing one. You will find out why corsets were so bad for health, how old were girls when they started wearing them, how they transformed and when corsets finally disappeared. Now they have associations with sexuality. You will see the one made by Mr. Pearl for Dita Von Teese – a queen of burlesque show (see photo). The designer said that it was very close collaboration with the lady to create exactly what she needed.
Underwear literally means clothes that we do not show, wearing it under something else. This changed in 1990s. That was the time when thongs were invented. If a person wearing them bended or crouched, a triangle of cloth could be seen. That was the way one of the taboos was broken.
You will see underwear of royalty and celebrities. You will enjoy luxurious items by Agent Provocateur, Dolce Gabbana, Alexander McQueen, Elie Saab and other fashionable brands.
The exhibition will be on display in Saint Petersburg only. Then it will leave Russia and return to Europe. No doubt after visiting it you will be tempted to buy something new for your collection of underwear.
