SHEER FABRICS  

 

 

In the USA, some bras are advertised as sheer. However, the image of the modeled garment shows nothing, and it might as well have been on a plastic manikin. In some cases that alternative might even have been more appealing since modern mannequins are quite lifelike with nipples showing in contour (but usually not in color).  

         

Alden's depiction in 1965 of the "sheer nude look", certainly leaves a lot to the imagination! Namely, a person has to really use their imagination to believe that this bra is sheer (based on the ad image). That same year, JC Penny also published an altered image of a transparent bra. Held up, it looks like a person could read a newspaper through the fabric. However, the model is modestly disguised. Interestingly, in that same catalog, JC Penny very openly showed how the "natural look" was achieved with Lycra spandex power net stretched over a very shapely derriere!  

1960, Montgomery Ward had already revealed the "Tiger" panty girdle (by Peter Pan). A front garter is clearly visible on the long-leg style illustrated in red, and that image indicates this garment was very sheer. Although some long-leg panty girdles in this decade appeared to have garters on the outside of the panty leg, I believe that this garter was an inside or "hidden" garter. The only other long-leg panty girdle on this page was equipped with hidden garters. Fifteen years later, the high waist panty girdle shown in Ward's catalog had a "cheeky" view similar to the previous image in 1965 used by JC Penny.  

 

 

By 1978, Montgomery Ward revealed that once again, women's breasts had nipples.

However a year later, Sears was still involved in a "cover-up". Its very interesting to see that a lady's hand is clearly visible through the bra fabric (inset), but the part of the body where it's usually worn, is completely concealed. The sharp color printing used by Montgomery Ward in 1981 leaves no doubt in my mind about this model's nipples and large areola!

 

Often, the emphasis in European ads is on transparency. As shown here, there is no question about the sheerness of the bra portion of this Barbara all-in-one. The garments by Susa were similarly revealing.

 

   

 

In general, foreign women's magazines offer interesting variety for this subject. As might be expected under the commonly held impression of a more open attitude about nudity in Europe, ads for women's underwear in magazines such as Elle (French edition), and Brigitte (German) are often more revealing than their US counterparts. The Susa all-in-one and panty corselette illustrate that modern stretch fabrics are likely much more sheer than usually depicted in US catalogs.

 

Also, in that regard, some French ads for sanitary napkins make a point of showing a model wearing panties or a girdle where the outline of the pad is visible (Elle ~1972-73). The Internet web page for the Museum of Menstruation included a similar illustration that appeared in Sweden in 1970.  

Quelle (meaning  "source" or "spring") was a German department store catalog similar to Sears or JC Penney in variety and size. I saw a catalog in 1977, and the section on women's underwear was attractive and very revealing of the models as well as their bras and girdles. The bra shown here from the 1971 catalog clearly reveals the model's nipple.  

Although I only have been able to collect one example from Latin America, this advertisement from a TV schedule magazine (Aug. 1998) from Guayaquil, Ecuador illustrates a similar open (in more ways than one) attitude.

 

 

 

Before the Sear's catalog folded (about 1993), many people were not aware that they published different catalogs in different parts of the country. Some indication of this may be observed from the alphanumeric codes at the bottom of most pages. Sometimes the entry says, "All".  (I suspect that other catalog companies followed this practice, too.) I had relatives in New Jersey and was able to compare catalogs. I found that items offered and how they were displayed would differ, depending on location. While that was easy to understand for some products (like not offering snow blowers in Florida), it is harder for me to understand why types and styles of bras and girdles should vary and also how they were displayed. Was there really a consideration of more prudishness in the South?  Advertising in newspapers seemed to vary widely, also. Possibly, this depended on region and urban or rural areas. I recall some of the artist's sketches for department stores in Jacksonville, FL were excellent (and some were erotic).

 

 

Background

   

In the early 1990's catalogs changed the type of background used for pictures. Image background went from sterile white to more natural (like the inside of a home) as color was used. When images were primarily black and white, I suspect that a plain background was used to insure that the garment stood out.  The example from Lane Bryant in 1991 illustrates this trend.

 

 

I didn't see Sear's ever adopt this before the catalog folded. However, Just My Size and JC Penny used this technique.