40s or 50s bustier?

regan

regan

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Hi everyone. These are a couple of todays estate sale finds. The bustier has a underwire, it is made of cotton with a padded synthetic lining, the piping outline pattern looks 50s to me and the brand is Lovable. The calender girl has something similar on from 1949. Was underwire popular in the 40s or more 50s/60s?
 

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Thank you: I'm still confused by this one but based on the materials, construction and labels I think it's between '60s-80s. A very, very broad range, sorry. It's an unusual style, reminiscent of the '40s or '50s but the fabrics, construction and labelling look more '60, '70s or even 80s.

Sometimes it's easier to tell when you handle a garment, you can "feel" the age. With this one it's hard to tell so hopefully someone else will weigh in.

PS, I'd call it a strapless bra rather than bustier, which tends to be longer.
 
bridget bra.jpg label.jpg
I found something similar to my bra, "The Brigitte Bardot by Lovable" from the 60s. It has the same under-wire and padding but a different type label.
 
Regan,

I agree that you have a "bra" rather than a bustier. The Brigitte Bardot model does seem like a good comparable. I did a quick search and found that there are a lot of early advertisements for Loveable strapless bras. I think the shape of the bra and the boning (and the label)looks '60's but the button closure and the stretchy elastic makes it look earlier. I am not very knowledgable about lingerie - my opinions are based on what I remember and personal experience!

Linn
 
Hi, I jut thought bustier because the wire lifts your bust up. I think it is a bathing top, it looks like something you would wear at the beach with shorts. I do not think you are suppose to wear it under a blouse.
 
I was asking myself if this wasn't a bikini top... I have a picture in a book somewhere of two women, late 50s, wearing pretty skimpy looking bikinis with strapless tops. The shape of the cups also reminds me of the bustier/corselette I asked about here some time ago and which was thought to be late 50s to early 60s. I was listing it yesterday night, so I just had it in my hands, and had also looked at that post again.

Karin
 
reminds me of the Pennsylvania dutch theme around late 1940s. Popular again in early 1960s.
Part of a 1940s short set perhaps?
 
Love the BB bra - so cute. I'll go with '60s then.

The main reason I thought it was no early than '60s is because of the fabric: it wouldn't have a synthetic lining in the '40s and the labels. Content labels became obligatory in the '70s but you see them in the '60s too. The button looks earlier but could be a replacement. Linn, I had bra fasteners like that in the late '70s-early '80s.

I had a similar one by Lovable recently: it looked like a bikini top but was very structured. I don't know if Loveable made swimwear but I came to the conclusion that it was meant to be a pretty bra, perhaps worn under a sheer top or jacket. Certainly I sold it to a lady who was going to wear it as a top with jeans.
 
I did a little "googling" earlier and I think there are/were two Lovable companies - one in the US and one in Australia. I have not had time to really delve into it but it does appear that the Australian company may have made swimwear and is still in business. They may both still be in business. There are a lot of vintage garments and ads if you google.

I have never seen a button used as a fastener on a bra. I don't know if the US company made swimwear or just bras.

I agree the top looks like it's part of a swim suit or meant to be worn with shorts. It's cute!

Linn
 
I have had many of the 50s 60 playsuit bra tops, but none ever had fiber fill. That strikes me as odd.
They were all just boned and cotton lined.
I was going to say 60s because of the button and print edge. But with the padding, I am not sure that it may not be later.
I have added some photos from 2 60s play tops. Both without fiber fill.
 

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Thanks for all the comments and info. I too have had other 50s-60s sun tops without the fiber fill and I was not sure about the underwire , that is why I thought it was odd.
 
I just checked my new " "Swimsuit: A History of Twentieth-Century Fashion" by Sarah Kennedy and found out that underwire bras became popular in swimsuits in the late 1950's. There are underwire bras shown in 1965 in the "Everyday Fashions of the 1960s as Shown in the Sear's Catalogs." They have foam rubber or synthetic push up pads or liners. Yours is all cotton.

Linn
 
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