The innovation I have chosen is nylon. I may've gone to the farthest reaches with this, but I think I have (just) stayed within the boundaries.
My project is my 1930s style KISS bra (as in Keep It Simple Stupid). The pattern was drafted by me from examples I saw of 1930s and even 1920s bras. It was completely handstitched by me. And here is one of the areas I have probably stretched things a little - although lingerie was still being handmade, mass production had started to come into its own by the 1930s. More on that later.
Firstly though, a bit about nylon. Nylon was first made on 28th February, 1935 by Wallace Carothers at the Dupont Experimental Station. Here's a picture of the man himself.
Nylon is a thermoplastic (a polymer that becomes pliable above a certain temperature), silky material. Nylon was first intended to be used as a synthetic replacement for silk after silk became scarce during WWII. Nylon was introduced as a fabric at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
I know I am really stretching it to use as an "innovation" for my project as it doesn't seem to have been used in clothing production till the 1940s, firstly in women's stockings (nylons) in 1940. However I think it still scrapes in with the "historical" theme.
Worn out nylon stockings to be reprocessed and made into parachutes for army fliers, c.1942:
Nylon went on to be used in all kinds of clothing production, as in this blue nylon ballgown:
As for the bra itself, the word "brassiere" was shortened to "bra" in the 1930s. As mentioned earlier bras became less home sewn and became a major industry during the 1930s, introducing Warner's use of elastic, adjustable straps, sized cups and padded bras.
Here are some photos of my bra in different stages. More information at the end.
My starting point. Some thrifted nylon slips. I only ended up using one though. I had thought to make some matching tap pants but time kind of slipped through my fingers, as it does:
Above, my pattern pieces - I recycle my radio tracklists and scripts. They often end up as pattern pieces or templates of one kind or another.
The pieces cut out.
First stages of putting it together. As you can see I made an extra piece (which I didn't need to use). The cups are a double layer of nylon for a teeny bit more coverage. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to put it together from here.
That's what I decided on. I have also used the straps from the slip I cut up. I made little tabs from some apple green nylon ribbon I had and attached them through there. I doubt they were using plastic sliders in those days, but they were on the slip.
A close up of where I crossed over and joined the two cups.
Et voila! My finished KISS bra!
I made a bow with some of the apple green ribbon.
The back view. I joined the back with two pieces of underwear elastic.
Wrapping Up:
Title & Name: Robyn Thomas 1930s style KISS bra.
The Challenge: #2 Innovation.
The Fabric: Nylon
Pattern: Drafted myself after looking at examples (photos) of 1930s and 1920s bras
Year: 1930s
Notions: Thread (polyester I'm afraid), nylon ribbon, underwear elastic
Historical Accuracy: We-e-ell... Nylon was invented mid-1930s, however would not have been used in underwear production until well into the 1940s. The design itself matches up with some of the simpler bras of the 1920s and 1930s. The polyester thread and plastic slippy things on the straps are a definite no. All in all, a bit of a mish-mash.
Time: Not exactly sure - a few evenings of sewing while watching DVDs of Wire In The Blood and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. The research, designing and drawing up of the pattern probably took the longest
Total Cost: $0. I already had everything I used, and I even drew up the pattern on recycled paper.
Phew!!! I had fun doing this and learned a lot.
Till next time...x
