Open Bottom Garter Girdles

From LoveToKnow Lingerie

You’ve seen them in old movies, you’ve seen them in pictures, you may even have seen them in your grandma’s lingerie drawers, but if you haven’t tried wearing open bottom garter girdles yourself, you’re missing out on a chance to wear stockings the way they were meant to be worn, give yourself an extra tuck right where most of us need it and look dangerously sexy with a vintage flair.

History of Open Bottom Garter Girdles

The girdle, with its power to smooth and refine the figure while not being as restrictive as a corset, was worn by almost every woman in the country from the 1920s through to the 1970s. When stockings became longer in the late 1930s, women did not want to continue using round garters to hold them up, as these were uncomfortable. Thus, lingerie manufacturers created the open bottom girdle with six garters attached, perfect for holding up thigh-high stockings, and this was the undergarment of choice in the 1940s and 1950s. If you look at movies from the period, you can see that it is not just the clothes that give the actresses such elegance and refinement. It’s the way their body has been shaped underneath their clothes that informs such beautiful movement. As sexy and glamorous as any woman is naturally, the right undergarment can add to that allure ten-fold.

Buy Modern Open Bottom Garter Girdles

Women had a difficult time before the invention of Lycra in the early 1960s. Even the simplest girdle was heavy and stiff. But modern girdles, made from interwoven nylon and Lycra spandex are far lighter and easier to wear. You can achieve a vintage sexiness without the discomfort.

So where do you buy these wonders? Many better lingerie shops should carry at least a small selection, but if you want to explore the fun world of open bottom garter girdles in its entirety, you have to go online.

  • Midnight Fashions
    • Midnight Fashions specializes in sexy retro lingerie that is still practical. Their six-garter girdle comes in black, white, purple, pink or red and sizes range from small to 3X. It’s made of nylon and Lycra with a reinforced lace tummy control panel and costs $25.95.
  • Secrets in Lace
    • Secrets in Lace has eight beautiful girdles from which to choose. A few are:
  • The Jasmine, a slinky, shiny girdle with a lace inset tummy control panel and matching power net panel in back. The front is dipped for function and style and there are six metal garter clasps. Colors are black, white, black with pink inset and white with pink inset. Sizes range from small to XXXL and it costs $64.
  • The Tiffany, exclusive to Secrets in Lace, is an 11-inch pull-on girdle made of micro power net. It has six adjustable metal garter clasps and a Lycra front panel, comes in white or black with sizes ranging from 28-34 and is $38.
  • The Nanette, to which no one can say “no no” is very retro and very sexy. Designed by Rago, a company specializing in old-fashioned lingerie, it’s black power net with criss-cross pink stitching. This not only helps shape the bottom and tummy but creates a dazzling look. The six metal garter clasps are accented with pink bows. Sizes are from small to 2XL and the price is $38.

Reproduction and Vintage Girdles

If you’re desperate for the real thing, be prepared to do a lot of searching. It’s hard to find a vintage girdle in good shape, because women wore them every day and bought them to last. Most of them will have worn-out garters, but these can be replaced. However, if the boning or fabric is worn, the amount of effort involved in restoring it will likely not be worth your while.

The nice thing about a girdle is that it looks retro no matter how modern it is. But if you want something more truly retro, look at the selections offered by GirdleBound, which carries an enormous range of vintage styles by Rago and other designers interested in vintage fit and flair. Invest in a good girdle, hunt yourself up some sexy stockings, and be prepared to be ogled.


 


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