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Foundations Defined A foundation is a construction technique in a garment designed to alter or amplify the natural shape of the body. Foundations begin with the pattern of the swimsuit and the design and placement of seams, darts and elastics, as well as boning, stays, springs, underwires and corseting. To a degree, ties and hooks also involve foundation, but they are detailed here under the heading fastenology. Soutien-gorge Foundations Foundations in swimwear have come and gone over the years. They are gradually lost in the 1920s, reacquired in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and become sophisticated and highly constructed by the 1950s (fig. 18-1). Typical of the 1950s foundation is the nose-cone bra, in which each breast is fit into a metal or plastic cup which dictates a pointed bosom shape quite independent of its contents. When smaller than the breast, the molded cup sits atop it, pasty style, and allows all sides of the breast to be exposed. In practice rigid cone cups date back to antiquity. 1960s foundations drift toward lighter-weight; lining is still present, but garments are thinner and less concerned with defining an artificial silhouette (fig. 18-3). Molded, circular cone cups continue to be built inside many a 1960s bra (fig. 18-2), often with a full circumferences of steel around the outside. Sixties cone cups often detach from each other and connect together by a center ring in front of the bra or bandeau. Foundation is also found in the 1960s halter as well (NW6310). As the 1960s progress the semicircular steel underwire push-up bra becomes popular, in which curved steel wire under each cup lift and separate the breasts. This style is popular both in swimwear as well as underwear (SL6310). But as the bikini shrinks during the 1960s, it looses its foundations and, after 1970, sheds even its initial lining, becoming a soft cloth halter. With the integration of Spandex (invented in 1958) the fabric acquires an internal elasticity and at its most minimum extreme becomes pure cloth and string. Foundation Rediscovery Not until the postminimalist late 1980s do foundations return to the swimsuit. The leading edge of this attack is the bandeau. Initially the integrations are very subtle--stays to the sides of the breasts (FL8608), but as the decade progresses these became more bold and include v-wire in the center cleavage (NK8801, C8977), horizontal elastics, and stays in the center of the cup (GL9008). This quickly develops into a re-embracement of underwire in the soutien-gorge--both the bra and halter (LE9041)--as well as its introduction into maillot styles (fig. 28-1). Moulded cups are also incorporated into these designs (C8964). The new underwire looks are marketed with the trade name the Wunderbra. Other foundation developments are seen in a renewed popularity of the bustier, the balconet, and even the corset. The post string era also sees foundation reintroduced into the culotte. This is spotted as early as the famous Cosmo cover featuring the slide-side and v-kini (CB7710), and by designers like Naomi Kamali in the early 1980s who combine bandeaux with a constructed v-kini (LB830T). Construction is by no means a v-kini requirement, but it is line of deployment. Caption Foundation provides support for the body. |
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