The Overlooked History of Underwear
The largest-ever exhibition devoted to underwear, currently on view at the Victoria & Albert in London, explores the intimate relationship between underwear and fashion, delving into historical notions of gender, sex, and morality.
Highlights among the 200 items on display include the requisite Wonderbra and Wonderjock (the latter created by an Australian surf company); gender-neutral briefs and women’s boxers; cotton drawers worn by Queen Victoria’s mother; and a so-called austerity corset created out of twine around WWI. There is, too, a floor dedicated to underwear as outerwear by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood.
Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear , until March 12, 2017, V&A, London
