How to Clean Vintage Lingerie: Wash and Care Tips

Vintage lingerie addicts know that authentic undergarment finds generally come as used or deadstock items. Some even come well-worn. While many of these items are made of linen, silk, satin, and such delicate fabrics, how to clean them is always an issue, especially if you do not know how to go about it.

If you are a collector who simply finds pleasure in amassing vintage underwear, you will need to know how to care for and store it. You will need to know how to avoid damaging them as they are delicate and aged undergarments. Fabrics over half a century old need the ideal cleaning care to preserve them for a bit longer.

If, for instance, you find:

• Your great-great-grandmother’s private peignoir sets.
• Some old Vanity Fair nylon slips.
• A bullet bra at an online vintage store.
• Deadstock (unused) knickers from a local thrift shop
• Bridal garters from the 50s,

... you will want to know how to keep them clean without damaging their delicate material.

Common Damages of Vintage Lingerie

Because old lingerie has been stored away for decades, many of them may have become soiled due to dust accumulation or trapped dirt within the garment folds. Also, the prolonged exposure to heat, light, dampness, and dust may have caused almost irrevocable damage. If cleaning is not done carefully and methodically, you’ll find that some of them may tear while being cleaned.

How to Clean Antique and Vintage Undergarments. What You Need

Caution must be applied when you clean vintage lingerie. It is a painstaking task to clean items like silk panties or satin brassieres, but it can be done. Before you begin, ensure you have a wide, flat surface (counter or tabletop). This is important. Lying out on a flat surface makes it easier to clean carefully.

To clean, you will require the following:

1. A couple of soft sponges.
2. 2 large towels.
3. 1 soft hand towel.
4. Mild detergent or soap flakes.
5. Mild softener.
6. White vinegar (distilled).

The cleaning steps are as follows:

1. On the flat table or counter, lay out a large towel.
2. Moisten the soft hand towel and rub it gently over the surface of the lingerie.
3. Mix water, mild detergent and softener in one of the bowls – ratio 1/8 detergent to softener to 3 cups of clean water.
4. Dip a soft sponge in the soapy solution, lightly squeeze out excess solution and gently rub the sponge on areas/spots you aim to clean.
5. Go with the grain of the material while applying the gentle rub. For tiny spot stains, use cotton swabs instead of a sponge.
6. Dip the 2nd sponge in a bowl of clean water, squeeze lightly, and gently blot the soapy residue from the vintage lingerie. Do not rub.
7. Prepare a mix of water and the white vinegar - 4 tablespoons of vinegar to 2 cups of water.
8. Dip the clean towel in this mix and use it to gently dab the lingerie. This will balance the alkalinity of the soap. It will help to preserve the underwear.

The drying steps are as follows:

1. To dry the lingerie, lay a large dry towel on the table and place the undergarment on it. Fold the towel over it and press on it very gently, and then leave to air dry. Do not wring wet vintage materials!
2. Iron them gently on a low iron setting to remove all wrinkles. Do not use steam.

Professional Cleaning and Restoration

If your vintage underwear is a cherished family heirloom, you may not want to clean it yourself. If you fear that you may cause some damage, you can always have them cleaned professionally. And, if there are minor damages, for a small fee, a vintage restoration expert can repair and restore.

Further reading:

Interesting History of Women's Underwear: When Undergarments Became an Item
Curvy Girls' Guide to Best Lingerie Picks (Infographics)

Intimate Wear Of the 19th Century Woman

Ugly Vintage Clothing Styles We Will Hate to See Come Back

Fashion design and clothing styles come and go, moving in an almost cyclic manner where the old becomes the new and eventually fades away back into the past that will one day also be tagged as vintage clothing.

Many vintage-inspired styles we see today have appeared a number of times over the decades, albeit modified to suit the trends of the time.

A silk dress, worn with the hobble skirt

While some of these clothing styles still maintain some detailing features, not many possess the meticulous attention to detail which made their designs great, and neither are they made with such gorgeous fabrics, common elements of the past. For those who absolutely love vintage-style clothing, they’ll find that such unique beauty and finery are rarely present in modern-day designs.

But then, fashion hasn’t always been that impressive and some were unbecoming. And though we might have thought that some of them were 'cool' styles during their era, in all honesty, many of them were not!

Clothing Styles We Hope Never Make a Reappearance 

So, which styles were the worst of the ‘pack’ and what is the reason why we’d rather not see them in today’s fashion houses and shopping malls? Which fashion trends do we hope never ever make a re-appearance in our clothing collections?

Hobble skirts of the 1910s – This style was a terribly restrictive skirt with a narrow hem that seemed intentionally designed to impede a woman’s stride. Wearers actually walked funny, hobbling to and fro. Luckily, this item of clothing was a short-lived fashion trend.

Paper dresses of the 1960s – These were another short-lived clothing style of the 60s. Whoever first designed the paper dress must have wanted to create some awful marketing stunt that went awry. However, paper dresses, made completely out of paper, were short-lived.

Utterly quirky and often featuring eye-catching patterns and shapes, including Yellow Pages and newspaper-type prints, this trend never really took off, for practical and understandable reasons.

The paper dress style hardly took off before it disappeared from the fashion scene.

Go-Go boots of the 1960s – Adopted by teen dancers, go-go boots looked so plastic and really cheap! Presumed to have been named after a certain dance style (go-go dance), they were the perfect discotheque boots. Remember the TV program Top of the Pops? They were created by famous fashion designer André Courrèges and came in white, had low heels, were mid-calf-high, and were generally described as sexy boots.

Sailor dress - The sailor dress is a vintage dress style that is fashioned after a sailor’s suit, particularly its bodice and collar design. It not only looked childish, but it was also unbecoming and made women look like dressed-up little girls. Sailor dresses were popularly known as Peter Thomson dresses (the naval tailor credited with designing the style).

Hammer pants or parachute pants – I used to have a couple of pairs of these styles and thought they were actually hot! Today, will I wear a recreated copy? Definitely not!

Certainly, this clothing style, also referred to as Aladdin pants (or drop-crotch pants), has to take the cake in terms of absolute ugliness.

Come to think about it, I can’t remember getting any compliments whenever I wore those pants! Don’t they remind you of diapers on toddlers? Well, those certainly look cute on the little tot, but not so good-looking on an adult woman.

Aladdin Pants, also called parachute pants, were one of the most unbecoming styles and a staple of the 1990s pop culture. It is said that these billowy pants had their roots in Switzerland's sanitariums.

Poke bonnets of the 1800s – Many variations of the poke bonnet existed through much of the 1800s, but now, a couple of centuries after, why would any woman want to wear a reproduction of this fashion accessory? You’ll barely see a wearer's face, well, not unless you stand right bang in front of her or poke your head through, but even then, they are gross and such an inexcusable headpiece.

Poke Bonnet - French Satire "Les Invisibles en Tête-à-Tête"

Crinoline skirts of the 19th Century – This is a hoop skirt made from thread, steel, and horse hair and was worn as innerwear (underwear) beneath a dress or skirt to make it spread out like a cone. But this fashion trend can be aptly described as a ‘fashion death trap’ (if the 21st-century woman had to describe it).

Built like a cage of sorts, the crinoline skirt is narrow at the waist and extremely wide at the hem. Ladies had to lift them askew to pass through very wide doorways. If this vintage fashion trend has to make a comeback, it should be termed as a hazardous piece of clothing.

1860s women's ball gowns were worn over crinoline skirts.

Cone bras of the 40s – It is a good thing that these did not last long in the fashion scene. Also referred to as conical bras, they were actually the rage when they were first made famous by the pin-up girls of the 1940s. So, contrary to general opinion, Madonna wasn’t the first woman to wear cone bras.

A terribly unflattering item of lingerie (in my opinion), I doubt if enough women of today will even give it a second glance if it resurfaces in the stores. A cone bra is not the same as a bullet bra. One thing about the cone bra is that it may look eye-catching if worn under a sweater, pointing forward like two arrows, but it certainly didn't look sexy. Far from it!

A silk corset with a cone bra made by Jean-Paul Gaultier

Articles of interest

The Ugliest Hats and Headwear in Fashion History

From Corsets to Crotchless Chaos: A Humorous Peek into Vintage Undergarment Disasters 

History of Women's Underwear: When Undergarments Became Intimate Wear

Timeless Style: The Allure of Vintage-Inspired Luxury Handbags for Elegant Women

When you decide to buy a luxury brand handbag, you are assured of owning a ‘powerful’ line of authenticity that goes way back over half a century and beyond.

The fact that the fashion market is flooded with counterfeits of classic brands hasn’t stopped brand-conscious women from making purchases. Rather, when there is a mass rush for an imitation, the sudden high demand indicates that a brand name is healthy and its market demand is growing.

Prominent among buyers of these high-quality handbags are the ‘baby boomers’ (60+ women), who not only have more disposable funds to spend on unique brand names (they have worked hard for them) but also have great taste. They are quite discerning, and curiously, they think that because they have less time left in life, they deserve to ‘splash out’ and go for the best.

Icons of Elegance: The Top Handbag Designers Who Define Luxury

If you are crazy about authenticity and love anything to do with heritage, you’ll find that certain handbag brands have their iconic products. Each one with its unique timelessness has stood the test of time, continuing to be a favourite of fashionable women.

• Christian Dior
• Hermes
• Louis Vuitton
• Chanel
• Chloe
• Mark Cross

These handbag designers and makers are steadily and consistently creating new products with designs which still possess many vintage-inspired forms, features, and characters.

 

Exorbitant Price Tags! Great Investment?

Whether it’s a Hermes Birkin bag, a Chanel flap bag, a 1947 style Christian Dior handbag, or a Louis Vuitton Speedy, luxury brands remain a great investment, even at exorbitant prices. Why? Because they have a high resale value and will always remain appealing.

If you own one (or more) and decide to sell, many women are willing to buy. Women who want access to something rare and genuine, something you can’t buy off the shelves. Like a vintage-inspired replica handbag of high value.

It is hardly surprising that the ladies are willing to pay a premium price for that instant fulfilment in an indulgence of luxury. These attributes make luxury designer brands coveted, even long after their origination.

(Images created by author, on viryabo@polyvore.com)

Articles of interest

Box Handbags. Yesterday's Vintage-Inspired Bags Today
7 Famous Fashion Designers of the 1920s
10 Famous Jewellers of the 1920s
5 Vintage Fashion Accessories That Deserve a Comeback
Victorian-Style Bustle Is Back and Here is How to Rock It with a Modern Twist

The Curvy Girl’s Lingerie Blueprint: Flatter Your Shape, Own Your Confidence (With Infographic)

As a curvy girl, choosing the right lingerie starts with understanding that not every piece is designed to work with your body, and that’s where intentional selection makes the difference.

The goal is not to hide your shape but to support and enhance it through structure, proportion, and fabric.

Image source: hipsandcurves.com

For Fuller Busts

Here, the focus should be on support. Pieces with underwire, wide straps, and reinforced bands stabilise the weight of the heavier bust and give it a lift without strain. Thin straps and flimsy cups tend to collapse under pressure, while well-constructed bras shape the chest and improve overall posture. With a full bust, support isn’t optional but rather, foundational, because it determines how clothes fit and look on the body.

For Full Mid-sections

When dealing with a full midsection, the emphasis shifts to balance and controlled coverage. High-waisted panties, shaping briefs, and structured bodysuits smooth the waistline and create a defined silhouette without discomfort. The idea is to give a gentle contour, rather than being restrictive, allowing the fabric to follow the body instead of struggling with it.

Pieces that cut across the stomach at the wrong point can exaggerate volume, while those that sit higher elongate and streamline the torso.

For Curvy Hips and Thighs

With curvaceous hips and thighs, proportion is key. For instance, high-cut leg openings visually lengthen the legs, while stretch fabrics allow for comfort and easy movement. Lingerie that digs into the skin here disrupts the body’s silhouette, whereas flexible materials that don’t dig into the skin maintain a clean, uninterrupted shape. In this case, a good fit is about fluidity. Nothing should pinch the body or segment it unnaturally.

Small Bust, Full Lower Body

If the concern is a smaller bust with a fuller lower body, the strategy reverses.

Details like ruffles, lace overlays, and padding at the bust will add volume and draw attention upward, creating visual balance while simpler cuts on the larger bottom half prevent excess emphasis on the area. A redistribution of focus creates harmony across the figure without needing to wear constricting shaping undergarments.

One-Piece Lingerie

One-piece lingerie styles like teddies and bodysuits act as a unifying solution for curvy, multiple areas at once. They smooth the midsection, support the bust, and define the waist in one single silhouette.

Structured versions of these pieces provide shaping, while softer designs offer comfort with soft contouring. These pieces work well because they don’t show breaks in the outfit, allowing the eye to move seamlessly across the body.

Lingerie Fabrics

The fabric you select determines how the lingerie will look, feel, and perform on the body. For example, stretch lace, mesh, and microfiber textiles adapt to curves and move effortlessly with the body, while rigid materials can restrict and distort fit. Fabric breathability and flexibility are just as important as style, ensuring that lingerie feels as good as it looks.

Modern designs prioritise both. They blend comfort and construction to support curves properly.

Ultimately, the right underwear for plus-size women must work with body proportions, instead of forcing them into a standard shape. It lifts where needed, smooth where desired, and highlights natural curves without compromise.

The result is not just a better fit, but a stronger sense of confidence, because when lingerie is designed for the body, it stops being a challenge and becomes an advantage.

Articles of interest

From Corsets to Crotchless Chaos: A Humorous Peek into Vintage Undergarment Disasters

Victorian-Style Bustle Is Back and Here is How to Rock It with a Modern Twist

Plus-Size Lingerie for Big and Full-Bodied Girls

Finding unique lingerie for plus-size women in shops around many localities is not that easy. Yes, they do carry undergarments for the full-bodied woman, but many of the ones you’ll find may not be feminine and sexy enough for many of today’s proudly big girls out there.

Vintage Inspired Plus Size Intimates Online

Now when it comes to vintage-inspired lingerie, it becomes much more difficult to find, that is if you can find them at all.

Vintage-inspired lingerie is not your usual panties, bras, and simple camisole tops. They are certainly more than that. Not dowdy, somewhat plain, and old-fashioned like . . . yes! Granny pants and frumpy brassieres!

It’s not news that many plus-size women seek better and attractive underwear online. As some feel slightly uncomfortable rummaging through the racks and shelves of lingerie at their local shopping malls, others will not be ‘caught dead’ seeking the help of shop attendants, some who snicker behind your back or roll their eyes as soon as you turn to look somewhere else simply because you are looking for something more sensual, stylish or utterly suggestive.

Hips & Curves Full Figure Lingerie, Apparel, Costumes, Hosiery and Accessories

Buying plus size intimates online helps lots of women just like you who absolutely hate having to go out into there, facing skinny and svelte shop attendants, especially when they try to give you advice without really being aware of your needs, or worries of good fitting pieces.

There are specialised online lingerie stores that cater exclusively to the full-bodied curvaceous women of style. They understand that intimate wear should not only be special, but they must also make you feel special; both you and your partner.

How Do You Ensure You Get the Perfect Fitting Lingerie?

For plus-size women who wish to order online for the first time, this may put you in a dilemma but don’t worry. If you are searching for lingerie from an online store, first ensure it’s from a reputable site that caters exclusively to plus-size women.

If it’s a good site, it’ll provide detailed and well-thought-out measurement charts. The site should also include a guide that’ll show you how to take the right measurements.

If you are unsure about taking your own measurements properly, ask a member of the family or a friend to help you out. Yes, it can get quite tricky trying to measure your own body all by yourself.

Try to be honest with your measurements. Some of us tend to wish we were an inch or a bit less than what we read on the measuring tape . . . wanting to give measurements that we desire to be.

That’s quite natural for some and understandable too. But as a bold and confident plus-size woman, it is certain that you won’t.

So take the time to take proper measurements following the store’s guide; this way, you’ll minimise the chances of getting lingerie that doesn't fit you perfectly.

Happy lingerie shopping!


Further Reading:

10 Flattering Plus Size Prom Dresses with Matching Accessories 
Vintage Inspired Lingerie for Plus Size Brides

1960s Vintage Style and Fashion

While fashion of the fifties depicted sweeping elegant gowns and couture dresses worn by mature wealthy elitist women, the sixties style was a total deviation from the past.

Fashion was aimed at youthful trendy women with tastes and preferences for simple geometric shapes, shorter lengths, and looser fits, clothing typical of the British pop scene.

Seamstresses and tailors were beginning to lose business to the mass production of apparel manufacturers. It was a new era of fashion-on-the-go and as style began to change, using elegance as a symbol of prestige and elitism was no longer ‘fashionable’.

As life became more casual than it was in the 50’s there was a change which was also reflected in the fashion industry. There was less of the formal elegant styles of the previous decade and more of semi-formal and casuals, many of which was “mixed and matched to stylishly create different looks for different occasions”

Related article: 7 Top Fashion Designers of the 60's

Things were still looking bright economic wise though, and the good times that emerged in the 1950’s continued well into the 1960’s. Austerity and rationing became something of the ‘distant’ past, and many people including women became beneficiaries of the pleasant economic boom.

Commercialisation of Fashion

Suddenly, fashion was becoming commercialised. It became embraced not only by the middle class women, but by the lower class to a certain extent, especially in the Europe and the United States.

And because culture became more relaxed, the 60’s style began to feature more of the following:

• Shift dresses
• A-line dresses
• Pill box hats
• Bell bottoms
• Mini-skirts and dresses
• Bikinis
• Trousers suits

If fashion and style of the fifties inspired individual style signatures, it blew up into enormous proportions in the sixties.

Replicating Vintage Style 

Experience has taught many of us born in the forties (baby boomers) that fashion and style is cyclic. It has always been a situation where “the old becomes the new”, always, albeit with a twist.

So, to be a part of the vintage inspired fashion crowd, it’s good to know how to put together an ensemble that interprets your favourite era, replicating it in the most pleasing and fashion-forward way. This is quite easy with styles of the 60’s.

Five 60’s Look You Can Replicate

It’s fifty plus years after, but you can still reproduce the following looks today, have your own signature, and whip up a buzz in the fashion scene.

1. The YSL Look
2. The Emilio Pucci Look
3. The Biba Look
4. The Mary Quant Look
5. The Andre Courrèges Look

Related article: Dress Like Women of the Fifties