En el espacio destinado a la exposición reina el silencio. El visitante camina despacio, como si fuera un voyeur que siente curiosidad por esta colección de ropa que normalmente se oculta a la vista y, depende del momento, a otros sentidos. En un juego de vitrinas, espejos y escaleras, como si fuera un boudoir, conviven prendas que sirvieron para tapar con otras diseñadas para mostrarse al mundo.
It is Undressed, the new exhibition of the Victoria and Albert in London that now shows the history of lingerie, both used by women and used by men.
The exhibition is an exhibition of more or less intimate clothing, but also a study of customs, habits and social changes lived by society through times, playing different issues.
Edwina Ehrman, comisaria de la exposición, explica que "nuestros antepasados usaban ropa interior por razones muy similares a las nuestras: higiene, protección, comodidad… pero también hay que destacar su uso en las élites para crear la silueta que estaba de moda, algo que hoy seguimos haciendo”.
As always, what attracts the most attention are the garments and elements used in the 19th century.They highlight, by their perfection, the corsets, pieces related to oppression, social and physical, which deformed the 'taste' of the time the body of the woman.
The comparison of the body of Venus de Milo is surprising with the drawing of a woman with corset made in 1880.But it is still more if we imagine what the radiographs of the ribs of both would be like.
Other pieces, such as miriñaque or crinolins, also fulfilled that function: changing the silhouette achieving antinatural forms that at any given time became fashionable, sometimes to hide the woman's body;Sometimes, to highlight your curves.
Whale bones to press the ribs
The exhibition also explains the use of certain fabrics and materials to build these garments.White cotton was the most used material, the first, but then others such as silk and linen were introduced, in addition to laces, steel and whale bones.
Its use increased demand and since 1820 whale hunting is intensified because the consumption of bones increases and, above all, oil (fat) for lighting.“Interestingly, at the end of the 19th century women rebel against these‘ Matanzas ’and, aware, rebel against the use of animal products in their clothes.And that happened in 1880, ”says Ehrman.
It was not an isolated protest.The fashion impositions since 1778 were so strict that the Duvonshire duchess, Georgianit is the 'ton': and pride feels no pain ”.
"It's fashion, and pride makes not feel pain".A phrase that today, with variations and oriented to heel shoes, continues to create controversies.Is it necessary to suffer to be beautiful?
The great revolution
The visitor can also contemplate the changes in fashion in the successive decades of the twentieth century and the great ‘intimate’ revolution produced in the XXI with the introduction of technological materials and sports style.
Comparing, and analyzing, more than 200 pieces, created between 1750 and the present, the fashion and its evolution are learned and understood.But you also enjoy the talent of the designers, the daring needles that decided to break molds and move lingerie codes to street garments.
The exhibition tells the style in dress when hiding certain parts of the body, from the parra leaf with which Eva - and Adam is represented in painting and sculpture - and until reaching the dress that Mila Kunis took toLos Oscar, a lingerie design by Elie Saab, a Haute Couture Design of the spring of 2011.
Today it is normal to see, on the street, on the catwalks and on the red carpets, dresses made with lace and lingerie details that in past times were only used for underwear and the use of homewear style in the street.Eye, it's not a novelty!
In the 1920s, and even before, women already wore silk suits to the purest pajamas style and coats that looked like a batin.Men took longer because changes in male cabinets have been different, at a different rate.
Of intimacy to exhibitionism
The exhibition also focuses on the inner fashion of men.From the parra leaf with which Adam's artistic representations are covered to the new generation underpants made with bamboo and organic cotton, the range of garments is huge, covering much before and little now.
We see sets from 1950 and fashion campaigns, of a funny vintage, made in 1970.Always with garments that were hidden, that fulfilled comfort and hygiene functions.Until Calvin Klein arrived and changed the mentality of the western world a stroke.
Millions of men showed their underpants.At first, just show the upper elastic.Then they used, and use, garments that teach everything, or almost everything.
Fashion has changed, has been transformed, and has always done so to reveal against the established redefining the rules, aesthetics and the way of feeling pleasure: sometimes inward and sometimes, out.
