Victorian Lingerie Jewelry Pins

The blog has moved!
Visit us at www.ninecarolineantiques.com for updated blog content
View this blog entry on the updated Nine Caroline Antiques website

Lingerie pins are sweet, little pins used to hold a proper lady’s undergarments in place. Often sold in pairs to combat each bra strap from a visible display of embarrassment. Since a Victorian lady would want something elegant, even for her undergarments, pins were often decorated with gemstones, pearls or decorative enameling. Used not only for bra support, they could often be found holding slips and other intimates. Never to be seen on the outside of a garment, of course! But first we must understand the history of undergarments, from corset to the modern day brassiere.

It is said that the corset was a direct result of Queen Catherine de’ Medici’s strict distaste of thick waistlines in her French court during the 1550s. She despised an ill figure and wanted only the hourglass figure to surround her. Corsets are known for slimming the body to conform to a fashionable silhouette. Historically a corset was made out of lace with rigid stays sewn around the lace to ensure a proper figure. The stays, or boning were often whalebone or reeds, and later metal was used. The undergarment was typically laced up the back, with help from a lady’s maid extreme force was needed to secure the garment in place.

During the 1700s, a casual corset evolved. A quilted waistcoat could be worn for more informal occasions, saving the stiff corset with stays for formal court appearances. As a woman’s corset was fading during this time, the man’s corset surged. Claiming that a corset could solve back pain, men began wearing corsets to help with body ailments.

While clothing silhouettes slimmed down so did the use of multiple undergarments. The need for crinolines, hoop skirts, and bustles were a thing of the past. In the late 1800s the dawn of the corset was diminishing. The role of women in society was quickly changing, women began entering the “man’s” world and the need for more flexible clothing grew. By the 1890s the first wave of feminism was in full swing. A corset prohibited a more active lifestyle and by the early 1900s was no longer en vogue. The term brassiere was first used in the 1893 publication of the Evening Herald in Syracuse, New York. It wasn’t until 1907 when Vogue magazine first published the term. Undergarments were the first to be modified because they could be changed without exposing the wearer to social ridicule.

By World War I the corset was nearly extinct. The metal that was once used for stays was now used for the war effort. A simple fabric bra and slip were common lady’s undergarments. Secret, hidden accessories were always needed regardless of which type of undergarment worn. Social etiquette dictated the need for lingerie pins, and garment clips, so as not to expose the unmentionable. By 1932 the brassiere was mass produced with elastic straps and standardized cup sizes. Clips and pins appeared on the outside of garments to hold sweater necklines.
 
As antique fashion etiquette is exposed, so shall its beautiful adornments be displayed and worn on the outside of current en vogue garments. Lingerie pins can be quite collectible in the current market. To shop for some of our Victorian jewelry, visit it us at NineCarolineAntiques.

Original Art Deco Artwork by Erté

The blog has moved!
Visit us at www.ninecarolineantiques.com for updated blog content
View this blog entry on the updated Nine Caroline Antiques website

The sleek lines, unique shapes, and bold colors of Art Deco design are still eye-catching today, almost 100 years after the movement’s heyday. One of the most recognizable artists and designers of the Art Deco period may be Erté, who created breathtaking paintings, prints, costumes, and set designs. We are excited to feature two original gouache paintings by Erté: “Don Juan” and “Holeproof Hosiery XII”.   

Erté (1892-1990) was a Russian-born French artist. Born into a distinguished family, his given name was Roman Petrovich Tyrtov. Despite the wishes of his father, an admiral in the Russian fleet, and his family’s expectations for him to become a naval officer, he followed his dream to become an artist, moved to Paris, and took the pseudonym Erté to avoid disgracing his family. In Paris Erté worked as a designer for the renowned French couturier Paul Poiret from 1913 to 1914. In 1915, Erté contracted with Harper’s Bazaar magazine where he started designing costumes and stage sets. From 1915 to 1937, Erté designed over 200 covers for Harper’s Bazaar. Other notable works created by Erté were published on the covers of magazines such as London News, Cosmopolitan, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Vogue. He was well known for his elegant fashion designs which captured the spirit of the Art Deco period; his earliest success was designing costumes for the French dancer Gaby Deslys. After gaining fame in Paris, Erté left for Hollywood to design costumes and sets for the silent film Paris. However, the film faced many delays and, to keep him busy, the studio also had Erté work on sets for movies such as Ben-Hur, The Mystic, The Comedian, Time, and Dance Madness.

One of our original featured works of Erté, the 1930 gouache painting “Don Juan”, is a great example of his high Art Deco style. The well-known literary character was a wealthy man who devoted his life to the act of charming women. In Erté’s painting, Don Juan is appropriately depicted surrounded by hearts, with stylized women’s silhouettes at either side. The use of contrasting colors and difference of style between the green women and the passionate red color of Don Juan, brings the viewers eyes inward and onto the character of Don Juan and his influential personality, so artistically depicted in this painting.

Our second original featured artwork by Erté is a gouache painting titled “Holeproof Hosiery.” This mysterious and evocative painting depicts various opera glasses reflecting light, one reflecting the white elegant figure of a ballerina. The orange reflecting light contrasts with the purple of the background and the white ballerina figure at the center stands gracefully within the orange, capturing the eye. Erté was known to have created artwork for advertising, and this piece may have been for such a purpose; however, this particular painting remains something of a beautiful mystery.

Both of these original gouache paintings are striking examples of Erté’s distinct style, and each is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Check them out in our store by clicking here!