Underwear on display

LONDON — When visitors think of the permanent collection of the Victoria And Albert Museum (V&A), their thoughts might naturally turn to its world-class art, ceramics or the countless historic artefacts gathered from around the world.

To that impressive register, they will soon be able to add a rather more risque treasure trove — of underpants.

The acquisitions will be displayed to the public as part of the 250-piece exhibition Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear, which opens next week.

Sixty of those items will be added to the museum’s permanent collection, including an early example of a thong, a waist-training slimming aid and a new brand of men’s briefs designed to enhance their natural assets.

High-class erotic lingerie will join a First World War corset made from paper twine, and sculpting knickers for women fondly known as the “butt lifter”.

The acquisitions are intended to bring the V&A’s fashion archives up to date, capturing contemporary trends for future generations to study.

The show, the first of its kind at the V&A’s London home, is intended to convince visitors of the importance of underwear in the history of fashion, revealing how much and how little has changed since the 1750s.

The majority of the 60-plus items to be added to the collection are donations, after the museum contacted brands directly to ask if they would like to make a contribution.

A small number of key pieces of particular interest, mostly historic and out of production, were purchased for a total sum of around £2,800 (S$5,334). The remainder of the exhibition will be made up of items already in the collection, which have either never been displayed before or have been away from the public eye for decades, or high-profile loans.

Edwina Ehrman, V&A curator, said the Undressed exhibition had proved the perfect moment to “enlarge and expand” the collection to help future generations of historians understand the fashions of 21st century.

The show will chart the history of underwear from the 18th century to today, through corsets, crinolines, boxers and bras to pyjamas and underwear.

It will then be split into key themes, with highly-modern male sculpting briefs exhibited alongside corset to examine how people still seek to change their body to suit current trends.

Modern maternity bras will sit alongside the corset and bust bodice of the 19th century, as well as a mastectomy bra and prosthetic for women who have undergone breast surgery.

A 1978 “panty thong”, one of the earliest of its kind, will accompany more overtly erotic play suits, black lace night dresses and a specially-made girdle dress influenced by Japanese bondage by brands including Agent Provocateur, La Perla and Bordelle.

Loans will include a Swarovski crystal-embellished corset worn by Dita von Teese, an Ellie Saab “lingerie dress” worn by actress Mila Kunis and a pair of mid-calf-length drawers believed to have been worn by Queen Victoria’s mother while she was pregnant with the future monarch.

Around one-fifth of the exhibition will be about men’s fashion, including a vest worn by George Bernard Shaw. “In the past, perhaps people have been slightly embarrassed to talk about it,” said Ehrman.

“But underwear has always been very important to health, hygiene, self-respect and self-confidence.” Following their display in the exhibition, the new acquisitions will be stored at the V&A’s Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion where they can be accessed on appointment. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH