Girdle
A girdle is a piece of women's underwear that replaced the corset in popularity and usage. The purpose of the girdle is to narrow the wearer's waist and produce a more aesthetic and attractive figure. It would usually be made of a rubbered fabric, it would go around the hips and waist and be fastened, with hooks and eye fastening being the most commonly used. A girdle may also include garters to hold up stockings.
While such a piece of clothing may seem uncomfortable and unnecessary now, when it was first designed it was a significant improvement compared to wearing a corset, which would have to be laced up and included rigid boning. Girdles are still worn today, but much more rarely than during the 1950's and 1960's. In that period the advent of the Dior look gave rise to women's fashion having a narrow, nipped in waistline, also known as "the wasp".
The most famous girdle was made by Playtex. It was known as the "24-hour girdle", as it could be worn comfortably for long periods.
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