Undergarments

NASA just announced a partnership with Tide to figure out how to do laundry in space. Solving this problem will allow astronauts to stop throwing away their dirty clothes, which means some missions must ferry hundreds of pounds of clean clothes into space.

NASA Just Put Doing the Laundry on Astronauts' Chore List

Dirty clothes are currently thrown away, requiring missions where weight is at a premium to bring many pounds of socks, shirts and underwear

The depiction of corsets in the premiere episode of "Bridgerton" is more of the same mythmaking from popular culture.

What 'Bridgerton' Gets Wrong About Corsets

Women's rights were severely restricted in 19th-century England, but their undergarments weren't to blame

The Wedding Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566

Detroit Exhibit Celebrates Bruegel's 'The Wedding Dance' and Its Controversial Codpieces

The painting’s frank depiction of drunk frivolity—and male anatomy—didn’t sit well with some viewers

Spandex, under the brand name Lycra, quickly took off after it was introduced in 1962. This ad was published in Good Housekeeping in October of that year.

Thank(?) Joseph Shivers For Spandex

From Spanx to space suits, spandex has shaped modern garments

Le Grand Baigneur (The Large Bather) by Paul Cezanne illustrates the kind of bathing suit that inspired the creation of the modern brief.

Tighty-Whities First Hit the Market More Than 80 Years Ago

Even a blizzard couldn’t dampen the excitement from the release of the first pair of men’s briefs in 1935

Super low-slung pants

Sagging Pants Butt Up Against the Law

Yet the droopy trousers trend lives on

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The Perils of Wearing Clothes

From toxins in textile dyes to torturous corsets, beauty has a long history of coming at a high cost

Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences, 1925-1926

The History of the Flapper, Part 3: The Rectangular Silhouette

Finally, women could breathe deeply when the waist-nipping corset went out of style

1980s aerobics clothes

Giving Thanks to Clothes That Stretch

Seeking comfort, holiday diners will don elastic to indulge their expanding waistlines. They should thank Thomas Hancock and his "masticator"

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Stocking Series, Part 4: The Rebellious Roll Garters

Wearing rolled stocking back then must have been akin to the liberating, punk rock feeling of wearing ripped fishnets today

Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors original label featured a topless cowgirl (left) who got a fringed bolero in 1963.

As a Matter of Fact: Jockeys, Tartans and Cowboy Glam

The real stories behind some fashion fads and classics hold some surprising twists

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Stockings Series, Part 3: Ads from the Archives, 1890-1939

For decades, Ivory sold itself as the suds that made legwear last longer

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Paint-on Hosiery During the War Years

A back "seam" drawn with an eyebrow pencil topped off the resourceful fashion effect

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Stocking Series, Part 1: Wartime Rationing and Nylon Riots

As hemlines rose, DuPont's wonder fabric was a sensation among women. But during WWII, it was needed for parachutes

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Packing List Series, Part 2: An Artist’s Illustrated Guide

With a watercolor sketchbook guide, Adolf Konrad drew on his talents to record his belongings

The bra is a lot older than we thought.

Q&A: Archaeologist Unearths 600-year-old Bra in Castle

Though in tatters, the undergarment looks thoroughly modern. But was it comfortable!?

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