Fashion Clare Louise  

The Concept of Plus-Size In The History of Women’s Fashion

Size zero, maintaining the perfectly shaped body, etc., are the concepts that came into existence in the 20th century. Back in the 1800s, women preferred staying curvy because it added a sense of elegance to the way they carried themselves in the society. As the technology improved, and the latest trend started flooding the fashion town, women started becoming more concerned about their size. 

The idea of plus-size flourished in the ancient days, and so did the plus-size corsets, brassier, and so on. Hence, to bring this historical fashion back into town, Debra, the owner of DeBra’s Lingerie Store started introducing many options in the world of plus-size bras. Their plus size bras Australia store has brought so many options for the curvy women that it has become the most-searched option in their store today. 

Historical Significance of Plus-Size Fashion

Here are some of the events in history that represent plus-size fashion. 

  • In 1904, the first kind of plus-size retailer came into existence in the fashion town. The first shop of plus-size lingerie was started in New York City and it was because of the interest of a lady known for her skills to alter the fashion accordingly. She introduced mass production of lingerie for the plus-size women and it was the first of its kind. 
  • In 1909, with the survey of 4000 women and their opinion, a mechanical engineer came up with the new designs for the already introduced waistbands in 1904. The engineer and his soon-to-be wife became the proud owners of their lingerie store. 

Women with stout figures, flat chest, fully developed breasts, etc., and every other woman got what they wanted from this family-owned lingerie store. The mechanical engineer, Malsin researched the concept and met more than 200,000+ women before coming up with this idea. 

In 1940, America faced a revolutionary period led by women in the country about the body-shaming concept. Women with athletic and round bodies were made to conceal their physique because of the concept of downgrading women with curvy bodies. The revolution became strong in 1960, and the concept of BIG BEAUTY became the latest trend in town. 

Many agencies started preferring curvy body structures over lean ones for advertising commercials, modelling, and so on. The trend of having a body of the size 14 and more became quite famous at that time. 

The Corset Era 

The corsets were the only available option for women to maintain the size and structure of their breasts in the 1500s. The corsets not only gave an uplift for the breasts of women, but also made it possible for them to tone their bone structure in a particular way. However, it not only limited their body movement, but didn’t offer enough comfort for them to continue with their daily life. Yet, women were urged to wear one daily inside their gowns if they were to be distinguished as a person belonging to the high-society. 

With the introduction of the concept of bras, women started becoming more comfortable in what they wear, and hence the concept successfully flourished from then on, till date.