Youths boxing in a Minoan fresco on the Greek island of Santorini

The word girdle originally meant a belt (or metaphorically speaking, something which confines or encloses, as in Tolkien's Girdle of Melian). In modern English the term "girdle" is most commonly used for a form of women's underwear that replaced the corset in popularity. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1224x2055, 563 KB) Summary Fresque des enfants boxeurs. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1224x2055, 563 KB) Summary Fresque des enfants boxeurs. ... Santorini (Greek Σαντορίνη, IPA: ) is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km south-east from Greeces mainland. ... Melian is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... A pair of mens briefs Undergarments, also called underwear or sometimes intimate clothing, are clothes worn next to the skin, usually under other clothes. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ...

History

Historically and in anthropology, the girdle can be a scanty belt-shaped textile for men and/or women, worn on its own, not holding a larger garment in place, and less revealing than the loin-cloth, as was used by Minoan pugilists. A loincloth is one-piece garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, that is used: in societies where there is no more advanced clothing as an undergarment to express soberness Mohandas Gandhi wore a dhoti, a Hindu loincloth, as a way of identifying with the poorest Indians, even though... Minoan may refer to the following: The Minoan civilization The (undeciphered) Eteocretan language The (undeciphered) Minoan language The script known as Linear A An old name for the Mycenean language before it was deciphered and discovered to be a form of Greek. ... Boxer redirects here; for other meanings of boxer, see Boxer (disambiguation). ...

Constructed of elasticized fabric and sometimes fastened with hook and eye closures, the modern girdle is designed to modify a woman's figure. Most girdles extend from the waist to the thighs. Older girdles were simply sheaths of fabric that did not cover the crotch. In the 1960s, these models fell from favor and were to a great extent replaced by the panty girdle. The panty girdle resembles a tight pair of athletic shorts. Both models of girdles usually include garters to hold up stockings. Look up elastic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Diverse women. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Garter (stockings). ... A pair of dark grey nylon stockings. ...

Girdles were considered essential garments by many women from approximately 1910 to the late 1960s. They created a rigid, controlled figure that was seen as eminently respectable and modest. They were also crucial to the couturier Christian Dior's 1947 New Look, which featured a voluminous skirts and a narrow, nipped-in waistline, also known as a wasp waist. A couturier is someone who is involved in the haute couture business and aids in the design, manufacturing, or sales of fashionable clothing. ... Christian Dior (January 21, 1905 – October 23, 1957), was an influential French fashion designer. ... Wasp waist (1885) Wasp waist by hip form girdle (1901) Wasp waist refers to a style of corset and girdle that has experienced various periods of popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. ...

A girdle that also acts as a garter belt

Later in the 1960s, the panty girdle was generally supplanted by pantyhose. Pantyhose replace girdles for many women who had used the girdle essentially as a means of holding up sheer nylon stockings. Those who want more control purchase "control top" pantyhose. Many women forswear girdles, stockings, and pantyhose entirely. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (480 × 640 pixel, file size: 30 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The author of the drawing releases this photo, made by himself, fort he use in the Wikipedia and other sites quoting Wikipedia as the source. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (480 × 640 pixel, file size: 30 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The author of the drawing releases this photo, made by himself, fort he use in the Wikipedia and other sites quoting Wikipedia as the source. ... A white garter belt A garter belt with guipure lace Garter belt is a womans undergarment consisting of an elastic piece of cloth worn around the waist to which garters are attached to hold up stockings. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with tights. ...

Girdles and "body shapers" are still sold to women who want to shape their figure with a garment. Some of these garments incorporate a brassiere and thus become functionally equivalent to a corset. However, they do not incorporate boning and hence do not produce the constricted waistline characteristic of Victorian-era corsets. Bra - front Bra - back A brassiere ( ; , commonly referred to as a bra, ) is an article of clothing that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. ...

Recently there seems to have been a revival in girdle-type garments, known as "control briefs", "magic knickers" etc.

The Girdle in literature

In literature, girdles are often portrayed as magical, giving power and strength if worn by men, and protection if worn by women. Many scriptures in the Bible point to the use of a girdle as a means of protection. Ishtar, a Babylonian Goddess, wore a fertility girdle, which, when removed, rendered the universe infertile. Hercules wrestled with the Amazon queen for her girdle in his Greek myth. Aphrodite and Venus also wore girdles associated with lechery in later poetry. Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... For other uses, see Ishtar (disambiguation). ... Hercules and the Nemean Lion (detail), silver plate, 6th century BC (Cabinet des Médailles, Paris). ... The Amazons (in Greek, ) were a mythical ancient nation of all-female warriors. ... For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... Marble Venus of the Capitoline Venus type, Roman (British Museum) Venus was a major Roman goddess principally associated with love and beauty, the rough equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. ... Lust (from German: Lust) is sexual desire (this meaning is sometimes metaphorically extended to other forms of desire, e. ...

For men a girdle was often used to hold weapons. It also gave them freedom to move in a fight, unlike other types of clothing. both of these are thought to carry the connection of power to the man's girdle in literature. For example, Odysseus wears a girdle which allows him to swim for three days straight, and a girdle worn by Thor doubles his strength. Head of Odysseus from a Greek 2nd century BC marble group representing Odysseus blinding Polyphemus, found at the villa of Tiberius at Sperlonga Odysseus or Ulysses (Greek Odysseus; Latin: Ulixes or, more commonly, Ulysses), pronounced , was the Greek king of Ithaca and the main hero in Homers epic poem... Thors battle against the giants, by Mårten Eskil Winge, 1872 Thor (Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded god of thunder and war in Norse Mythology and more generally Germanic mythology (Old English: Þunor, Old Dutch and Old High German: Donar, from Proto-Germanic *Þunraz). ...

Later on, for women, the girdle became a sign of virginity, and was often considered to have magical properties. Monsters and all types of evil are recorded as being subdued by girdles in literature, a famous one being the dragon slain by Saint George. Marriage ceremonies continued this tradition of girdles symbolizing virginity by having the husband take the wife's girdle, and prostitutes were forbidden to wear them by law in historic France. Often in literature, women are portrayed as safe from sexual or other attack when wearing a girdle, but suddenly vulnerable if it is missing or stolen.^[1] “Technical virgin” redirects here. ... Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ...

Non-clothing uses in literature include Tolkien's "Girdle of Melian," a magical, protective "wall" surrounding an elven kingdom, and the metaphorical "girdle of righteousness" mentioned in the Bible, representing righteousness as a protection as well as something to be worn constantly.

Sports

In American football, a girdle is a piece of clothing that is worn under the football pants to keep the hip, thigh, and tailbone pads in place, making the process of putting on the tight football pants easier. Older girdles resembled chaps, in that they covered only the front of the leg with pads, that snapped on. Modern girdles are essentially a tight pair of compression shorts with pockets for the pads. United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Chaps are sturdy leather coverings for the legs. ... Compression shoets are a garment usually worn by athletes to support the genitals, in much the same way as a jockstrap. ...

References

1. ^ Friedman, Albert B., and Richard H. Osberg. "Gawain's Girdle as Traditional Symbol." The Journal of American Folklore 90.357 (1977): 301-15.

See also

• Corset
• Pantyhose
• Stocking
• Scottish Rural Life, History Dictionary

This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with tights. ... A pair of dark grey nylon stockings. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Girdle

• ZONA- The Girdle Zone Scholarly site on girdle history
• Corset Information Website
  • Photos of Girdles
  • More Girdles