Saturday, November 3, 2018

Review: What Katie Did 1940s Map Lingerie


Super happy to see more 1940s inspired sets coming out from one of my favourite independent vintage lingerie companies--What Katie Did.



This amazing set is based on the 'escape and evade' maps issued to Allied troops in World War II.  These maps were printed on parachute silk which made them really easy to fold up and conceal.  After the war, this leftover silk was used by seamstresses for a variety of garments from blouses to dresses and even lingerie! 



I just adore this set. It has the perfect 1940s silhouette--the bra is slightly less 'pointy' than the 1950s bullet bras but still gives a very vintage shape under clothes.  The bra is also very comfortable.  The garter belt is a little confusing at first (just note that the little bow is at the front)....as the hooks are not located on the side or back but instead on the centre side front. Also note that this has no give and only one row of hooks--so make sure to have your exact waist measurement!

Here is how the bra looks under a 1950s dress:

And under a 1940s dress:

 I'm really quite pleased that it works under both 1940s and 1950s silhouettes (sometimes the bullet bras don't work so well under 1940s clothing).


This set also has a great pair of tap pants...which are very comfortable. They feature a small amount of elastic at the back and then a straight front with a little button hook on the side. They can be worn with or without the garter underneath:


The garter is a 6 strap belt--which unlike some of the 1950s silhouettes has the front garter straps more towards the inside of the legs and the side straps are very much on the side. This is very different placement from the 1950's belts (where at least in most of my vintage garters the first strap is either straight down the front or a little bit forward of the side).  I haven't noticed much difference between the two in terms of keeping stocking straight but I do find that it is more comfortable for long periods of sitting as this set doesn't have any straps directly at the back!


So happy to be seeing more 1940s lingerie sets coming out and as a huge vintage lingerie fan--it's great to see the construction of these sets as compared to the other more 1950s/1960s sets that What Katie Did is famous for!  It also helps when sewing to have the correct underpinnings (I find it's most notable with 1950s patterns where the bust darts are actually designed for 1950s bras!)
What do you think? Vintage lingerie--yea or nay?

Photos: Kinda Kurdi
Lingerie and stockings: What Katie Did
Shoes: Bait Footwear


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1 comment

  1. Very interesting about the parachute silk. A substantial weight, I imagine. I am happy that you and your fellow vintage fashionistas have rediscovered the glamorous side to lingerie. What I remember best are the horrid girdles of the '40s and '50s. All adult women were expected to wear one, not just those who "needed" one. The glamour was more in lounge and sleepwear.

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