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Want to Play Peek-a-Boo? Sure you do!
Our vintage lingerie expert dishes on the delicious babydolls ~ a must have for retro-loving sex kittens! Kimberly, of GlamourGurlz.com, gives away the secrets of the babydoll nightie...
When did the babydoll become popular?
The babydoll became popular about the mid 1960s...I call it the 'Twiggy' era...this was about the same time frame when the first pantyhose came on the market (1965) . Shorter styles i.e. mini skirt, go-go shorts as well as chiffon and flowing, sheer fabrics were also growing in popularity.
Was there one designer or star or movie that made it popular?
Absolutely! There was a cult film in the mid 60s called 'Baby Doll' which starred Carroll Baker. This film not only gave the nightgown a new name but also sold millions of baby dolls and helped it become the famous undergarment it is today.
Text reads: "A cult film gave its name to an item of lingerie and boosted sales of those nightdresses to the tune of twenty-five million" Baby Doll by Elia Kazan. Carroll Baker, in a babydoll, not only sold her nightie by sucking her thumb, she also caused the number of devotess of the act of fellatio to soar to 65% in the subsequent Kinsey Report
No question, the sheer peek-a-boo babydoll is classic 60's ~ who were
'the' makers?
I think almost all lingerie manufacturers have attempted to do at least one style of babydoll, but the most famous names that come to mind from the 1960s era would be Vanity Fair, Van Raalte and Fredericks of Hollywood. Fredericks always made the sheer peek a boo risque' Babydoll while Van Raalte and Vanity Fair were more fluffy and conservative. Even department stores like Sears were selling a more conservative version of the Babydoll by 1965. In vintage Sears catalogs you can see various styles of babydolls ranging from cotton with matching bloomer to sheer chiffon and matching sheer panties.
I believe it's the ultimate lingerie gift for bozo male shoppers, as it is
an easy to fit garment, quite forgiving in it's shape for less than
spot-on measurements. It's also quite nice for women who are worried
about less than perfect bodies. But what else makes this style so fun?
It's my opinion that the 'playfullness' of the babydoll nighty that has kept it evolving for decades. Whether it's a sheer chiffon and maribu feather ensamble or a nylon gown with frilly ruffles... the babydoll in all it's various styles is not a 'serious' style of lingerie, but rather a piece of lingerie that screams *come and play with me* !!! It's definitely more naughty than a elegant satin nighty or chemise! *giggles*
What seperates the retro babydolls from the ones made today?
The retro 60s - 70s style babydolls often came with yards and yards of fluffy soft and so so sheer chiffon or nylon. They also used lots of mod colors like hot pink, orange, yellow and green. Some even came in rainbow colors and used pastel floral patterns. Frills were often more apparent as well on the vintage babydoll. The modern ones in my opinion are very flimsey and boring, not leaving much to the imagination of the viewer. The allure of the sheer chiffon layered vintage babydoll has always been the tease...along with the gracefullness of seeing a womans sillouette under cloudlike chiffon or nylon.. you see just a bit of skin, but not too much...leaving the viewer begging for more.
What are the must haves for this retro sex kitten look?
Definitely look for something that has a soft dual layer of nylon or sheer chiffon. The idea is to tempt and tease, only showing your gracious god given curves under soft cloudlike layers of girly softness. A matching sheer brief style panty or frilly bloomer is also a must have to match your babydoll. Pigtails and big red lolly pop are optional. *giggles*
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