What to Wear Under a Low Back Dress - 1957

We've talked alot about the proper foundation garments to wear under your vintage dresses on this blog. With the holidays fast approaching and all the parties that come with them, it's time to think about the dress you'll wear and, more importantly, what foundation garments you'll wear under that dress. After all, there's nothing worse than putting on a dress an hour before a party and finding your bra shows!

This red satin dress by Anthony Blotta is from 1957. But what does our party-goer wear under that low-backed dress to get the proper shaping?

The dress was featured in an ad for this Warner's Merry Widow that has a matching low cut in the back. She still gets the bust support and slimming effect at the waist and hips while showing off that delicious bare back. (I can't figure out why the garters are shown on the outside of the crinoline slip. My guess is that it is for the advertising image to show that the Merry Widow comes with garters to use if you want to, but the slip would have to go on top.)

Also shown in the same ad was Warner's "Flexible-U" Merry Widow. The wire between the cups is flexible and you could simply press the U together or apart for any degree of decolletage.


The Flexible-U Merry Widow would have been perfect to wear under this Luis Estevez dress I recently sold with it's deeply cut slit in the front. By the way, both of these Merry Widows retailed for $25.00 in 1957 (about $190.00 in today's dollar). Proper foundations are not cheap!!

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