A camisole is a sleeveless undershirt typically worn by women, extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of

satin A satin weave is a type of Textile, fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamen ...

nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

, or

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

Historical definition

Historically, ''camisole'' referred to jackets of various kinds, including overshirts (worn under a doublet or bodice), women's négligées, and sleeved jackets worn by men.

Modern usage

In modern usage, a camisole or ''cami'' is a loose-fitting sleeveless undershirt which covers the top part of the body but is shorter than a chemise. A camisole normally extends to the waist but is sometimes cropped to expose the midriff, or extended to cover the entire pelvic region. Camisoles are manufactured from light materials, commonly

-based, occasionally satin or silk, or stretch fabrics such as

lycra Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity (physics), elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont. Name The name ''spandex'', which ...

, or

spandex Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether- polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont. Name The name ''spandex'', which is an anagram of t ...

. A camisole typically has thin "

spaghetti strap Spaghetti () is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta.spaghetti
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Una ...

s" and can be worn over a brassiere or without one. Since 1989, some camisoles have come with a built-in

underwire bra An underwire bra (also under wire bra, under-wire bra, or underwired bra) is a brassiere that utilizes a thin, semi-circular strip of rigid material fitted inside the brassiere fabric to help lift, separate, shape, and support a woman's breasts. ...

or other support which eliminates the need for a bra among those who prefer not to wear one. Starting around the 2000s, camisoles have been known to be used as outerwear. A variety of sleeveless body shaping undergarments have been derived from the camisole shape, offering medium control of the bust, waist, or

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

. Such ''control camisoles'' are the most casual of shaping garments, covering the torso from above the chest to at or below the waist. They look similar to tight-fitting

camisoles, but the straps are usually wider, the

hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...

s longer, and the stretchy, shiny fabric provides a smoothing touch.

References

Sources

* Barbier, Muriel & Boucher, Shazia (2003). ''The Story of Lingerie''. Parkstone. * Saint-Laurent, Cecil (1986). ''The Great Book of Lingerie''. Academy editions.

External links

The Free Library citations for camisole
in Thackeray (1847),

Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Nicholls (; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855), commonly known as Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ), was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë family, Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novel ...

(1857), and Somerset Maugham (1915) {{lingerie, state=collapsed 2000s fashion 2010s fashion 2020s fashion Clubwear Dancewear Lingerie Tops (clothing) Undergarments Women's clothing

Historical definition

Modern usage

See also

References

Sources

External links