Australian
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Berlei Underwear Cinema Advertisement: Sarong (1950)

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Dancing sarong

This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

A woman in a dress dances to cocktail music as a female voice-over explains the features of the ‘Sarong’ girdle the woman is wearing beneath her clothes. The action freezes as the camera zooms in and ‘sees through’ the woman’s outer clothing to reveal the girdle and how comfortable, flexible and flattering it is.

Curator’s notes

Freedom of movement and comfort are the two strongest features of the ‘Sarong’ girdle. The girdle’s precursor, the corset, was part of the constraining and confining history which defined nineteenth century undergarments. Berlei’s ‘Sarong’ – along with many of its other product lines – made this uncomfortable foundation garment comfortable.