Girdles were worn by most women throughout the period 1920-70. They were an important part of the fashion aesthetic of these decades. A woman needed to be smooth and sleek if she were to look her best in most of the clothing of this period. Although comfortable girdles became the subject of jokes and the object of resentment when they went out of style in the 1970's, it is important to remember how much girdle coordinating range were a part of the allure of the far more glamorous 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's. Anyone watching the films of this period, observing the way women wore their clothes and moved through space, can see the effect of the ubiquitous girdle. The elegance of Grace Kelly, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Lauren Bacall, (the list could go on forever) was due in part to this universally-worn garment and it is not surprising that Playtex comfortable girdles were among ladies' favorites. A glance at fashion magazines of this period will also give anyone a sense of the way the comfortable girdles were represented as a glamorous garment. Although, of course, ads and articles in fashion magazines had an agenda to promote the wearing of the girdle, the extravagant glamour of girdle ads and articles suggests that women found it plausible to associate girdle coordinating range with perfumes, lipstick, slips, stockings, and all of the other accoutrements of femininity that tended to be associated with skies filled with stars and swirls, New York nightclubs, and Paris in the springtime. Anyone would certainly made this association of 18 hour girdle with elegance, sophistication, and glamour. Playtex comfortable girdles would break the standard and conventional notion of girdles as a challenging piece to wear. Playtex girdles available today are made from an interweaving of nylon and lycra spandex. Contemporary girdle coordinating range made from this blend are the most comfortable girdles that have ever been made. Although they are light and comfortable, they are almost as controlling as the much heavier and stiffer girdles that were worn before Lycra was developed in the early '60's. 18 hour girdle sold today are normally classified as light control, medium control, or firm control. The difference in these levels of control is usually a reflection of the thickness of the girdle material or the degree to which a girdle is paneled. That is, a firm-control comfortable girdle will normally have more areas in which the fabric has been doubled or tripled to form a panel design that will have more controlling power. Although most contemporary girdles are relatively light, pull-on garments, it is still possible to find girdle coordinating range which contain boning, which incorporate materials like rayon, cotton, or satin, and which must be hooked and/or zipped. Comfortable girdles nomenclature can be confusing, because over the years, manufacturers and retailers have come up with a myriad of new descriptive terms. However, no matter what they're called, four basic styles account for the majority of figure- shaping garments worn in the last fifty years. In the U.S., girdle coordinating range most commonly referred to as the long-leg panty girdle, the open-bottom girdle, the control brief, and the all-in-one. The 18 hour girdle all-in-one, or corsolette, combines girdle and bra. Comfortable girdles may come with high, cuff tops for control above the waistline. They may come with or without garters, zippers, or reinforced panels to provide extra control at a particular spot. A recent Playtex marketing innovation is the so-called hip slip. This is simply a lightweight, garterless open-bottomed girdle, usually trimmed with lace and made to resemble a half-slip. 18 hour girdle and girdle coordinating range are but a few introductions into the world of lady's underwear. It is remarkable that instead of being long gone and forgotten, comfortable girdles with time find more and more adherents.