BFI Player is now available on more TV apps

This film is part of Free

Underwear and Hosiery

A thoroughly engrossing 1920s guide to the making of woollen undies – and a tongue-in-cheek demo of why pre-shrunk are best.

Non-Fiction 1924 20 mins Silent

Overview

It's the wonderful world of woolly knickers – with a 1920s twist! This fascinating promotional film for the British woollen underwear and hosiery industries contains some truly remarkable scenes of garment manufacture, from preparation of the yarn, through to spinning, cutting, dyeing and shaping. Most intriguing of all, though, is the "special process" used to pre-shrink garments – which, as the film humorously demonstrates, is an essential requirement if the future wearer is to preserve their modesty.