House of Satin is a small British independent label with a long and storied history of making lingerie in the UK. In recent years they’ve become most known in our online vintage-style circles for their budget-friendly bras and girdles made from their vintage patterns. This year, however, House of Satin relaunched their brand with new lines, new fabrics and new price points, the latter of which seemed to displease some of the ladies who had come to rely on them as a cheap way to kit themselves out with their vintage under kit. Like the brand itself, the revamp comes with a story, one that stretches back into the roots of the mid-century that we love. So today, in the spirit of the new year, new iterations, new resolutions, I thought it was an apt time to share with you the history and passion of this British made brand.

In 1948, following World War II, this story begins not with lingerie, but with wedding gowns, when a determined young woman started up her own bridal wear business and shop in the heart of Derby. When the tailoring and altering were done, the left over fabrics from the luxurious gowns seemed too valuable and beautiful to waste, so she decided to use the off-cuts to make bras and garter belts. The undergarments were so popular that they formed the basis of the lingerie company that still exists today.

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