Bra Top
1993 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This black satin and tulle bra top formed part of an outfit put together for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The complete outfit consisted of this bra top with gold metal jewellery, quilted satin zipped chaps, stretch tulle shorts (all by Pascale for Against All Oz); a quilted satin bag (Philippines) and leather shoes by Office Shoes. The outfit reflected a style of 'Ragga' dress worn by some British women in the mid 1980s.
‘Ragga’ derives from the word ‘Raggamuffin’, originally a derogatory term for delinquent Jamaican youths. Ragga began in the mid-1980s in Jamaican dancehalls before spreading throughout the African diaspora. It marked a stark contrast with Rastafarianism through its flamboyant dress and celebration of individual wealth, sexuality and success.
“We wanted a kind of Cowboy look so we made the chaps and carried the dance hall style through with gold buttons. Girls were wearing things like Wonderbras so we decided to make it in a Chanel-style quilted fabric with a sort of bustier top. I’d wear it with a pair of black shorts but a lot of girls would wear it with just a G-string under the netting’ (Pascale).
‘Ragga’ derives from the word ‘Raggamuffin’, originally a derogatory term for delinquent Jamaican youths. Ragga began in the mid-1980s in Jamaican dancehalls before spreading throughout the African diaspora. It marked a stark contrast with Rastafarianism through its flamboyant dress and celebration of individual wealth, sexuality and success.
“We wanted a kind of Cowboy look so we made the chaps and carried the dance hall style through with gold buttons. Girls were wearing things like Wonderbras so we decided to make it in a Chanel-style quilted fabric with a sort of bustier top. I’d wear it with a pair of black shorts but a lot of girls would wear it with just a G-string under the netting’ (Pascale).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Quilted Lycra and satin |
| Brief description | Bra top, quilted satin and lycra, designed by Pascale for Against All Oz, London, Great Britain, 1993 |
| Physical description | Quilted bra top of Lycra and satin, with gold-coloured buttons. |
| Object history | Registered File number 1994/206, Streetstyle exhibition 1994-1995, in the exhibition it was part of an outfit called 'Jungle Ragga 94' (includes the shorts T.160-1994, the chaps T.161-1994 and the mules T.634-1994). 'Black satin and tulle bra top with gold metal jewellery, quilted satin zipped chaps, stretch tulle shorts, Pascale for Against All Oz; quilted satin bag, Philippines; leather shoes, Office Shoes. “We wanted a kind of Cowboy look so we made the chaps and carried the dance hall style through with gold buttons. Girls were wearing things like Wonderbras so we decided to make it in a Chanel-style quilted fabric with a sort of bustier top. I’d wear it with a pair of black shorts but a lot of girls would wear it with just a G-string under the netting" (Pascale).' |
| Summary | This black satin and tulle bra top formed part of an outfit put together for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The complete outfit consisted of this bra top with gold metal jewellery, quilted satin zipped chaps, stretch tulle shorts (all by Pascale for Against All Oz); a quilted satin bag (Philippines) and leather shoes by Office Shoes. The outfit reflected a style of 'Ragga' dress worn by some British women in the mid 1980s. ‘Ragga’ derives from the word ‘Raggamuffin’, originally a derogatory term for delinquent Jamaican youths. Ragga began in the mid-1980s in Jamaican dancehalls before spreading throughout the African diaspora. It marked a stark contrast with Rastafarianism through its flamboyant dress and celebration of individual wealth, sexuality and success. “We wanted a kind of Cowboy look so we made the chaps and carried the dance hall style through with gold buttons. Girls were wearing things like Wonderbras so we decided to make it in a Chanel-style quilted fabric with a sort of bustier top. I’d wear it with a pair of black shorts but a lot of girls would wear it with just a G-string under the netting’ (Pascale). |
| Bibliographic reference | Surfers, Soulies, Skinheads & Skaters : Subcultural Style from the Forties to the Nineties
Described in the exhibition publication, part of an outfit called 'Jungle Ragga 94'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.159-1994 |
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| Record created | May 22, 2007 |
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