The negligee or négligée, from the French: négligé, literally meaning "neglected", is a form of women's clothing consisting of a sheer usually long dressing gown.^[1] It is a form of nightgown intended for wear at night and in the bedroom. It was first introduced in France in the 18th-century, where it mimicked the heavy head-to-toe style of women's day dresses of the time.

By the 1920s it began to mimic women's satin single-layer evening gowns of the period. The term "negligee" was used of a Royal Doulton run of ceramic figurines in 1927, showing women wearing what appears to be a one-piece knee-length silk or rayon slip, trimmed with lace. Although the evening-dresses style of nightwear made moves towards the modern negligee style – translucent bodices, lace trimming, bows, exemplified in 1941 by a photo of Rita Hayworth in Life – it was only after World War II that nightwear changed from being primarily utilitarian to being primarily sensual or even erotic; the negligee emerged strongly as a form of lingerie.

Modern negligees are often much looser and made of sheer and semi-translucent fabrics and trimmed with lace or other fine material, and bows. Multiple layers of fabric are often used. The modern negligee thus perhaps owes more to women's fine bedjackets or bed-capes, and up-market slips than to the nightgown. It spread to a mass market, benefitting from the introduction of cheap synthetic fabrics such as nylon and its finer successors. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the trend was for negligees to become shorter in length (e.g. the babydoll of the 1970s). Negligees made from the 1940s to the 1970s are now collectible vintage items.‎

In the UK in 2004, negligees accounted for only four percent of women's nightwear sales, women's pyjamas having dominated since the mid 1980s. However, UK negligee sales are said to have been the fastest increasing sector of the market since 1998.^[2]

References[link]

Notes

v t e Lingerie Upper torso Types of bras (History) Balconette brassiere • Bandeau • Cupless bra • Male bra • Nursing bra • Push-up bra • Sports bra • Training bra • Underwire bra Other Babydoll • Bustier • Camisole • Negligee • Torsolette Lower torso Bikini • Boyshorts • French knickers • Girdle • Girl boxers • Panties • Tanga • Tap pants • Thong (G-string) Full torso BodyBriefer • Corsage • Corset • Corselet • Nightshirt • Playsuit • Slip • Teddy Hosiery Garter • Knee highs • Pantyhose • Stocking Historical Basque • Bustle • Chemise • Crinoline • Farthingale • Hoop skirt • Liberty bodice • Pannier • Pantalettes • Petticoat • Pettipants • Waist cincher • Yếm Accessories Falsies • Lingerie tape Brands Aerie • Agent Provocateur • American Apparel • Andrés Sardá • Baby Phat • Bali • Berlei • Bruno Banani • Calvin Klein • Chantelle • DKNY • Formfit • Frederick's of Hollywood • Fruit of the Loom • Gerbe • Gilly Hicks • Hanes • HerRoom • Intimissimi • Intimo Lingerie • Jockey • Jolidon • La Senza • Maidenform • No Nonsense • Olga Intimates • Passport Panties • Peach John • Playtex • Pretty Polly • Trashy Lingerie • Triumph International • Ultimo • Underalls • Valisere • Van de Velde • Vassarette • Victoria's Secret • Wacoal • Warner's • Wolford • Wonderbra • XTG Extreme Game

Yoko Matsugane
Born	(1982-05-26) May 26, 1982 (age 30)[1] Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Ethnicity	Japanese
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	46 kg (100 lb)[2]
Website
http://ameblo.jp/yokomatsugane

Yoko Matsugane (松金 洋子, Matsugane Yōko^?, born May 26, 1982) is a Japanese gravure idol from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. She is famous for her voluptuous figure. She has released several DVDs and photobooks and has appeared on several TV shows in Japan. As of January 2006, Yoko left her modeling agency, but is still active in producing DVDs and photo sets.

At the times of the release of her latest DVD she usually attends promotional events where her fans get to meet their idol and take a picture with her. These events are most often held in department stores in the Akihabara district of Tokyo.

She is also a traveling DJ and has performed in various clubs in Japan, Australia and Singapore.

DVDs released[link]

• Dulcet (2002)
• Spiritual (2002)
• Enrapture (2002)
• Violation (2002)
• Melon: Idol One (2003)
• Suika: Idol One (2003)
• Gekkan Yoko Matsugane (2003)
• Lolita Paradox (2004)
• Fruit box: Idol One (2004)
• Sweet Y (2004)
• Sweet Pie (2004)
• Nagomi (2004)
• Tsuki no Kodo: Idol one (2004)
• Taiyō no Yakudo: Idol one (2004)
• Yoko Matsugane Perfect Collection (2005)
• Tentai DVD Box (2005)
• Yoko Matsugane Perfect Collection Vol.2 (2005)
• Idol one: 5 DVD-Box (2005)
• Shutaisei Densetsu I (2006)
• Shutaisei Densetsu II (2006)
• Body Scandal: Idol One (2006)
• Chichishigure (2007)
• Ultimate (2007)
• Chichi Gurui (2007)
• Chichi Mamire (2007)
• Hojo (2007)
• Kindan (2007)
• Nakugeki Kyonyu Keiho Hatsurei (2008)
• Chichi Yure Zanmai (2008)
• Bakusho - Paishicho 24zi (2008)
• Tate Yure! Yoko Yure! Magnitude 95 (2009)
• Soul Bomb: Idol One (2009)
• Killer Body: Idol One (2009)
• Ryojo Aiyoku (2009)
• JAM (2010)
• BODY&SOUL BOX (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• (Japanese) Yoko Matsugane's Personal Blog
• Yoko Matsugane info, pics and tube movies
• A Fansite about Yoko Matsugane

Bibliography[link]

• "松金 洋子 - Matsugane Youko" (in Japanese). 'Web I-dic' (Idol Dictionary). http://i-dic.dorachan.com/data?mtgyuk00. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
• (Japanese) Yoko Matsugane Web
• (Japanese) Yoko Matsugane Maniacs
• "「乳の日」イベントに松金洋子がピンクの水着で登場 (Yoko Matsugane swimming suit event)" (in Japanese). Daily Sports Online. June 17, 2003. Archived from the original on 2008-03-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20080311120201/http://www.daily.co.jp/gravure/20030617data.shtml. Retrieved 2008-05-24. 

This biographical article related to Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article about a model is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Katie Webster
Birth name	Kathryn Jewel Thorne
Born	(1936-01-11)January 11, 1936 Houston, Texas, United States
Died	September 5, 1999(1999-09-05) (aged 63) League City, Texas, United States
Genres	Boogie-woogie, soul, swamp blues[1]
Occupations	Musician, pianist, vocalist, composer, singer, songwriter
Instruments	Piano, vocals, percussion

Katie Webster (January 11, 1936 – September 5, 1999), born Kathryn Jewel Thorne,^[1] was an American boogie-woogie pianist.

Career[link]

Webster was initially best known as a session musician behind Louisiana musicians on the Excello and Goldband record labels, such as Lightnin' Slim and Lonesome Sundown.^[2] She also played piano with Otis Redding in the 1960s, but after his death went into semi-retirement.

In the 1980s she was repeatedly booked for European tours and recorded albums for the German record label, Ornament Records. She cut You Know That's Right with the band Hot Links, and the album that established her in the United States; The Swamp Boogie Queen with guest spots by Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray.^[2] She performed at both the San Francisco Blues Festival and Long Beach Blues Festival.

Webster suffered a stroke in 1993 while touring Greece and returned to performing the following year.^[3] She died from heart failure in League City, Texas, in September 1999.^[4]

See also[link]

• List of swamp blues musicians
• List of Louisiana blues musicians
• New Orleans rhythm and blues
• Music of Louisiana
• Swamp blues
• List of New Orleans blues musicians
• Louisiana blues

References[link]

External links[link]

• Katie Webster at Allmusic
• Short biography on www.alligator.com

Cyd Charisse
Charisse in 1987, by Allan Warren
Born	Tula Ellice Finklea (1922-03-08)March 8, 1922 Amarillo, Texas
Died	June 17, 2008(2008-06-17) (aged 86) Los Angeles, California
Other names	Lily Norwood, Felia Siderova, Maria Istomina
Occupation	Actress, dancer
Years active	1943-1994
Spouse	Nico Charisse (m.1939-1947; divorced) Tony Martin (m.1948-2008; her death)
Website
http://www.humorinthenews.com/cyd/

Cyd Charisse (March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008)^[1] was an American actress and dancer.

After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s. Her roles usually focused on her abilities as a dancer, and she was paired with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly; her films include Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Band Wagon (1953) and Silk Stockings (1957). She stopped dancing in films in the late 1950s, but continued acting in film and television, and in 1992 made her Broadway debut.

In her later years, she discussed the history of the Hollywood musical in documentaries, and participated in That's Entertainment! III in 1994. She was awarded the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities in 2006.

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Charisse was born as Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, the daughter of Lela (née Norwood) and Ernest Enos Finklea, Sr., who was a jeweler.^[2][3] Her nickname "Sid" was taken from a sibling trying to say "Sis".^[4] (It was later spelled "Cyd" at MGM to give her an air of mystery.) She was a sickly girl who started dancing lessons at six to build up her strength after a bout with polio. At 12, she studied ballet in Los Angeles with Adolph Bolm and Bronislava Nijinska, and at 14, she auditioned for and subsequently danced in the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as "Felia Siderova" ^[5][6] and, later, "Maria Istomina".^[6]

During a European tour, she met up again with Nico Charisse, a handsome young dancer she had studied with for a time in Los Angeles. They married in Paris in 1939. They had a son, Nicky, born in 1942.^[4]

Career[link]

The outbreak of World War II led to the break-up of the company, and when Charisse returned to Los Angeles, David Lichine offered her a dancing role in Gregory Ratoff's Something to Shout About. This brought her to the attention of choreographer Robert Alton – who had also discovered Gene Kelly – and soon she joined the Freed Unit at MGM, where she became the resident MGM ballet dancer.^[5]

Charisse was principally celebrated for her on-screen pairings with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. She first appeared with Astaire in a brief routine in Ziegfeld Follies (produced in 1944 and released in 1946). Her next appearance with him was as lead female role in The Band Wagon (1953), where she danced with Astaire in the acclaimed "Dancing in the Dark" and "Girl Hunt Ballet" routines. Another early role cast her opposite Judy Garland in the 1946 film The Harvey Girls.

As Debbie Reynolds was not a trained dancer, Gene Kelly chose Charisse to partner him in the celebrated "Broadway Melody" ballet finale from Singin' in the Rain (1952), and she co-starred with Kelly in 1954's Scottish-themed musical film Brigadoon. She again took the lead female role alongside Kelly in his penultimate MGM musical It's Always Fair Weather (1956).^[7]

In 1957, she rejoined Astaire in the film version of Silk Stockings, a musical remake of 1939's Ninotchka, with Charisse taking over Greta Garbo's role. In his autobiography, Astaire paid tribute to Charisse, calling her "beautiful dynamite" and writing: "That Cyd! When you've danced with her you stay danced with."^[8][9]

She had a slightly unusual serious acting role in Party Girl (1958), where she played a showgirl who became involved with gangsters and a crooked lawyer, although it did include two dance routines.

In her autobiography, Charisse reflected on her experience with Astaire and Kelly: "As one of the handful of girls who worked with both of those dance geniuses, I think I can give an honest comparison. In my opinion, Kelly is the more inventive choreographer of the two. Astaire, with Hermes Pan's help, creates fabulous numbers – for himself and his partner. But Kelly can create an entire number for somebody else ... I think, however, that Astaire's coordination is better than Kelly's ... his sense of rhythm is uncanny. Kelly, on the other hand, is the stronger of the two. When he lifts you, he lifts you! ... To sum it up, I'd say they were the two greatest dancing personalities who were ever on screen. But it's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both delicious." ^[10]

After the decline of the Hollywood musical in the late 1950s, Charisse retired from dancing but continued to appear in film and TV productions from the 1960s through the 1990s. She had a supporting role in Something's Got to Give (1962), the last, unfinished film of Marilyn Monroe. She made cameo appearances in Blue Mercedes's "I Want to Be Your Property" (1987) and Janet Jackson's "Alright" (1990) music videos.

Her last film appearance was in 1994 in That's Entertainment! III as one of the onscreen narrators of a tribute to the great MGM musical films.

Personal life[link]

Charisse was married to singer Tony Martin from 1948 until her death. The marriage lasted 60 years. Cyd's first husband, whose surname she kept, was Nico Charisse (March 1906 – April 1970);^[11] they were married from 1939 to 1947.^{[citation needed]}

She had two sons, Nico "Nicky" Charisse from her first marriage, and Tony Martin, Jr. (1950-2011), from her second.^{[citation needed]} One of her daughters-in-law is Liv Lindeland,^{[citation needed]} who was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Year for 1972. A niece of hers by marriage is actress Nana Visitor.^{[citation needed]}

Charisse wrote a joint biography with Martin (and Dick Kleiner) entitled The Two of Us (1976). She was featured in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records under "Most Valuable Legs", since a $5 million insurance policy was reportedly accepted on her legs in 1952. MGM was reputed to have insured her legs for a million dollars each, but Charisse later revealed that that had been an invention of the MGM publicity machine.

Her daughter-in-law, Sheila Charisse, was a victim of the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 in 1979.^{[citation needed]}

In 1990, following similar moves by MGM colleagues Debbie Reynolds and Angela Lansbury, Charisse produced the exercise video Easy Energy Shape Up, targeted for active senior citizens.

Later years and death[link]

In her eighties, Charisse made occasional public appearances and appeared frequently in documentaries spotlighting the golden age of Hollywood. She made her Broadway debut in 1992 in the musical version of Grand Hotel as the aging ballerina, Elizaveta Grushinskaya.^[4]

Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on June 16, 2008 after suffering an apparent heart attack. She died the following day at age 86.^[12] After her death, she was buried on June 22, 2008 at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California, following a Christian ceremony presided over by Dr. Gary Allan Dickey, Senior Pastor of The United Methodist Church in Westlake Village.^[13][14]

Honors[link]

Accepting the National Medal of Arts and Humanities Award in 2006, photo by Paul Morse

On November 9, 2006, in a private White House ceremony, President George W. Bush presented Cyd Charisse with the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities, the highest official U.S. honor available in the arts.^[15]

Tributes[link]

In her collection "Tauzia 1945" fashion designer Marcela Calvet pays tribute to her by naming an exotic handbag after Cyd Charisse.

Filmography[link]

Features:

• Something to Shout About (1943)
• Mission to Moscow (1943)
• Thousands Cheer (1943)
• Ziegfeld Follies (1945)
• The Harvey Girls (1946)
• Three Wise Fools (1946)
• Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
• Fiesta (1947)
• The Unfinished Dance (1947)
• On an Island with You (1948)
• The Kissing Bandit (1948)
• Words and Music (1948)
• East Side, West Side (1949)
• Tension (1950)
• Mark of the Renegade (1951)
• Singin' in the Rain (1952)
• The Wild North (1952)
• Sombrero (1953)
• The Band Wagon (1953)
• Easy to Love (1953) (Cameo)
• Brigadoon (1954)
• Deep in My Heart (1954)
• It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
• Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956)
• Silk Stockings (1957)
• Twilight for the Gods (1958)
• Party Girl (1958)
• Black Tights (1960)
• Five Golden Hours (1961)
• Two Weeks in Another Town (1962)
• Something's Got To Give (1962), unfinished
• Assassination in Rome (1965)
• The Silencers (1966)
• Maroc 7 (1967)
• Film Portrait (1973) (documentary)
• Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
• Warlords of Atlantis (1978)
• Private Screening (1989)
• That's Entertainment! III (1994)

Short subjects:

• Rhumba Serenade (1941)
• Poeme (1941)
• I Knew It Would Be This Way (1941)
• Did Anyone Call? (1941)
• Magic of Magnolias (1942)
• This Love of Mine (1942)
• 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration (1955)

Music videos[link]

• "I Want to Be Your Property" by Blue Mercedes (1988)
• "Alright" by Janet Jackson (1990)

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cyd Charisse

• Cyd Charisse at the Internet Movie Database
• Cyd Charisse at the Internet Broadway Database
• The Cyd Charisse Appreciation Page
• Famous Texans site
• Archive of American Television
• Legs - A tribute to Cyd Charisse
• The Official Cyd Charisse Web Site
• Photographs and bibliography
• BBC obituary
• CBC obituary
• FOX obituary
• NY Times obituary