The History of Lingerie

By: Molten

Underwear is everywhere, and it seems that it has always been that way. It has an extensive past that spans millennia; in fact, the history of lingerie can actually be traced to its inception in the ancient civilizations of the Greek and Egyptian peoples.

It is known that in ancient Greece and Egypt, women looked to an early form of the well-known and more modern corset. They used this for the express purpose of supporting the breasts, though not covering them; the corset came just under the bust. Centuries later, members of the noble class in European countries were purported to have worn full-coverage undergarments that kept the clothing away from the body. Medieval times did not recognize regular bathing as necessary, so this was probably a good idea.

From there the history of lingerie moved from corseting for support to corsets that were worn for the express purpose of creating a cinched waist and hourglass figure. For centuries, these garments were the excruciating norm, and were often topped with layers of other undergarments, including petticoats, slips, stockings, et cetera.

As time moved into the 20th century, and women began pushing the norms, dancing became quite popular, especially in the 1920s. At this point, corsets would have limited dance movement, and the fashionable look was really moving away from the hourglass shapes. The corset took a backseat, while at the same time, a brassiere had been invented and was replacing the chemises women also wore.

The early and mid parts of that century were also war times, which meant there was not much in the way of money and fabric to make elaborate under dressings; even stockings became, at least for women workers, a thing of luxury. Of course, after the wars, by the 1950s, the hourglass was back in style, and so back came the corset, though in a much more comfortable girdle form, along with seamless brassieres.

The history of lingerie has a blip on the radar of time, which is the 60s and 70s. Freedom, equality-these were at the forefront of society's mind. Corsets, brassieres, stockings-implements of restraint and symbolic of suppression, these were abandoned, literally. Women burned their bras, but by the 80s, they needed them back. In fact, the final two decades of the 20th century saw a resurgence in femininity, and the corset came back. Now used for more romantic purposes, lingerie became a symbol of sensuality.

Overall, the history of lingerie has certainly experienced change, but it endures today. As a matter of fact, the category has such a following that there are stores dedicated solely to lingerie, and every department store has a section belonging to it as well. Today's lingerie includes a multitude of designs, both functional and decorative. The choices are endless; and so too, it seems, is the longevity of lingerie.

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