Lingerie: Their History is as Interesting as Them

Express lingerie verbally and every man construes an erotic image. People savour the thought and cherish the idea of buying lingerie for their love! Women associate several feelings and expressions with Lingerie. Feelings of comfort, confidence, feeling sexy and that of being loved! It is more an air of freedom than of being tied down.



Not only has the word seeped down a series of changes, but also the concept of lingerie passed through several cultures and times. In the olden times it was considered that the clothes that are worn closest to the body reveal a lot about the personality, economic status and primarily the values held closest to an individual. This belief has trickled down generations and is still prevalent in the society.



One fact to be noted is that during the earlier years lingerie was not associated with sensuality but with functionality. Support was the primary function of lingerie.



The history of lingerie can be traced back to Egypt around 3000 BC. Higher-ranking individuals wrapped supporting material around their bodies and under their imperial robes. The lower-ranking individuals only wrapped a loin cloth around them or went naked. There are several evidences that the Greek females in the latter period wore bands of linen around their waists and lower body to support it and keep it in shape.



The Roman sense of functionality closely followed the Greek sense of fashion and there are strong evidences in the form of Roman mosaics showing women in something like a bikini. This was recorded in the year 400 AD. A period after this saw the emergence of an aesthetic sense of beauty and functionality came to be complimented by sensuality.



The need for warmth and protection from body are believed to be the reasons for wearing a corset or a chemise under garments and clothes. The corset was worn in order to accentuate the upper half of the body and lower the size of the waist. This gave women who were less endowed a voluptuous appearance and completed their figures. These fitting are known to be worn since the 14th and 16th century AD.



Then came the time of bodices, basquines, vasquines and petticoats. These elements either accentuated a certain body part or flattened certain other body parts. This led to the increased emphasis on a womans child-bearing attributes.



At this time, the corset was officially introduced and it led to the most controversial innovation in the fashion industry of those times. The importance of an hourglass figure was also appreciated and the corset was linked to well-developed bodies. Corset also had a number of critics in the form of doctors who argued that corsets lead to miscarriages and feminists who said the corset was a form of repressing the female form.



During the French revolution, women gave up corsets for high-waisted muslins that led to well rounded and hourglass figures. Again after the WW1, the Victorians who denounced promiscuity in the form of corsets once, came forward to introduce innerwear in the most aristocratic and modest style. This is where Victorias Secrets derived its brand name from.



Steam mouldings and dye fittings led to mechanisation of the process of making lingerie and also eased the process of putting one on. With the advent of the bicycle, a series of changes took place in the human activities and hence the world of lingerie went from corsets to brassiere.



Technology and change in design have led to a sea change in the kinds of lingerie available and their applications in terms of support and stress. Today from panties to G-strings to sexy lingerie, women call the shots and can have it all!