Underwear appeared in Ancient Greece, but it acquired a familiar look only at the end of the 19th century. Knickers and corsets, tapered bodices, and famous Victoria's Secret shows, how did sexy lingerie come about?
The development and formation of lingerie from the very origins of its appearance to the present day are of considerable interest. Suppose you consider the detailed stages of the history of lingerie for ladies. In that case, it becomes obvious that he had no chance to excite the male imagination a couple of hundred years ago. Women's underwear before the advent of seductive fishnet sets, the iconic Wonderbra and sexy bras could not boast of special appeal. And until the nineteenth century, when the first lace pantaloons appeared, lingerie for ladies could not be called lingerie.
From loincloths to corsets and pantaloons
The term lingerie itself appeared relatively recently. Its ancient counterpart was a modest loincloth. And this product lasted on the thighs of our ancestors for surprisingly long tens of thousands of years. In Ancient Egypt, a similar headband was called shenti, but it was a purely masculine wardrobe item. Women wore something like a shirt with shoulder straps. There was no analog of modern women's underwear for the lower body, neither in hot countries nor in regions with cold climates. It was invented much later.
- The history of humanity is moving forward by leaps and bounds, but the history of lingerie for ladies is in no hurry to develop. In the Middle Ages, no one heard of panties and bras. Under the ladies' dresses that have appeared, undershirts are put on.
- At the beginning of the Renaissance, in addition to tight corsets, there was a kind of lingerie for ladies. These are the famous pantaloons. The first pantaloons with decorative trim were at first the subject of a dress exclusively for courtesans, and only long years later, they were recognized by aristocrats. Then the fashion for pantaloons and to mere mortals descended.
- However, back in the middle of the 19th century, the legs of this lingerie were not yet joined together. The reason for this was the tight corsets that pressed the top of the pantaloons to the body. It was not possible to remove them to go to the toilet, so the absence of a seam was justified.
Corset and first custom bras
The corset began to be used as early as the 1300 year, and it was formed as a full-fledged wardrobe item by the 16th century. True, the main difference between it and today's versions was in its purpose. The purpose of those times was not to create a narrow waist but to maintain a straight bodice line.
The situation changes towards the end of the 19th century. In the 1850s, clothing that made an hourglass-shaped figure was gaining popularity. Corsets could be so narrow that they squeezed the internal organs and deform the chest of women. Moreover, the corset was extended over the skirt of the dress, supported by special frames. Corsets were even made for children.
The rapid development of sexy lingerie
In the 30s, corsets were also popular, but they were now designed to narrow the hips in a different format. But there was a real boom in custom bras. It was the time of appearing of wardrobe item prototypes, which are familiar to us today. In 1944, a revolutionary event took place. The S. H. Standard company invented the dimensional grid and introduced the concept of "cups" into everyday life (then the concept of numbering A, B, C was born, which we still use today).
Many manufacturers have sprung up and started experimenting with design. The breakthrough year was 1946 - custom bras without shoulder straps, underwired bras, and the first push-ups appeared. Christian Dior presented his famous new look to the world, and the fashion for a feminine figure finally returns, and with it the love for shape-correcting underwear.
The lingerie for ladies revolution
A breakthrough in the history of lingerie was the impetus for its development and the emergence of the very term lingerie. Now events are starting to develop really rapidly. This garment is rapidly gaining new status as a symbol of femininity and coquetry. Fashion requires jewelry, and pantaloons are generously decorated with lace, embroidery, embossing on fabric, ribbons, bows, and openwork ruffles. Of course, the subtle and sophisticated cut of sexy lingerie is the prerogative of the upper class. However, it was very difficult for the aristocrats to dress and undress without assistance completely. The lingerie set was eerily impressive:
- Stockings with garters.
- Long pantaloons.
- Spacious undershirt.
- Corset.
- Thin underskirt with ruffles that completely cover the legs.
- Corset cover.
- Thick linen second petticoat.
Only on top of all this set, outerwear, a corsage with a skirt or dress was worn. This women's intimates weighed an average of about six pounds.
The emergence of sexy lingerie
The 60s can be characterized as the birth of the most modern styles of sexy lingerie. The bra market has become diverse with and without underwire; push-ups, supportive, tapered, balconette, and more have emerged during this period. Lingerie regularly appears in films and advertisements. Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield, their hypersexual images became a reflection of the era.
From the 90s to the present day
The fashion for underwear shows how much the mood of society fluctuates. Already in the 90s, interest in excessive decor and embellishment dropped sharply. From now on, the symbol of sex is a minimalistic white sports top and slip-on panties. In general, from now on it has become fashionable to show underwear.
This trend has spilled over to zero in full scale. At the same time, Alexander McQueen invents his famous bumper jeans with an extremely low waist that exposes the buttocks. Mass-market stores are adopting this thing, and very soon, the whole world is walking around in low-waisted jeans, under which you can see sexy lingerie and thongs. They are popularized by stars such as Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. Another essential detail of the image is a contrasting bra, which is worn under white T-shirts and open tops.
If we consider a mass trend, then the main point when choosing lingerie for ladies is convenience. Today's customers do not trust large brands, do not like underwire and braces, prefer either the classics that create comfortable and soft underwear that is not felt on the body and does not restrict movement.