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Bodystocking, Brassiere, Chemise, G-string, Girdle, Negligee, Nightie, Pettipants and Teddy – the variety of lingerie can make one’s head spin around! But that was not always the case. Even though women needed the same protection as men, they basically went commando until the 19th century – unbelievable right?
Let’s examine the fascinating history of female undergarments.
According to a legend, modern, sensual underwear was invented coincidently by a French painter and professor of beautiful arts, by the name of Jean-Pierre Lingerie. On a cold day in December 1723 he was conducting an act drawing class in his atelier on the Montmartre hill in Paris. Unfortunately the object of study and admiration, a muse named Mimi, kept complaining about the cold. She shivered and her pale skin turned an unpleasant shade of blue. Mimi begged the professor to allow her a cover, but he was merciless, assuring his class that the whole point of drawing a female act was to see the woman naked, not covered. Finally he gave in to the model’s pleading. From the silk normally used to clean the brushes, he quickly formed something covering the girl’s breasts and intimate area – so the precursors of today’s bra and panties. To the professor’s surprise, his students were struck with awe. That’s how he discovered that a partially covered female body can be even more alluring than a naked one.
This discovery has changed the professor’s life. From that moment on he dedicated himself less to teaching art and more to designing female intimate covers, which he initially named “le couvert contre le vent”, meaning the protection against the wind. Having discovered that women prefer clean cloth to the one made dirty by paint residue, he bought a huge amount of fresh silk to work with.
As the urban legend has it, Professor Lingerie started a cooperation with a wealthy merchant, Mr Jacques Panty, introducing new designs of female undergarment on the market. And that is a reason why erotic underwear is called ‘lingerie’ and simple things between the legs are the ‘panties’.
If the story of the art professor Jean-Pierre Lingerie and his business partner Jacques Panty in 1723 Paris is an urban legend, who was the real inventor of sensual underwear? And where does the name come from? Well, we do not know exactly.
Etymology of ‘Lingerie’
The word in its original form derives from the old French word ‘linge’, meaning ‘linen’ – the material initially used to make undergarments. Lingerie as a term was first used to refer to underwear and bras in 1922. Informal usage suggests visually appealing or even erotic clothing and the choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashionable, or both.
Lingerie is made of lightweight, stretchy, smooth, sheer or decorative fabrics such as silk, satin, cotton, Lycra, charmeuse, chiffon, or (especially and traditionally) lace.
Although most lingerie is designed to be worn by women, some manufacturers now design lingerie for men. In fact, according to a 2015 US survey, 75% of women and 26% of men reported having worn sexy lingerie in their lifetime. Interesting, right?
Throughout the years, the word lingerie went from a taboo concept, just barely whispered from blushing lips, to a declaration of independence screamed from the rooftops, bouncing off the city walls and shattering invisible ceilings. But when and how exactly did it become what we know today?
When Was Lingerie REALLY Invented?
It seems that the concept of wearing fabric to protect our intimate parts came around 5000 BC with cavemen and ancient Egyptians, who wore small pieces of material wrapped around the waist and through the leg called a loincloth – so basically an outer garment. Ancient Egyptians and Pharaohs also wore leather loincloths and adopted fabric and length variations as a symbol of power and status. Size mattered back then already! In fact, archaeologists found extra supplies of linen loincloths in Egyptian tombs, to sustain Pharaohs and Queens to the afterlife.
Fans of ancient Greece believe that Greeks are the very first civilization to show records of women wearing a garment designed to support their breasts.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, women’s undergarments were multi-pieced structures, featuring constricting corsets, stiffened bodices, metal skirt structures, and (in cold climates) occasionally woolen hosiery underdresses. Interestingly, they didn’t include any fabric to cover the intimate parts. Closed-crotch underwear was reserved for men. Terribly backwards and unfair, don’t you think?
All women had to do in order to “use the restroom” was to lift their skirts. Do not ask us how they dealt with their menstruation. No picture attached, you’ll thank us later.
The 1600s and 1700s
Around the 1600s, women had to suffer in the name of fashion, wearing extremely tight lace-up corsets (aka objects of agonizing torture) to create an exaggerated flat chest-thin waist silhouette. Women would tighten them up to the point of barely being able to breathe, sometimes even risking cracked ribs and punctured lungs, all in the name of slim waists and dainty proportions. And of course – no panties underneath the skirts.
The 19th century
Have you ever wondered why we say “a pair of underwear”? It’s because back in the early 1800s, women started wearing 13 inch long shorts that looked a bit like the modern jockey briefs. The underwear consisted of a pair of separate legs and had tight lacing around the waist and ankles. It was highly decorated with ribbons, bands and different fancy fabrics. And yes, the undergarments had a hole in the middle. These pieces were open between the legs to make going to the bathroom an easier journey. Open-crotch panties, anyone?
Women could not wear them to bed, as it was considered shameful for their husbands to see anything that belonged to their undergarments or struggle with restricted access.
Thankfully by the end of the century, women were introduced to pantaloons: long baggy trousers worn under dresses and skirts (finally some proper protection!)
A French designer by the name of Ms. Herminie Cadole is said to have created the first bra in 1889 called le Bien-Être (the well-being) or Brassière. Fun fact: The bra (short for “Brassière”), symbol of femininity, empowerment and sensuality, was born the same year as the Eiffel Tower was built. 1889 was a great year for France and women!
The 20th century
In the early 1900’s, in the middle of that historical period we affectionately call “La Belle Époque” (the Good Times), the “monobosom” look was in fashion. Women’s breasts were hoisted and held together to make them look like one very large breast. Weird, don’t you think? But who are we to judge? In some cultures at present times, unibrows, multiple piercings, tattoos from head to toe and necks stretched out with metal rings to mimic that of a giraffe are considered maximum appeal.
The 1920s-1940s
In the 1920s, women were blessed with the introduction of proper lingerie. Finally! Even though the concept of panties basically meant industrial and plain pieces of fabric, undergarments turned into tightly fitting underwear. As they were worn under trendy short dresses, panties started to become more decorative.
The rise of apparel engineering and the modern bra evolved into the idea of a “pin-up girl” in the 1940s. This made women pictured in lingerie become more acceptable, and pushed society to embrace female figures and their curves.
The 1950s
By the 1950’s women finally got what they needed: some comfort between their legs! The ‘bikini’ came to life with more flexible elastic waistbands and cotton fabrics. The cute bathing suit was named after an island on the Pacific Ocean. It opened the doors for new comfy and trendy underwear styles.
Modern times
The role and meaning of underwear have shifted many times throughout history as society evolved and this journey has shaped what we know of underwear today.
Nowadays beautiful underwear is advertised on billboards. We can easily choose from a variety of lingerie on the market and have nice, soft, and comfy pairs of panties delivered right to our doorstep.
PS. In case you wondered what types of lingerie are out there, here are the definitions from Wikipedia:
- Babydoll, a short nightgown, or negligee, intended as nightwear for women. A shorter style, it is often worn with panties. Babydolls are typically loose-fitting with an empire waist and thin straps.
- Basque, a tight, form-fitting bodice or coat.
- Bloomers, baggy underwear that extends to just below or above the knee. Bloomers were worn for several decades during the first part of the 20th century, but are not widely worn today.
- Bodystocking, a unitard. Bodystockings may be worn over the torso, or they may be worn over the thighs and abdomen.
- Bodice, covers the body from the neck to the waist. Bodices are often low cut in the front and high in the back and are often connected with laces or hooks. Bodices may also be reinforced with steel or bone to provide greater breast support.
- Brassiere, more commonly referred to as a bra, a close-fitting garment that is worn to help lift and support a woman’s breasts
- Bustier, a form fitting garment used to push up the bust and to shape the waist.
- Camisole, sleeveless and covering the top part of the body. Camisoles are typically constructed of light materials and feature thin “spaghetti straps”.
- Chemise, a one-piece undergarment that is the same in shape as a straight-hanging sleeveless dress. It is similar to the babydoll, but it is fitted more closely around the hips.
- Corset, a bodice worn to mould and shape the torso. This effect is typically achieved through boning, either of bone or steel.
- Corselet, or merry widow, combined brassiere and girdle. The corselet is considered to be a type of foundation garment, and the modern corselet is most commonly known as a shaping slip.
- G-string, or thong, a type of panty, characterised by a narrow piece of cloth that passes between the buttocks and is attached to a band around the hips. A G-string or thong may be worn as a bikini bottom or as underwear.
- Garter/Garter belt/Suspender belt (British), used to keep stockings up.
- Girdle, a type of foundation garment. Historically, the girdle extended from the waist to the upper thigh, though modern styles more closely resemble a tight pair of athletic shorts.
- Hosiery, close-fitting, elastic garments that cover the feet and legs.
- Negligee, a dressing gown. It is usually floor length, though it can be knee length as well.
- Nightgown, or nightie, a loosely hanging item of nightwear, may vary from hip-length (babydoll) to floor-length (peignoir).
- Nightshirt, a shirt meant to be worn while sleeping. It is usually longer and looser than the average T-shirt, and it is typically made of softer material.
- Panties or knickers, a generic term for underwear covering the genitals and sometimes buttocks that come in all shapes, fabrics and colours, offering varying degrees of coverage.
- Petticoat, an underskirt. Petticoats were prominent throughout the 16th to 20th centuries. Today, petticoats are typically worn to add fullness to skirts in the Gothic and Lolita subcultures.
- Pettipants, a type of bloomer featuring ruffles, resembling petticoats. Pettipants are most commonly worn by square dancers and people participating in historical reenactment.
- Tanga, a type of panty featuring full back and front coverage, but string-like sides that are typically thicker than those found on a string bikini.
- Tap pants, a type of short typically made of lace, silk or satin.
- Teddy, an undergarment that resembles the shape of a one-piece bathing suit because it is typically sleeveless, and sometimes even strapless.
- Undergarment, a garment which one wears underneath clothes. Also known as “underwear.”
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