The History of Lingerie Not Always Sexy

Lingerie, that ubiquitous genre of under garments that range from the mundane to the risqu, has been around for longer than you may imagine. The history of lingerie begins with the ancient Mediterranean's and encompasses both genders and all eras.

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.

As regular bathing became more commonplace, full bodied lingerie was no longer necessitated, though underwear did persist. Also, the corset became a means of achieving a cinched waist, a silhouette that proved incredibly uncomfortable but highly desired. The corset utilized bones to ensure no movement, and it had the effect of making the breasts and hip area protrude, which is known as the hourglass figure. Topping this contraption would be layers of petticoats, chemises, and stockings.

As time moved forward, the history of lingerie took another turn. The early decades of the twentieth century saw the invention of the brassiere, as well as a change in the ideal body image. Dancing-the kind that required the body to move-necessitated an unlacing of the corset and an adoption of a more androgynous fashion sense.

Of course, the first half of the twentieth century was embroiled in two world wars, which made anything considered a non-necessity in pretty scarce supply. As a result, there were just the basics: brassiere, underpants, and that is about it. Even stockings were hard to come by. Then, in the 50s, the glamorous movie stars of the time exemplified that hourglass figure, and the corset made a roaring comeback. Now, though, it was in a more tolerable form of a girdle, and it was accompanied by seamless brassieres.

The sixties and seventies were, in the history of lingerie, a time when undergarments became a thing of restraint, and therefore they were often shunned. Anything too feminine, too constrictive, or too elaborate was thrown out, along with the idea of the subservient female. As time progressed into the eighties and nineties, undergarments came back into favor as something not only for support, but for enhancing the body as well as romantic relationships. Corsets, gone for the purpose of squeezing the waist into an unnatural circumference, were now more decorative, sensuous, and feminine.

In the long history of lingerie, there have certainly been drastic changes. Today, lingerie includes chemises, robes, underwear, brassieres, and stockings, from the modestly feminine look to the overtly risqu choices. Gone are the days of whale-boned corsets that squeezed the breath out of women; now, there are also girdles, support hose, tummy-control, thigh-control, and derriere-lifters; there are push-up bras to lift and sports bras to stifle; there are panties that show no lines and panties that are only meant to be shown; the list goes on and on. Certainly, never before in the history of lingerie have women had so many choices.

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