History of Lingerie

EGYPT

The first garment that men and women wore to cover their crotch was the loincloth, a triangular piece of animal hide or fabric with straps sewn to the corners that were tied around the waist.

We cannot pinpoint exactly when the history of lingerie began, but the earliest records come from Ancient Egypt and date back to 3000 years before Christ. Tunics were considered a symbol of status among the Egyptians and were worn by high-ranking women.

They were tight-fitting and extended from just below the chest to the ankles, held in place by straps crossed over the shoulders; jewelry, perfume, and makeup were the Egyptian women’s weapons of seduction.

The female slaves and maids did not wear any kind of clothing; they simply wore loincloths or went naked, with their bodies exposed.

Other examples of undergarments from antiquity date back to 200 B.C.; a figurine found in Crete depicts what is considered the precursor to the bodice—something similar to a corset— and a crinoline (a structure consisting of layered skirts) that supported and pushed the bare chest upward.

The first materials used to make underwear were leather, linen, and cotton.

It is believed that linen undershirts already existed in 1360 BC, after Pharaoh Tutankhamun was found wearing one in his tomb.

GREECE

 The Greeks, through their contact with Eastern peoples, adapted the tunics.

Women in Classical Greece—even though in Ancient Greece they wore a band draped across their shoulders and down over their chests, and even though they didn’t have the modern concept of underwear—already knew how to look irresistible.

They also wore another garment, called a “zoster” or sash, which was a long strip of embroidered fabric—almost always made of white linen—that young, unmarried women tied around their waists. It held great symbolic significance as a sign of virginity.

For married women, there was the “apodesmo” (a type of sash or band worn around the breasts, richly adorned with ribbons of every color) and the “mastodeton” (a band used to flatten the breasts).

One of the great Greek authors, Homer, tells us in one of his magnificent and classic literary works how Aphrodite, the goddess of love, lent her incredible zoster—or sash—which hugged her more-than-feminine waist almost perfectly, to Hera, who in Greek mythology is the wife of Zeus.

With this garment, Hera wanted to win Zeus back.

When the great god Zeus saw Hera wearing such a delicate, sensual garment, he fell head over heels for her, burning with love and mad with desire, captivated by the great beauty of his wife, Hera.

ROME

The women of Rome followed the fashion of the women of Greece, and the garment they wore was the “cestus,” which is very similar to the Greek “zoster,” but wider.

Other items of lingerie worn by ancient Roman women included the “mamillere” and the “fascia,” which were tight bands of fabric designed to support and lift the bust. They wore undergarments made of linen or leather, including the “subligar”—a type of panty—and the “subucula,” an inner tunic made of linen or leather similar to a cotton or wool T-shirt, which was also used as a nightgown.

A mosaic from the Villa Romana del Casale dating from 400 AD, depicting several women wearing what appear to be bikini-style undergarments.

Depending on the purchasing power of women at the time, it was possible to determine their marital status as well as their social standing.

For example, the wealthy, high-society ladies of the time wore undergarments adorned with elaborate embellishments; they considered it a great luxury to take such meticulous care of their bodies, which they always kept hair-free and adorned—especially around the neck and arms—with the most exquisite jewelry.

Togas were worn by men, but the prostitutes or escorts of that time were required to wear a short, dark-colored toga and were not allowed to wear a bodice to distinguish themselves from respectable women; the paintings of Pompella reflect this—they could even only be touched with the right hand, as the left was reserved for respectable women.

CHINA

Chinese women’s lingerie is known for its ingenious design, vibrant colors, and delicate embellishments.

Chinese women reflected the refined way in which they expressed themselves regarding life, beauty, and love.

Women’s undergarments were closely linked to ritual and to the social status of women of this rank, and their use depended on their emotions and feelings; Chinese women, regardless of their social status, viewed undergarments as a form of expression, rich in ornamentation.

The main styles and structures of Chinese undergarments were based on either a single front piece that covered the chest and pubic area or a tunic that covered both the torso and the back.

In the first case, the front piece could be rectangular, square, or diamond-shaped. In all cases, they were embroidered with landscapes, birds, flowers, or myths and legends.

The main pieces of Chinese lingerie were: the “xieyi,” a type of tunic worn between 206 BC and 220 AD, the “zhuyao,” which was worn primarily by court ladies during the Qing Dynasty (1611–1911), and the “dudou,” a diamond- or square-shaped apron that covered the breasts and lower abdomen and was fastened at the back, and which is still worn today.

At the court during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), people used to wear different types of attire depending on the ceremony or protocol.

EUROPE

During the Middle Ages, the only undergarment worn by noblewomen (aside from the chastity belt) was the “chemise.” It was usually made of linen or cotton, and during the Renaissance, they were made of silk. They served both to protect against the weather and to keep them clean, since daily bathing was not customary at the time. It was a nightgown or undershirt with a round or square neckline.

They were worn under the petticoat and later under the corset. In medieval times, the Church ordered women to bind their breasts to avoid tempting others into sin, and this marked the beginning of the evolution that would eventually lead to the corset, from the 4th to the 16th century, when these two pieces of lingerie were introduced.

Until the 10th century, women supported their breasts with wide bands; sometimes, to make their breasts appear larger, they added padding.

In the 14th century, women began wearing the “cotte,” a stiff, starched undergarment.

In the late 16th century, the corset made its debut at court, and the aristocracy wore it as a very rigid garment, even inserting whalebone stays, and adorned it with bows, lace, and embroidery.

The luxury of court life made their use mandatory, though not without health problems (fainting spells, etc.) caused by the fact that they were excessively tight at the waist so that the bust would appear as an inevitable and irresistible feature, and they significantly exaggerated the hips.

Skirts became enormous, and to achieve this, a “farthingale” was used, either based on a Spanish or French style.

The Spanish version likely began as a type of petticoat that was reinforced by a series of graduated hoops made of cane, wire, or whalebone, which accentuated women’s curves.

Toward the end of 1570, the French version was introduced.

This version consisted of a large horizontal hoop worn at waist level but angled downward in the front, which required them to wear a roll of stiff material known as a “bum roll” around their waists and under their dresses to keep that uncomfortable hoop in place.

In the 17th century, the corset was called a “PELANDUSCA” and was worn by women of ill repute as a way to tempt men and attract their attention. Starting in the 16th century, European men wore tight-fitting breeches that gave them freedom of movement; women later began to wear them as well, but with all sorts of feminine embellishments—bows, ribbons, and muslin—they were difficult to wear and also difficult to wash.

In the 18th century, breasts were no longer compressed, and the corset was tied at the back; wearing a corset meant dressing well. The ideal of beauty was the hourglass figure—delicate and curvaceous—a symbol of beauty and youth.

Aristocratic women needed maids, who would become indispensable in that century. The church chose not to engage in further debate. With the French Revolution of 1789, the monarchy and the corset disappeared.

French women of this period wore only a band around their waists as undergarments; this band was less rigid and smaller than the corset, and the chemise was visible underneath.

With the return of the monarchy under Louis XVIII, the corset made a comeback—but this time as an undergarment. Although much more practical, it was less spectacular than it had been as an outer garment. The ideal feminine figure that all women of the era aspired to was that of the aristocratic women, and this ideal was expected to be emulated across all social classes.

Around 1850, the Industrial Revolution, the invention of steam molding, and the use of dyes made it possible for the first time to produce colored lingerie that fit the body perfectly, allowing the corset to become elastic and much more comfortable.

The crinoline also made a comeback, and Victorian women introduced embroidery.

Garters were invented in 1876; they were attached to women’s stockings, and French can-can dancers caused quite a stir when they offered brief glimpses of the garters running up their thighs.

In addition, the straps were comfortable and functional because they held the corset in place, preventing it from riding up too high and allowing for easy adjustment.

The 20th Century UNITED STATES

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries—the Romantic era—women wore shirts, panties, and corsets with garters to hold up their stockings; they might also wear petticoats and corset covers.

Underwear no longer distinguishes between social classes.

Bras in the early 20th century were soft and short and allowed the breasts to fall naturally apart; they were a far cry from the restrictive corsets of the Victorian era.

Women at the turn of the century refused to accept the constraints of the corset in their daily lives, as they were entering an era in which they actively participated in sports, dancing, and even work.

It was also in the early 20th century that sexy lingerie first appeared… people began decorating undergarments to make them more attractive and alluring… to please themselves and others.

Little by little, the bra is losing its stiffness, allowing the breasts to fall naturally apart.

The underwear of that era, known as “rational,” was only suitable for the brave; it was a pair of thick, uncomfortable shorts that were quite itchy.

It was gradually replaced by cotton or silk “sarsenet” panties—which were particularly popular among Charleston dancers—and thongs, which were adorned with lace and ruffles.

Mary Phelps Jacob, later known as Caresse Crosby, claimed in 1913 to have invented the bra by tying two handkerchiefs to a ribbon.

The burgeoning feminist movement, the tango craze of 1915, and the aftermath of World War I turned women’s lingerie into a powerful money-making machine rather than something restrictive and traditional.

Showing off one’s breasts during the Great Depression became fashionable again.

Bra styles shifted from flattening the bust to accentuating it significantly. In 1935, Warner Brothers introduced bra cup sizes, recognizing that every woman had a unique size and shape.

Dresses and panties were getting shorter, but just as this new style was beginning to give women a certain freedom of movement, World War II brought narrow, form-fitting skirts into fashion (due to fabric shortages), which forced them to walk by moving only from the knee down, which led to the use of girdles to achieve the androgynous look that was in fashion at the time.

During World War II, the underwear industry began using synthetic materials, leading to the emergence of Lycra, rayon, and Lastex.

These materials were used to begin manufacturing stockings, one of the sexy lingerie items that defined the 1940s.

A woman wearing stockings was a symbol of sensuality and power, and women did not hesitate to wear them, despite economic hardship, because that was the image they wanted to project.

1950s–1970: Hollywood’s Golden Age

In the 1950s, conical bras that dramatically accentuated the bust began to become increasingly charming and attractive, largely due to the influence of movie stars who set the trends.

During the 1950s, glamour was all the rage, and the ideal female body shape—the epitome of beauty—was the so-called “hourglass” figure.

Marilyn Monroe became a legend because of her seductive image and her sensuality… she wore satin and sheer fabrics…

The first major launches of modern lingerie lines date back to the 1950s and 1960s, following the popularity of the girdle, or sensual corset.

The hippie and feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s began to speak out against “fine lingerie,” viewing it as conformist, restrictive, and artificial.

Bustiers, in particular, were seen as “restrictive” to women, and burning or “hanging” bustiers became a symbol of women’s liberation.

The late 1960s brought back the free, youthful, and androgynous silhouette of the 1920s, and women began wearing small, tight-fitting panties to pair with the newly popular miniskirt or jeans.

 In the late 1970s, low necklines came back into fashion, and at the same time, new lines of lingerie began to be created.

With the advent of technology in the fashion industry.

Taboos were gradually broken down, until the 1980s, when lingerie entered its golden age, as women sought to create an image for themselves that was as far removed from the past as possible and came to view underwear as just another part of their modern, comfortable, and seductive image.

 Women like Madonna popularized the use of sophisticated lingerie… lace… etc.…

During these wonderful years, padded and underwire bras made their debut, and Victoria’s Secret and La Perla became global leaders in sensual lingerie lines.

From the 1990s to the present, “smart” lingerie has become a regular part of women’s wardrobes.

With our lifestyle—to which we’ve added sports as just another activity—underwear has gradually adapted to the times, and lingerie is becoming more and more comfortable.

From the most classic colors, such as white, beige, and black, we move on to all kinds of colors, each of which takes on a symbolic meaning depending on the color—red is often associated with passion, white with purity, and so on.

Nowadays, there is lingerie to suit every taste, based on the fashions and trends we see on the runways.

Corsets are worn as outerwear over blouses or on their own; women wear everything from culottes to thongs or G-strings, and in many cases, the lingerie is left slightly visible as a gesture of provocation and coquetry.

Today, women’s self-confidence and self-assurance—as well as the much more active role they have taken on in romantic relationships—are clearly reflected in the designs of major fashion houses.

Designs are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Nowadays, there is lingerie for every kind of situation and purpose, from the most casual to the most formal, from pieces specifically designed for sports to those conceived as a weapon of seduction for a night of passion.