It has been turning the heads of men for centuries: object of fantasies, used to cover the body, but having this little je ne sais quoi of discovery… lingerie is the sensual and feminine object par excellence! Men love it, as much as women, who use it as a tool of seduction...
Over the years, according to mentalities and mores, lingerie has appeared, has been transformed... At first utilitarian, it appears very basic during Greece and ancient Rome in the form of an apodesma, a bandeau of fabric placed under the chest to maintain it during movement.
Placed on the chest, it became a gorget in the Middle Ages and was worn in addition to a coarse cotton or linen tunic which served as an undergarment. At the dawn of the Renaissance, basquines (ancestors of corsets ) made their appearance and continued to evolve. Increasingly narrow, they are already beginning to wreak havoc: deformed rib cages, atrophied lungs... Long cotton panties, sometimes embellished with lace, cover women's intimacy.
Centuries pass, underwear continues to evolve. At the beginning of the 19th century, the corset was redefined: it took on the shape of an S to emphasize the finesse of the waist and the sensual roundness of the hips and buttocks. It is all the more dangerous for health… But with the First World War, society is transformed, women must be able to move easily, they attenuate the erotic effect of their attributes by hiding their breasts under headbands and loose clothing. . Exit the too tight corset, women breathe and assert themselves through their clothes and underwear. The skirt is getting shorter; the panties also, less puffy; the legs are revealed, with stockings and garter belts.
From the 1930s, the sheath appeared. Composed of a piece of fabric that covers part of the belly, the hips and the thighs, it aims above all to maintain the pelvis and flatten the shapes. We wear it under delicate silk jumpsuits. In the 1950s, it was replaced by the corset , a two-in-one bustier and garter belt . The bra, which until then had met with few followers because it was too overwhelming, became the darling of these ladies after the war. They who have worked hard in the factories in the absence of men, aspire to be more comfortable. The girdles are gradually abandoned, the bras proudly shape the breasts...
With the appearance of new materials (nylon in 1936, Lycra in 1960…) and technologies allowing prints and fantasies, bras and panties became objects of seduction combining comfort and aesthetics. Stretch, satin, silk, fishnet, muslin… are taking over the underwear market. New forms also, strings and thongs in the 90s that blend under clothing. The trend is for invisible cover…
In recent years, trends have been intertwining and playing at the crossroads of materials, fashions and styles: laces are becoming erotic, small romantic bows, candid flowers... Panties, long reserved for young girls, are once again becoming fashionable. fashion. Even good old grandmother's sheaths have had a makeover thanks to Bridget Jones! Boxers (upper thighs) and shortys (between panties and boxers) have made a strong entry into the markets. Comfortable, invisible… they prove to be serious competitors to the thong, the sexy side in me anyway! We also see a more serious reappearance of corsets, corsets and garter belts, companions for special occasions such as weddings, romantic evenings... In terms of material, cotton continues to be popular; he is I'
Between asset seduction, thinness or comfort... the underwear is definitely the essential and versatile ally of the woman!
Text from [BLUE] Histoire de la lingerie