From the old French
Linge, meaning linen the term lingerie was introduced into the English language as a euphemism for scandalous underclothing. it has a rich and elaborate history consistently switches between the feminine and the boyish as well as the painful and the practical From the laced corset-wasp waists and the false buttocks to the uplifted busts of the early 1990 supermodel, lingerie has helped define what it means to look beautiful while at the same time revealing a great deal about a societies cultural and political values.
It seems the first record comes from ancient Egypt around 3000 B.C. In general clothing was a status symbol for the Egyptians, a higher-rankings woman would wear narrow tunics as undergarments that started below thechest, extended to the ankles and were supported by a cross wire shoulder strap. In Greece, several female statues wear a crossed band over their shoulders and across the breast and in the famous statue of the charioteer at Delphi. Roman women followed the Greek fashion closely.The Roman poet Martial describes a Cestus- which is similar to the Greek zone but wider, and Cicero also mentions a strophium or breast band. Other Roman women wore tight bands of cloth that primarily supported the bust rather than the abdomen. A famous mosaic from A.D. 400 shows several women wearing whatappear to be bikinis or briefs. For both the Greeks and the Romans, underclothing- which was sometimes worn on the outside, were designed more for function than exclusivelyaesthetic reasons.
The mosaic from 400 AD
During the Middle Ages, nobility wore linen clothes under expensive outer dresses to both protect their expensive clothes from dirty bodies and to provide a layer of warmth. The 2 enduring pieces were thesmock and later the corset were later introduced in the 4Th and 16Th century's.The smock looked like a tunic that was gathered into a square or circular neck andwasfrequently embroidered. Typically women wore a smock under petticoats and later corsets.
A bra from the 1800s
As women in the early 1990s participated in more sports and vigorous dancing, they began to throw out their corsets in favour of more comfortable brassieres. In 1913 Mary Phelps Jacob felt she invented the bra by tying 2 handkerchiefs together with ribbons. She later sold the patent to Warner Brothers. in 1935, Warner Brothers introduced cup sizes which acknowledged women in all shapes and sizes.
Lingerie from the 1040s-50s
The 1950s brought engaging and amusing bras due in part to the film industry. The glamour of the 1950s once again valued the hour glass figure. And lingerie manufactures began to flourish and were soon launching there own brand names to build customer loyalty.
Feminist and Hippie movements of the 1960s and 1970s denounced lingerie as conformist and artificial. Bras in particular were seen as restrictive, uncomfortable and mendacious, and famously bra burning became a symbol of women's liberation. The 1960s brought back the young, free, androgyny figure of the 1920s with women often wearing skimpy briefs and little else which allowed them to wear mini skirts and jeans.
A sketch of the 'Cone Bra' made famous in the 1950s.
Currently there is lingerie for all situations and intentions, including lingerie that is, gel-filled, air filled, strapless and backless. Also offered are the sexy thong, teddy, chemise and peignoir as well as a plethora and everyday bras and panties.
A modern design of a strapless bra
sourced from: www.randomhistory.com/1-50/028lingerie.html.
