Contrary to what many people think, the concept of lingerie as we know it today is relatively new. In the early part of the 20th century, woman's underwear were designed for functionality rather than sensuality. Ask your grandma and she'll probably have a difficult time combining "sexy" and "lingerie" in the same sentence. Up until the 1960s, woman and man's underwear served only three purposes - shape, hygiene and modesty.
Between the periods of the 16th to the 19th century, the corset was used to squeeze a woman's waist to as little as 16 to 17 inches through the process known as tight lacing. Even men used this method to train the body into narrow binding to achieve that hour glass look that so many crave. Unfortunately, the corset was very painful and it also limited movement.
By the 1920s, a more elastic material was used to bind the body. The girdle was used to give women a smoother, more appealing line. Girdles started in the shoulder and had fasteners which could be clipped to the stockings to hold them in place. By the 1960s, the girdle was gradually replaced by the panty girdle. The pantyhose, which was first created in 1959 and overtook the market for girdles in the early part of the 1960s.
There is much controversy as to who first invented the brassiere but the patent was granted to Henry Lesher in 1859. The knickers (as they were called in England, panties in America) were neither attractive nor sexy until the early 1960s when Frederick's of Hollywood became the first to glamorize lingerie.
From then on, lingerie has evolved to several types including g-string and other sexy panties, babydoll, corsage and even hosiery. According to the latest trends from Reserch and Markets, lingerie will become even more famous for the coming year although it might experience price drops because of the current economic situation.
Tracing the history of lingerie, we can go as far back as 3000 BC when woman's underwear was worn primarily for support, suppress or accentuate their breasts. Of course, I am talking about the bra, and though the old underwear doesn't look anything like it does today, they did the same job that women used them for.
The modern bra as we know it today can be traced to the Cretans whose women wore hip corset underneath their ceremonial dresses. The corset was used to shape and define the form of woman. In olden times as it is today, it was used to get that hour glass figure, but during 1920s, when the boyish shape was a fad, it worked helping women to achieve that boyish look.
The patent for modern day brassiere was awarded to Henry Lesher in1859. His version looked looked nothing like the bra as we know it today but its function was more or less the same - to provide breast pad and perspiration shield. Although it was intended to give a symmetrical rotundity, it was not designed for breast support.
The first time this type of clothing was called a "brassiere" was in 1914, for the invention of Mary Phelps Jacob. Her patent description stated that it was meant to be worn with evening gowns which had low backs and it was to "cover the top of the corset and hold the wearer in proper form". The idea of the bra as breast support came in 1889 with the invention of Herminie Cadolle, founder of Cadolle Paris.
The panty (the term used in America, knickers for England) is another popular woman's underwear. In the 1800s, it was known as "drawers" which were usually full body outfits. They were baggy and unattractive but it allowed women to use the toilet without getting undressed. By the 1950s, panties have become so much smaller and in the 1960s, panties, as well as other woman's underwear were starting to be viewed as sexy and visually appealing.
The term lingerie came from the French word linge which meant linen. While the English term "lingerie" was not commonly used until the late 1950s, it implied general underclothing and was used as a euphism for scandalous underwear. It has a long, rich history with constant switches between feminine to boyish and painful to practical.
The earliest known record of lingerie was found in Egypt and can be traced as far back as 3000 BC. In general, Egyptians view clothing as a status symbol. Women who are of the higher rank wear narrow tunics which started below the chest extend up to the knees and were usually supported with a crosswise shoulder strap. On the other hand, servants had no undergarments or are usually wearing simple loin clothes.
Around 1972, a female figure dating back to 2000 BC was discovered with a corset-like bodice and crinoline which functions to push the breasts upwards. Also, the Odyssey and illiad mentioned woman's underwear. This underwear, described as a band of linen used to shape and control the lower torso are known as the precursor of the bra and corset.
During the medieval ages, women of nobility wore underwear underneath their expensive dresses to protect them from soiling and they also provide source of extra warmth. The chemise and the corset are two enduring pieces of lingerie which can be traced back to the 16th to 17th centuries AD. Typically, women wore chemise under their petticoats and then later, was replaced by corsets.
Elizabethan lingerie was composed of farthingales and corsets. During this time, farthingales were of two types - the Spanish and the French. The French version can be seen in many portraits of the Queen and was described as "vast horizontal hoop worn at the waist but tilted down at the front to accommodate the elongated front of the stiffened bodice".
With the new found popularity of the corset as woman's underwear, more and more women were seeing it as a form of bondage. By the 1700s, a new revolution came with the French, and by this, I do not just mean the French Revolution. French women during this time started discarding their petticoats, corsets and chemises as a sign of protest. Through this "un- corseting", women wanted a deliberate return to classic Greece where freedom reigned supreme and aristocratic rule was taboo.
The end of the Napoleonic wars also signaled the return of the corset. The neoclassical dress which had no way of controlling the woman body was regarded as promiscuous and has started a newfound liking for corseted fashion in the 1800s. Victorians were often seen as modest and prudish but they are also credited for being the greatest innovators of underwear, hence the name for the world famous lingerie line - Victoria's secret.
With more and more women participating in sports and vigorous dancing, corsets have started going out of fashion again and in came the more comfortable brassieres in the 1900s. Mary Phelps Jacob, also known as Caresse Crosby invented the modern day bra by tying two handkerchiefs together with ribbons, which she patented and later on sold the rights to Warner Brothers.
During the Great Depression, bras were used to accentuate the breasts and Warner Brothers introduced cup sizes to acknowledge the differences in women's bodies. Underwear was also made using different kinds of materials including Lycra, rayon and Latex.
The golden age of the lingerie came in the 1950s with Hollywood creating several amusing and engaging designs. An example is a bra used by Lana Turner which was cone shaped and Jane Russel's bra which was designed by an aeronautical engineer named Howard Hughes.
Today, there is a different kind of lingerie which suits different occasions and intentions. You have the g-string and babydoll, and panties and knickers made of different materials and features different designs. Women have the most number of choices now than any time in the history.