The History of Lingerie
Underwear is everywhere, and it seems that it has always been that way. It has an extensive past that spans millennia; in fact, the history of lingerie can actually be traced to its inception in the ancient civilizations of the Greek and Egyptian peoples.
The history of lingerie has its roots in ancient Greece, when women wore what amounts to a corset for support. As time progressed, there are known instances of the medieval English nobles wearing undergarments for the sole purpose of keeping clothing from absorbing filth from bodies in an era when regular bathing did not happen all too often.
Europeans were again prevalent in the history of lingerie with their decidedly uncomfortable wearing of corsets for the sole purpose of achieving the hourglass figure. Corsets, constructed of inflexible boning, encased the torsos, accentuating the breast and hip areas. This incredibly restrictive look hung around for quite some time.
Over the years, the history of lingerie evolved with the times. By the 1920s, the era of the flapper and the very popular boy-shape, the hourglass figure was shunned, and the corset was temporarily abandoned. At this point, an early bra had been invented, too, so the full-torso chemises were being ignored as well.
The early and mid parts of that century were also war times, which meant there was not much in the way of money and fabric to make elaborate under dressings; even stockings became, at least for women workers, a thing of luxury. Of course, after the wars, by the 1950s, the hourglass was back in style, and so back came the corset, though in a much more comfortable girdle form, along with seamless brassieres.
With the newly cinched waists provided by girdles-those less-restrictive sisters of the unmovable corset-it would seem that the history of lingerie would continue to grow. However, the movements of the 60s and 70s towards natural bodies and freedom from everything left lingerie in the lurch. Women proclaimed themselves free of restriction, and burned their bras in protest. As it turns out, they would need them back pretty soon, since the 80s and 90s realized a major about-face, with lingerie becoming longer solely utilitarian. Rather, it became the sexy little secret hidden beneath the clothing, and it surged in popularity.
Overall, the history of lingerie has certainly experienced change, but it endures today. As a matter of fact, the category has such a following that there are stores dedicated solely to lingerie, and every department store has a section belonging to it as well. Today's lingerie includes a multitude of designs, both functional and decorative. The choices are endless; and so too, it seems, is the longevity of lingerie.
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