The Story of Intimate Lingerie Apparel
Let's start with the beginning of intimate lingerie. What we now call
Lingerie or Intimate apparel. Also known as underwear and undergarments. This
was dated back to the ancient time of Egypt and Greece. We also know
in Crete, women wore corsets to support their breasts which by their standard
was lingerie. So as you can see the focus of women looking special
for their man has been around a long time and lingerie been a major part of it.
Most of early apparel was focus on the breasts.
Beginning around the 18th century, the modern day underwear or lingerie was invented. This is when the modern day story of lingerie started to influence the world. Women had padded silhouettes with a flat stomach, narrow waist due to a very tight corset. It was the start of women wearing lingerie. It was considered an essential part of any fine woman's wardrobe.
The idea back then was to give the women the beautiful natural look by doing the most unnatural thing, compressing their internal organs which caused many women to faint. Excessive use of satin, silk, and damask, with embroidery ribbons and laces created the effect, but to the ladies of the18th century this was a first class look. If you were of the rich, you dressed like this. Satin, silk or fabric that feels like silk are still used in the intimate apparel.
Women's bodies were controlled by corsets, bustles and crinolines. This is when the S-shaped silhouette was invented. Of course, the corset was a bustle in back and this made a woman sit with the very tip of her bottom on the edge of the chair.
These undergarment weighed about 5 pounds. What was considered the undergarments was what they called knickers, corsets, camisoles, and the waist slip. By now the corset themselves were extremely tight. The crinoline was made with yards of strong fabric that completely exaggerated women's figure. They also took up to two people to put them on tight enough. It was anything but sexy to put on.
Fortunately by the 19th Century lingerie became simpler and much more practical. Lingerie was also finding its way down to the middle class. Corsets were substituted for a more flexible girdle with the modern bra. Pastel colors for lingerie came into use. In 1910, a boyish silhouette was very popular. The look was no waist, no hips, no bottom figure. Just look at some of the silent movies to see the styles.
The roaring twenties then hit. By the beginning of the 1930's, femininity was back in style again. Now the undergarment was a one-piece item known as a corset. This consisted of a rounded and bust-emphasizing brassiere and the girdle with garters. One-piece corsets continued to be widely used and mail order stores brought these items across the country and even to the farms.
By the 1940’s the panties grew smaller and smaller and eventually took the shape of the bikini briefs that we know today. By the time we got to the 1960’s, colors and prints were placed on panties and bras and the "show me" came into the market place.
Fashion kept pushing women to show off their underwear as outerwear! The lingerie business was growing at a rapid rate. By the 1970s panties were not only to be worn for practical purposes but were now used for the visual enjoyment of the woman's partner. Of course, women's lib had the "no bra" look and the tops were made to show off this look. .
Lingerie companies realized that "sex sells" and lingerie took on a new look. Women not only wanted to be a professional by day, but wanted to look sensual at night.
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