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 begins in ancient Greece and Egypt, when women wore an early prototype of the corset for support of the breasts; the garment reached just under the breast bone. From there, it moved through time to Europe, when the nobility, both men and women, wore underclothing, much like the modern day slip or chemise, to keep the outer wear from becoming soiled.

As regular bathing became more commonplace, full bodied lingerie was no longer necessitated, though underwear did persist. Also, the corset became a means of achieving a cinched waist, a silhouette that proved incredibly uncomfortable but highly desired. The corset utilized bones to ensure no movement, and it had the effect of making the breasts and hip area protrude, which is known as the hourglass figure. Topping this contraption would be layers of petticoats, chemises, and stockings.

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.

The history of lingerie has a blip on the radar of time, which is the 60s and 70s. Freedom, equality-these were at the forefront of society's mind. Corsets, brassieres, stockings-implements of restraint and symbolic of suppression, these were abandoned, literally. Women burned their bras, but by the 80s, they needed them back. In fact, the final two decades of the 20th century saw a resurgence in femininity, and the corset came back. Now used for more romantic purposes, lingerie became a symbol of sensuality.

So from the supportive efforts of the ancient people to the fashion statement-effect of today, the history of lingerie has certainly persevered, and it has always hinged on the feelings and needs of society. In the twenty-first century, there are more lingerie choices than ever before. Whether looking for a romantic chemise for the honeymoon or a full-support girdle for under that high school reunion dress, women of today have more options than ever in the whole history of lingerie.

Article Source: http://www.christiannotepad.com

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