Search:

The History of Lingerie Exposed

By: Molten Lingerie, that ubiquitous genre of under garments that range from the mundane to the risqu, has been around for longer than you may imagine. The history of lingerie begins with the ancient Mediterranean's and encompasses both genders and all eras.

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.

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.

As time moved into the 20th century, and women began pushing the norms, dancing became quite popular, especially in the 1920s. At this point, corsets would have limited dance movement, and the fashionable look was really moving away from the hourglass shapes. The corset took a backseat, while at the same time, a brassiere had been invented and was replacing the chemises women also wore.

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.lifeweightloss.com

Promoting your web site is easy! Molten Marketing member, LaVere Russell, invites adults to visit her website for more outrageous adult entertainment ideas.
This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated