| Underwear is everywhere, and it seems | | | | century was also mostly a time of war, |
| that it has always been that way. It has | | | | when supplies of everything from basics |
| an extensive past that spans millennia; | | | | to luxuries were scarce. For this |
| in fact, the history of lingerie can | | | | reason, the corsets and stockings of the |
| actually be traced to its inception in | | | | past could not be had, and instead there |
| the ancient civilizations of the Greek | | | | was a reliance on very basic under |
| and Egyptian peoples. | | | | garments. By the time the two world wars |
| The history of lingerie begins in | | | | were over, the glamour of the 50s took |
| ancient Greece and Egypt, when women | | | | over, and the hourglass shape was once |
| wore an early prototype of the corset | | | | more desirable. |
| for support of the breasts; the garment | | | | The history of lingerie has a blip on |
| reached just under the breast bone. From | | | | the radar of time, which is the 60s and |
| there, it moved through time to Europe, | | | | 70s. Freedom, equality-these were at the |
| when the nobility, both men and women, | | | | forefront of society's mind. Corsets, |
| wore underclothing, much like the modern | | | | brassieres, stockings-implements of |
| day slip or chemise, to keep the outer | | | | restraint and symbolic of suppression, |
| wear from becoming soiled. | | | | these were abandoned, literally. Women |
| As regular bathing became more | | | | burned their bras, but by the 80s, they |
| commonplace, full bodied lingerie was no | | | | needed them back. In fact, the final two |
| longer necessitated, though underwear | | | | decades of the 20th century saw a |
| did persist. Also, the corset became a | | | | resurgence in femininity, and the corset |
| means of achieving a cinched waist, a | | | | came back. Now used for more romantic |
| silhouette that proved incredibly | | | | purposes, lingerie became a symbol of |
| uncomfortable but highly desired. The | | | | sensuality. |
| corset utilized bones to ensure no | | | | In the long history of lingerie, there |
| movement, and it had the effect of | | | | have certainly been drastic changes. |
| making the breasts and hip area | | | | Today, lingerie includes chemises, |
| protrude, which is known as the | | | | robes, underwear, brassieres, and |
| hourglass figure. Topping this | | | | stockings, from the modestly feminine |
| contraption would be layers of | | | | look to the overtly risqu choices. Gone |
| petticoats, chemises, and stockings. | | | | are the days of whale-boned corsets that |
| As time moved forward, the history of | | | | squeezed the breath out of women; now, |
| lingerie took another turn. The early | | | | there are also girdles, support hose, |
| decades of the twentieth century saw the | | | | tummy-control, thigh-control, and |
| invention of the brassiere, as well as a | | | | derriere-lifters; there are push-up bras |
| change in the ideal body image. | | | | to lift and sports bras to stifle; there |
| Dancing-the kind that required the body | | | | are panties that show no lines and |
| to move-necessitated an unlacing of the | | | | panties that are only meant to be shown; |
| corset and an adoption of a more | | | | the list goes on and on. Certainly, |
| androgynous fashion sense. | | | | never before in the history of lingerie |
| Of course, the first half of that | | | | have women had so many choices. |