The word lingerie nearly always evokes a thought of something erotic and sexy. The words “sexy lingerie” have practically become a staple of modern era culture and life. It is a part of many households and is a term that has permeated the mind of the urban populace for decades. But just how did this evocative wardrobe item come into existence?
The History of Lingerie
Lingerie for women is by no means a relatively modern concept or clothing item. The drawers being worn today stem back to the 1700s – obviously not in the same shape or form. A look through Western history reveals that the idea of lingerie has existed for a long time. While it might not have always been erotic to the degree that it is now, it still had everything to do with women looking good.
Where Lingerie Took Form
The 18th-century stays or corsets are considered to have started the idea of sexy lingerie for women. These popular undergarments were utilized by all the women that were considered to be “proper”. While they were not revealing by any means, the idea behind them was to give women an ideal body shape; thin waist and tight accentuated chests. This corset evolved to give the S-shaped corset in the 19th century. This particular invention was far more deliberate and obvious in its attempt to give women a more “ideal” body shape. Lifted breasts, very tight waist, the hourglass figure took hold.
It was the early 1900s that saw lingerie taking form as something deliberately and intentionally erotic. Closed-crotch drawers and open-crotch drawers quickly made their way into the lives of women, with the latter being particularly popular among middle-class women and widely associated with an erotic connotation. Other popular lingerie items from this era included the sheer nightdress, which was considered erotic simply due to the idea that the women wearing it was nude beneath, as well as the slip. The slip was born out of a transition in fashion as designers looked to give women a more boyish look rather than an hourglass figure.
The Modern Concept of Lingerie
The 20th century saw lingerie quickly developing towards something more erotic and revealing. The “New Look” of the 1950s accentuated the bust while revealing the midriff and accentuating the rest with an hourglass figure. La Perla and the revealing underwear quickly followed and veered away lingerie from all of its classical identity. This radical shift became yet more rapid with the formation of Victoria’s Secret in 1977. Since then, lingerie has been evolving as quickly as ever while still holding onto the classical tradition. The 1980s Teddies were followed by the thong, which is quite easily the boldest women’s undergarments have become till now. This balance between the new and the classical defines sexy lingerie as they are known now: a concept that everyone knows about and associates with eroticism and sleeping. In recent years, lingerie has quickly evolved with lingerie companies like AdoreMe, HauteFlair, Savage X Fenty, Blue Bella and much more launching new lingerie product on the eCommerce platform.
