Changes
In Lingerie Fashions
Through the years
lingerie styles and fashions have surely changed. In
this article we are going to start as far back as
the 18th Century and follow the changes that have
transpired in lingerie fashions and styles up until
today, the 21st Century.
Throughout time
fashion in regard to lingerie styles was switching
between the feminine and boyish, painful and
practical. Gone are the days of the cone-shaped
bust, "wasp waist", and "false buttocks". Today, lingerie
is the most beautiful, luxurious and feminine
clothing that is worn intimately and appreciated for
its practicality and comfort.
Let's look back in time and reflect on the most
noticeable changes in styles. The first pieces of underwear can be traced
back to the ancient civilization of Egypt and
Greece, when women of Crete wore corsets to support
their breasts.
The18th Century
The history of
underwear is considered to have started in the 18th
century. The padded silhouette with a flat stomach,
narrow waist, and cone-shaped bust was in fashion
then. The corset, which was an essential part of any
woman's wardrobe of that time, gave women's bodies
unnatural shapes, mainly by compressing their
internal organs and causing them to faint. In this
period lingerie consisted of an excessive use of
satin, silk, and damask, decorated with embroidery,
ribbons and laces creating the effect of artistry.
The19th Century
This point in time typically dictated, that
women's bodies were controlled by corsets,
crinolines and bustles. This is when the s-shaped
silhouette was introduced. The corset with a bustle
in the back made a woman sit with the very tip of
her derriere on the edge of the chair. Women wore
about 5 pounds of underwear in the 19th Century.
Typically they wore, knickers, corsets, camisoles,
and waist slips and corseted themselves tighter than
ever. The crinoline which supported yards of fabric
tended to completely exaggerate a women's figure.
The20th Century
In the 20th Century lingerie became
much simpler and more practical.
Corsets were substituted for a more flexible girdle with the
modern bra. Paste colors for lingerie came into use
during this period in time. In 1910 the boyish
silhouette was "in". The look was for a woman to
have the impression of having no waist, no hips, and
no bottom.
When the 1930s came about, femininity was back
again. Women were wearing corsets again which
consisted of a rounded and bust-emphasizing
brassiere and girdle with garters. Additionally,
one-piece corsets continued to be widely used.
Panties grew smaller and smaller and eventually took the
shape of bikini briefs.
The21th Century
The 21st century fashion, is
pushing women to show off their underwear as
outerwear and is being worn for the visual enjoyment
of their partner. Lingerie is to be thought of by
many women as a second skin. All tastes and wishes
are catered for in the world of lingerie. Women are
free in their lingerie choices more than ever.
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