Lingerie Is Not All We Believe It To Be

In the past when dining with French, you might commonly hear one of the male guests talk about his latest lingerie purchases and no-one would bat an eyelid. But try and escape at the first opportunity. The common English meaning of the word, as underwear for women, is actually gender independent. It can be anything from a plain vest for use in keeping warm to more exotic and feminine garments, or even items more commonly worn day to day such as a bra and knickers. However you cannot dispute the fact that when the word lingerie is used rather than underwear, it does signify something on the sexier side, something intended to make woman look more glamourous. The brand names of the major lingerie suppliers don't attempt to hide that fact: La Senza, Agent Provocateur, Victoria's Secret and so on. The air of sensuality, mystery and glamour is abundantly clear.

Things were very different before the lingerie styles we know today became popular, women's underwear was heavyweight and uncomfortable, designed to shape the body, often in a stereotypical way with very narrow waists and more curvaceous bust and hips. Just hearing the phrase whalebone corset is enough to bring a tear to the eye, but bone was to create rigid shapes with zero wiggle room. It would not have been uncommon for a second person to be required to lace up the back as it would have been impossible to put on without opening the corset out, and the required tightness could not have been achieved without a little leverage round the back.

Eventually common sense ruled and these garments fell out of favour. In addition to their impractical design, the were also potentially harmful, which eventually made them very difficult to promote and sell. So in the period between the wars, styles inevitably started to change. The outer garments women were wearing would not have required such restrictive corsetry anyway, as the fashions were a lot more loose and free-flowing. Comfort became important and materials like silk, soft cotton and satin became well liked, and structural stiffeners were reduced significantly.

Today, corsets are hardly ever worn except to cherish the past, and the trend for burlesque acts shows that there is still a fascination in such items. But there's a big difference between stage fashions and having to wear it from dawn till dusk. The story of modern lingerie still retains some of the past's classic designs, however. Support and body forming remain important purposes, most notably in bras and girdles, but nowadays the need for comfort and health are carefully considered too. More technical materials with gentle elastic properties have helped towards comfort, and the need for correct or professional fitting continues to improve the position lingerie holds in the fashion hierarchy.

Callum Asterman is a fashion expert writing for Rokit vintage clothing and sheds light on how vintage lingerie developed and became popular.