Lingerie: The History and The Future

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Monday, June 30th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

The garments that we know today as lingerie are relatively new arrivals in the garment industry. Up until the middle of the twentieth century, most women’s undergarments were bulky, unattractive, and more about function than style.

In 1947, Frederick Mellinger, founder of the Frederick’s of Hollywood, began selling intimate apparel in his Los Angeles stores. In 1949 Maidenform introduced their “I dreamed” campaign with famous magazine ads that read “I dreamed I was an Eskimo in my Maidenform bra”, and “I dreamed I barged down the Nile in my Maidenform bra”.

With the social freedom’s and “women’s liberation movement” that hit society in the 1960’s, women’s underwear started to get some notice. Small, attractive pieces of undergarments replaced the cumbersome girdles and over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders of previous years. Women were burning their bras. There is a distinctly feminine look to underwear now, which was in stark contrast with the utilitarian garments that women had previously been forced to endure. The Playtex “Cross Your Heart” bra and the Haines Wonderbra started making their TV commercial debuts.

Today, attractive lingerie is seen as the standard in women’s undergarments. Although most women have some “everyday” undergarments and some special, more attractive “special occasion” lingerie, even everyday undergarments are much more visually appealing than those of 50 years ago.

When Does Everyday Underwear Become Lingerie?

Since lingerie is so common today, it can be difficult to distinguish between everyday undergarments and lingerie. How do you know which pieces should be called lingerie and which just plain old underwear?

In general, lingerie can be described as the fancy undergarments that are made of high-quality material and are decorative as well as functional. In fact, they are often more decorative than they are functional.

Everyday underwear garments are usually made of cotton and feature wider waistbands and more generous cuts. These features make everyday underwear more comfortable and practical for frequent use and repeated automated washing and drying than lingerie, although they can still be very attractive.

What has Lingerie Done for Womankind?

Many people believe that the evolution of undergarments has led to women being more comfortable with their sexuality. No longer confined to huge cotton panties and uncomfortable bras, girdles and corsets, women now have the choice to look sexy under their clothing no matter what they wear on the outside.

Women who previously had no confidence in their bodies are now able to enjoy the wonders of push-up bras and panties with padded bottoms to help smooth and enhance their silhouette.

Is Lingerie the Ultimate Future of Underwear?

Some fashion experts predict that undergarments will continue to move to the outside of the wardrobe as opposed to the foundation of outfits. This migration has been well noted in recent years as women have begun wearing lacy camisoles under jackets and letting the straps of their bras peek out under tank tops.

In the years ahead, lingerie will take the place of more conventional wardrobe pieces. This trend is already prevalent in Europe, where lingerie is often chosen as an accessory to a woman’s outfit rather than just an undergarment base for other garments. This trend can already be seen in the US as well.

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