The history of lingerie on a tour of four countries

It is extremely interesting to know the history of lingerie, because it is linked not only to trends of the time, but also to the rebellions of women and the strength of some female icons. Isadora Ducan, Irene Castle, Simone de Beauvoir, George Sand, Madonna are just some of those who paved the way.

This is a journey through four countries, with their particular clothing associated with body and gender politics, in other times of history.

Ancient Egypt

It is estimated that the Egyptians of high society, 3,000 years BC, were the first to use some type of lingerie. Tunics to the body and a kind of petticoat that began below the chest and ended below the ankles were part of their daily clothing.

Greece

The shingles, which later gave rise to the bra, was the garment worn by unmarried Greek women, a crossed embroidered band of cloth that was tied at the waist. It is said that when a woman married, her husband untied the shingles as a symbol of union.

Married women used another garment to support the chest, called an apodesmo, and it used to be a brightly colored cloth decorated with great care.

Rome

A famous Roman mosaic from the year 400 AD shows several women wearing what appear to be panties. Regarding the bra, they highlighted their breasts with the "mamillare", what we know today as "top", which for women of the high society were made with gold and silver threads and for the others with linen or leather.

France

An extremely important moment in the history of underwear is linked to the famous corset, since this was not only an intimate garment to maintain hygiene, but also to stylize and seduce.

In 1852, Queen Elizabeth II escaped unharmed from a stab wound thanks to her corset. After the French Revolution, as the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir explained in 1949 in The Second Sex: “A paradoxical situation was created, since the female body was worshiped but at the same time a contradictory sense of modesty was manifested before it. This paradox resulted in the authorities prohibiting the use of the corset, but the women freely chose to wear it because they felt more beautiful”.

It was not until the end of the 19th century that women's lingerie acquired a definitively sexy air with the appearance of the first silk stockings and garters. Although its use was reserved exclusively for the intimacy of the bedrooms and for the so-called "women of bad life".

The "culotte" was for male use only, (can you imagine today's men with culottes?) but George Sand was the first woman who dared to wear masculine garments such as pants and culottes, giving way more freedom of choice and breaking the classic stereotypes.

Dance was another of the great influences on the design of underwear, the dancers Isadora Ducan and Irene Castle, who put aside the corset and also dared to show their legs.

In the 80s, lingerie took on a more sexual connotation, driven by icons like Madonna -another great pioneer- who used provocative garments with lace and leather.

By Francesca, director of the firm Erotique Pink.