Lingerie's Humble Beginnings

Just how did lingerie come to be? Corsets thrived during the ancient times in Greece. The first corset was made in Crete at around 2000 BC. Its purpose was to emphasize a woman's bust while creating an impression of a smaller waist and exaggerated hips. Corsets would sometimes be embellished with a brooch or a pin. It would take several years before leather and wool were introduced.

In Rome, women wore loincloths that could pass as panties. Sometimes, they would also wear breast cloths or bras made of soft leather to cover their breasts. Other fabrics available then would only be wool and linen or a combination of both. Only the rich could afford silk which was imported from other countries like India.

The Middle Ages saw medieval women wearing close fitting clothing similar to what we call chemise, or shift or smock today. The garment would be paired with leg wrappings. During winter, women would be sporting elaborate petticoats that instead look like a skirt than an undergarment.

Incorporating reed or willow rods in women's petticoats during the 16th century helped a woman's posture to be more upright. This was the farthing ale that became increasingly popular as years went by and were later replaced by 'pair of bodies' or corsets. The construction of the corset has a stiffened bodice that was to be exposed in public while another decorative bodice underneath it was stiffened with whalebone, reeds, buckrams, or canes. These corsets were straight-up-and-down-shaped unlike the hourglass-like ones during the Victorian period.