Lingerie
History
Lingerie is a word used to described fashionable and alluring women’s undergarments. It comes from a combination of the French word linge, “washables”— as in faire le linge, “do the laundry”— and from lin as in linen, which is what European undergarments were made from before the introduction of cotton from Egypt. It’s a French word that applies to all undergarments for either gender, but in English it is applied specifically to women’s undergarments designed to be erotic or visually exciting, and does not refer to functional cotton undergarments. It is typically pronounced in English as if you were an English speaker pretending to be French, and doing rather badly at it (for example, LONJ-er-ee in British pronunciation or lonj-er-AY in American pronunciation).
The idea that women’s lingerie could be visually appealing didn’t really occur to anyone until the later nineteenth century. Up through the first half of the 20th century women chose undergarments for three major purposes: to alter their shape, often resorting to corsets, and later, girdles or bras; for hygiene, or for modesty. Women’s underwear prior to the invention of the crinoline tended to be very large and bulky. As the 20th century progressed underwear became smaller and more form fitting. By the 1960s ‘controversial’ lingerie manufacturers like as Frederick’s of Hollywood begin to glamorize lingerie and the idea of lingerie being innately sexy l slowly developed.
Types
The early 21st century has seen the lingerie industry expand into designs that double as outerwear. The French refer to this as ‘dessous-dessus’ meaning innerwear as outerwear. The boutique Faire Frou Frou, heralds this philosophy by categorizing lingerie as an accessory with details such as straps and lace trim that should be layered and shown as part of one’s outerwear. Incidentally, Faire Frou Frou is an old-fashioned French phrase meaning “show it off.”
Types of lingerie include the babydoll, a short nightgown or negligee; the basque, a tight, form-fitting bodice; the bedjacket, worn over a nightgown or negligee for warmth and modesty; bloomers, which are underpants with short legs; the bodystocking, a unitard; the bodice, which covers the body from the neck to the waist; boy shorts, a style of panties, so named for their resemblance to male shorts; the brassiere; the bustier; the camisole, a sleeveless and tight fitting, covering the top part of the body; camiknickers, camisole and knickers joined as one garment; the cheeky, which exposes the bottom part of the buttocks; the bone corset, a bodice worn to mold and shape the torso; the corselet, a combination brassiere and girdle; panties; old-fashioned knickers; the g-string, or thong; which is a narrow piece of cloth passes between the buttocks and attached to a band around the hips, worn as a bikini bottom; the girdle, which resembles a tight pair of athletic shorts; the nightgown or Nightie, a loosely hanging item of nightwear, whichmay vary from hip-length (babydoll) to floor-length (peignoir), stockings, and many more.
Lingerie has expanded beyond mere underwear and sleepwear to become a focus of attention and a fashion statement.
