Lingerie- the word evokes frothy, frilly, erotic attire. Butit wasn't always so. The term "lingerie"is derived from the French linge, or linen, and thus makes direct reference tothe material from which underwear was traditionally made. By the late nineteenthcentury, lingerie had become a generic term commonlyused to describe underwear that had moved beyond practical function to become atool of erotic pleasure used for the display of the body. Lingeriewas originally made for all sizes- including plus sizes.
At first, lingerie was a sign ofsocial status, handmade and afforded only by the very few. Of note were thosefashioned by the English couturiere known as Lucile (Lady Duff-Gordon), whocreated camisoles, peignoirs, and petticoatsusing lace, chiffon, and crepe de chine, deliberately appealing to the sense oftouch, and evoking a new eroticism for the twentieth-century woman. Althoughsynthetic fibers such as rayon and nylon were developed and sold in the 1920sand 1930s as luxury fabrics through the use of the name "artificial silk"their development led to a democratization of lingerie.
WIKIPEDIA SAYS-Nylon is a thermoplastic silky material,first used commercially in a nylon-bristled toothbrush (1938), followed morefamously by women's "nylons" stockings (1940). It is made ofrepeating units linked by peptide bonds (another name for amide bonds) and isfrequently referred to as polyamide (PA). Nylon was the first commerciallysuccessful polymer and the first synthetic fiber to be made entirely from coal,water and air.
The more body-conscious fashions of that decade also led toa new item of lingerie, the teddy, named after itsinventor Theodore Baer, who combined a chemise with a short slip or attachedpanties. The camisole, originally derived from adecorative waist-length garment with an embroidered front and shoulder bandsthat were worn over the corset for warmth and modesty, became an essentialpiece of lingerie, later transforming into an item ofouterwear by the 1970s. Similarly the slip, a standard piece of
Pajamas, designed after the loose pants worn in Asia, gained popularity as female attire in the late nineteenth century, but longnightgowns remained popular, even after women's skirts shortened in the earlytwentieth century. By the twenties, straight-cut silk and rayon nightgowns indelicate colors such as orchid, rose and snow were popular, while themid-century favored gowns with strappy tight fitting tops over flowing skirts.Mixtures and superimpositions make lingerie an itemof clothing in itself, so that fusion costumes like chemise jackets and widelegged pants make up an unexpected wardrobe. During the twentieth century,glamorous and lavish lingerie grew ever moreavailable and affordable.
Today there is a continuance of the lingerierevitalization started in the 1990s, with both male and female consumers.Lingerie's status as an appealing, emphatically visible component of a woman'soutfit has kept sales on an upward trend. It seems that visible
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