16 Interesting Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Lingerie

Finding the right women’s lingerie for your body type used to be difficult for women. Because of the varying body types today, the mystery of underwear seems to have been simplified – or so we thought…

With the evolution of fancy lingerie spanning centuries, you’d think that the only thing there is to know is that the longer it stays around, the more it will shrink into manageable pieces. But evolution dictates that there is more than meets the eye, even with women’s undergarments and body shapers.  

Keep reading to find out a few little known facts about women’s lingerie!

Little Known Facts About Lingerie 

1. The Original Meaning

It is a French word about underwear worn by both men and women.  

2. The First Society That Used Lingerie 

Historical accounts showed Greek women as the very first users of undergarments for breast support. They look like strips of cloth wrapped around the breast like a bandeau—athletic women participating in physical activities worn them at that time.  

3. Tough Corsets 

In the 17th to 19th century, baleen whale jawbones are vital in the creation of women’s corsets. They were called ‘stays,’ and they were traditionally products of love and labor from sailors. They saved baleen whalebone or ivory used on ships to create useful items to gift to beloved, such as the baleen corset.  

4. Crotches in Fashion 

Back then, underwear with open crotches was in fashion and used by women. It is not for the reason of being sexy but because closed crotches were only for men.  

5. New Year’s Luck 

The Chinese are not the only ones who believe in the luck that the red color can bring. Italian women also wear red undergarments on New Year’s Eve in hopes of stirring a favorable fortune for the next 365 days. 

6. Together as One 

The mono-bosom in the early 1900s is a fashionable look for women wherein their breasts must be hoisted by an undergarment to make it look like it was one ample bosom. From 1890 until 1914, Edwardian Fashion is in style, and women fancy the small waist and “pigeon breast” look.  

7. The Arrival of The Word “Bra” 

It was Vogue that initially coined the term in 1907 and was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1911.  

8. The First Lingerie 

The French are the mastermind behind the appearance of the modern bra consisting of two pieces where the bottom looks like a high-waisted brief.  

9. Six Levels of Lingerie 

Women will be undergoing six bra size changes on average in one lifetime.  

10. The Modern Bra 

The world’s very first brassiere was worn above the corset. Socialite Mary Phelps Jacob experienced the discomfort and awkwardness of not having the proper support she needs. Along with her maid’s assistance, she created the very first brassier out of handkerchiefs and ribbons and worn it to a social function that night.   

11. The Cup Sizes 

During the 1930s, S.H. Camp and Company created the first bra sizing method. The system used letters A to D to describe the sizes. 

12. International Lingerie Company 

The first brand to ever commercialize bras is Triumph. They are also the first to showcase women’s lingerie products through a fashion show. Triumph also introduced a unique fabric that lowers skin temperature called ‘Touch Cool”. 

13. Color Preferences  

While white remains the bestselling color of underwear, the best three colors are blue, purple, and lilac. One survey reveals that green is a preference for redheads.  

14. By Necessity 

Ordinary women in the 1970s invented the first sports bra by using a pair of jockstraps. The first one came into the market in 1977.  

15. Shopping in Comfort 

Victoria’s Secret, the largest women’s lingerie retailer in the United States, was started by husband and wife Roy and Gaye Raymond. It was out of his embarrassment when he went shopping for lingerie for his wife. Victoria’s Secret was first a mail-order catalog so that customers can shop in private.  

16. Wearing the Wrong Size 

You may likely be wearing an inappropriate bra size. About 80% of women do because of the variations that come in bra sizing. Going to a women’s lingerie shop and asking for help in getting your measurements will help you find the right one for a brand.  

In Conclusion  

While the above-mentioned information contains mostly historical bits and pieces, it is so that we remember our plight as women throughout the ages. The very first bras and women’s lingerie were created out of necessity and comfort, although it seems like a luxury at first sight these days. But because of the changing roles in society, women began to yearn for support as they move. Intimates had always been the go-to pieces of women that emulate the power of femininity. Women’s lingerie was improved time and time again by women, and now also the men, renewing that power for today and future generations of women.