Kelly Gale at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show The French refer to this as 'dessous-dessus,' meaning something akin to innerwear as outerwear. The lingerie industry expanded in the 21st century with designs that doubled as outerwear. In the 1960s, lingerie manufacturers such as Frederick's of Hollywood begin to glamorise lingerie. Īs the 20th century progressed, underwear became smaller and more form fitting. André Courrèges was the first to make a fashion statement out of the youth culture when his 1965 collection presented androgynous figures and the image of a modern woman comfortable with her own body. The look was adolescent breasts, slim hips, and extreme thinness. In the 1960s, the female silhouette was liberated along with social mores. The 1940s woman was thin, but had curvaceous hips and breasts that were pointy and shapely. There was also a return to a small waist achieved with girdles. In 1935, brassières were updated with padded cups to flatter small breasts and three years later underwire bras were introduced that gave a protruding bustline. Manufacturers began to use lighter and more breathable fabrics. When the First World War broke out, women found themselves filling in men's work roles, creating a demand for more practical undergarments. Before the invention of crinoline, women's underwear was often very large and bulky.ĭuring the late 19th century, corsets became smaller, less bulky and more constricting and were gradually supplanted by the brassiere, first patented in the 20th century by Mary Phelps Jacob. Through the first half of the 20th century, women wore underwear for three primary reasons: to alter their outward shape (first with corsets and later with girdles or brassieres), for hygienic reasons and for modesty.
Lady Duff-Gordon of Lucile was a pioneer in developing lingerie that freed women from more restrictive corsets. The concept of lingerie as a visually appealing undergarment was developed during the late nineteenth century. Although most lingerie is designed to be worn by women, some manufacturers now design lingerie for men. Informal usage suggests visually appealing or even erotic clothing.
Lingerie as a word was first used to refer to underwear and bras in 1922. The French word in its original form derives from the French word linge, meaning ' linen' or ' clothes'. The word lingerie is a word taken directly from the French language, meaning undergarments, and used exclusively for more lightweight items of female undergarments.