The History of ladies Underwear

It’s worth admitting at once that underwear, as well as clothes, is self-determined reflection of certain epoch and trend.

Slowly but steadily the forerunner of underwear – long shirts- came from Middle Ages to our times. The main process of lingerie evolution can be dated back to the 19th century when the constant values changing took place: corsets went away to give the place for hoop skirts. Such skirts were used to support 5-6 m long women dresses which were in fashion at those times. In spite the fact of ladies’ underwear novelties shirts determined fashion tendencies.

Embroidery, which introduced a certain luxury and distinction to underwear, was considered to be a sort of democracy. And there were no boundaries to fantasy – they began to knit, to decorate with fine laces, to use tapes. The turning point was the time when first stockings suspenders appeared. It’s interesting to notice that first suspenders were fixed to the front part of a corset. The special belts (as we may observe them now) appeared. The fact is that a responsible lady of the 20th century had to wear somewhat 3 kilos of underwear which included pants, shirts and skirts. Besides these all it was necessary to wear a corset to make the figure look slimmer and more graceful. The first and the second under-skirts were obligations.

As the cold season came war underwear occupied its place in the closet. So decisive measures to take off extra kilos had to be taken. The struggle for women underwear simplification, for slight cut was inevitable. Unfortunately in the very beginning these steps, though having been taken properly, failed. However the great novelty, which was welcomed by women, had become more or less common shadowgraph. The new image presented a woman with flat belly and bulb buttocks. The accent made on the breasts was a novelty as well. This effect however was achieved with the help of moulage or at least silk pillows.

The main novelty of the 20t century is that the low part of the shadowgraph gained straight lines. To buy lingerie in the 20th century you had to attend all the shows where the women with too long body- without waist, thighs and buttocks displayed the whole loveliness and charm of the latest models. And the main point to buy lingerie in the previous century was to be aware of the optimal variant – whalebone corset with the very long sticks.

These are the simplest examples of the tendencies’ changing in the history of ladies underwear

Underwear producers have found a new fast growing market – girls-teens. And sometimes the necessity to follow the latest fashion for such girls becomes an obsession and a kind of adventure. They may buy lingerie not to wear it but to have something to boast about before their friends.

Apparently the lingerie for teenagers - that is popular among this social and age layer differs from those preferred by older generation – spangles, bright colours, sexuality and relaxedness.

And here frequently the question arouses – where there is a line between relaxedness and dissipation?

Odd Tendencies

Producers try to find this bound, which should not be overstepped, themselves. The latest focus-group, hold within American teenagers show that they like some sort of lightness in underwear but completely transparent cloths provokes them to make a fastidious grimace.

Still the sales results display teenagers’ interest to open bras and almost imperceptible panties. Robert Tompson who is devoted to mass culture problems says that it does not increase teenagers’ sexual activities. It’s more like desire to imitate grown-ups’ style somehow resembling carnival.

As the grown-ups’ lingerie evolves from comfort to greater stylishness it’s evident that lingerie for teenagers will follow the same tendency. Moreover the desire to imitate the youth’s idols such as Britney Spears with her tight costumes will contribute to this tendency as well.

It’s worth being admitted that this is not a new trend. At the beginning of the 90s Madonna’ s open and free style makes drought about the dramatic changes to young people clothes style. The latest retro films make superb and exquisite corsets very popular.

Still not all the people admire and appreciate modern fashion tendencies. Some representatives of conservative parties claims that the latest mass media propaganda contributed to the society demoralization which somehow is reflected in clothes and underwear fashion.

Though lingerie producers do not want to come into confrontation with such conservative organizations, claiming that their underwear is made for adults from 18 and upper, they still have to admit that rather a great part of their clients make teenagers. For certain date only 10% of young people prefer traditional style, the rest wear bright and provocative clothes.

Probably the main criteria for young people in the choice of underwear are its origin, designers innovations and discoveries which will help them to stand out of the crowd, to display their personality and to be competitive in the world of loose beauty standards. These are successfully used by lingerie producers to create and to put out new lines of underwear

The latest in a series of nine China fashion week lingerie where traditionally the most famous and prospective designers of the country participate. Among young designers who “made a statement” this year is Mark Cheung whose collection superbly combining traditional Chinese and modern Western tendencies has impressed both the critics and customers. For the next season Cheung has chosen bright-green and orange colours and Gypsy images, sharing this idea from his French colleague Ghotie.

Traditionally the week took place in the most splendid hotels where 500 models present more than 3.000 sets from 35 designers’ collections.

Chinese fashion week lingerie is always a rave of colours and this time was not an exception. There were miles of silk, satin and velvet, national colour and sewing,

Every year the Chinese fashion week gains more and more popularity which is rather amazing for a country where fashion shows have come rather recently. More and more western brands: such as Armani, Louis Vuitton and Chanel do open their shops in Chinese cities.

A Step to the History

This show presents how far the Chinese has stepped towards Western tendencies still preserving their main trend of extreme individualization and origin, extraordinary approach.

Historically underwear in china was the only way for a woman to display her personality (for the clothes was strictly institutionalized and shows the social class of its owner). In lingerie patterns and colours the intention to love and beauty manifested at full extend. Both rich and poor women tried to wear original underwear

It was a bit oddly cut still making a woman’s body look perfectly. It was cut usually in the shape of square, brilliant, triangular, semicircle or designed according to a certain figure.

Two main trends in Chinese women’s underwear may have been observed : double- to veil the back and breast, and single – to veil breasts. The most splendid pattern was on the shoulders and a bit above the neck. Laces were rarely used.

Colours cares their symbolic meaning. Contrasts were very popular – red and green, yellow and blue. Black, golden and silver accentuated and made the visual effect more vivid. Many women preferred the gradually changing colours from dark to light.

As well as in traditional culture women ornamented their lingerie with landscapes, flowers, birds, animals, clouds, literature characters. More frequently the design displayed particular idea. For example, a piet on the blooming tree stood for the happiness.

All in all the design and the trends of the women’s underwear was determined by social aspect and beauty notion in different times.