FIB Special Feature Film / Girls Guide / History of Lingerie

If you appreciate cinema classics one might be excused for thinking that our prehistoric ancestors rocked furry bikinis à lá Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C., but for the longest of times ladies have been looking for ways to support, suppress or accentuate their female body parts.

 

Photo credit: Victoria's Secret
Photo credit: Victoria’s Secret

 

From the origins of basic undergarments to the birth of the underwire bra; it turns out we have ancient Egyptians to thank for it. Egyptians wore a band of linen under their diaphanous robes to flatten the bust line, while in China they were developing their own solutions – women wore single-pieced underpinnings that covered the breasts and belly, but left the back exposed. In fact, outerwear has always dictated the look and function of undergarments.

3000 years ago, Cretan women pretty much invented the corset to get a wasp-waisted look that predated actress Mae West’s hourglass figure. But how did we get from there to sophisticated lingerie brands such as La Perla or Agent Provocateur, ruling the eclectic world of lingerie?

Written by: Paul G. Roberts

Edited by: Bianca Gerlach

Film by: Mico Culala

41w8muvdzql-_sx384_bo1204203200_Check out FIB’s Girl’s Guide to Lingerie available on Amazon and at all good bookstores!