THE STORY OF LINGERIE, Lingerie can be traced back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece, where it was widely functional. Women of Crete wore a simple corset that supported their breasts at the base and a very early prototype of the bra, known as a strophium, was in use in Roman times.



MIDDLE AGES, the European nobility wore linen clothes under richly decorated and expensive outer dresses. This protected their luxurious costumes from dirty bodies, and provided a layer of warmth for the wearer. Small, firm breasts were back in vogue, and women wore a multitude of corset-like variations. The rigid centrepiece, known as the basque, was often decoratively carved and enjoyed a trend as a lover's token.

ELIZABETHAN wide-hipped fashion of the sixteenth century popularised the farthingale, which focused attention on a woman's childbearing attributes. Toward the end of the Renaissance, the padded silhouette made its appearance, with a flat stomach and narrow waist. The style became greatly overstated during the seventeenth century when the frame achieved astonishing proportions, the corset became a near straitjacket, moulding women's bodies into abnormal shapes and used as an pretentious display of the rich, highly decorated dress fabrics of the day.

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, the corset attained an artistry never seen before in undergarments. Copious use of damask, satin or brocaded silk, embellished with embroidery, masked the rigid structure of whalebone within.

NINETEENTH CENTURY, the extent and style of underwear worn by women reached extremes, and women's figures were completely exaggerated: vast full sleeves, a miniscule corseted waist, followed by whalebone hoops and crinolines covered with yards of fabric, flounces and trims. The bustle highlighted women's bottoms, and frilled pantaloons and multiple layers of petticoats created full skirts. So unobtainable did the female body become beneath the layers of underwear that taking it off created its own form of sexual anticipation and spawned the first striptease shows.