There is hardly another item in the history of the human wardrobe that causes as much speculation and controversy as underwear. Always hidden under clothes, it did not retain any exact information about itself for the experts, but it left a lot of room for imagination and all sorts of conjectures. The image of underwear is rarely seen in the works of famous artists, and written sources are mostly silent about its presence. Nevertheless, the history of underwear, according to costume designer Victoria Sevryukova, can tell a lot more about a person than the rest of his achievements. And it will be the real truth.
BC…
The first analogue of the underwear that a person wore was a simple loincloth. In areas with a warm climate, for some time she also played the role of the only clothing. During excavations in Europe, archaeologists discovered fragments of such bandages made of leather, which are more than 7 thousand years old. They were long, narrow strips that were skippedbetween the hips and tied around the waist. One Hawaiian people still uses a similar form of loincloth to this day. They can also be recognized in the traditional Japanese men's underwear - fundoshi.
Further in the history of underwear for several millennia, there were no significant changes until its development continued in ancient Egypt. In the found tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamen (1332-1323 BC), an impressive collection of loin-style linen (shenti) was discovered. It had a shape somewhat reminiscent of a skirt: the fabric was repeatedly wrapped over the hips and firmly fixed on the belt. Later, in ancient Rome, a leather loincloth appeared - subligaculum, which was sewn on one side and fixed with strings on the other. It was this bandage that, more than the others, had a similarity in shape with modern underpants. It was worn by both sexes, and for actors, athletes and gladiators, the subligacule became a permanent part of the wardrobe.
Archaic and ancient times
Unlike the comfortable and beautiful models of our time, the underwear of bygone times was often uncomfortable, somewhere dangerous and often caused pain to its owners. Strafion, the ancestor of the modern bra, was born in ancient Greece, although the athletic bodies of its inhabitants did not need this element. It was a narrow strip of fabric or leather, which was tied under the chest in order to emphasize it more. In the future, enterprising Roman women increased the width of the strip and equipped it with lacing. Thus, a kind of corset was created, which was used under togas in the 2nd century BC. e. A century later, women began to use wide ribbons of fabric, wrapping them tightly around the chest. Interestingly, both Greek and Roman women in every possible way prevented the natural growth of their breasts.
It should be noted that the sequence of appearance of one or another underwear in the history of mankind is a very controversial issue. It is assumed that in the ancient period there were no analogues of men's underwear, men preferred to do without underwear. This was explained by the fact that the chiton and tunic served as outerwear, which adequately covered certain parts of the body. In later Antiquity, lingerie resembling pants appeared among the Celtic and Germanic groups, which the Europeans of the Middle Ages successfully borrowed in the future.
Influenced by Christian morality
The first millennium after the birth of Christ was a period of relative calm in the history of underwear. Under the raids of the barbarians, Rome collapsed, and the Dark Ages began with the prevailing Christian morality, according to which there was nothing noble in the human body. During these times, a free-cut undershirt, a kameez, which had a round neckline and long tapered sleeves, is firmly based in the wardrobe. Her female version reached the ankles, while the male version covered only the upper part of the thigh. Also, short pants appear in men's clothes - bre (the heritage of the Celts), which perform the function of underwear. And ifinitially their length reached the knees, then by the 15th century they looked like shorts.
The Middle Ages were famous for their sexual repression and denial, which, of course, was especially reflected in underwear for women. Since 1370, a decree began to operate in the Holy Roman Empire, according to which women were required to hold and in every possible way hide their breasts under outerwear. Complex iron devices, analogous to the corset, greatly transformed the female silhouette, giving it a boyish outline.
Slimming corset
Renaissance lingerie is undergoing a radical change: there is a fashion for a narrow waist and raised open breasts. In order to bring their figure as close as possible to the hourglass, representatives of high society took drastic measures and used slimming corsets, which made breathing difficult and deformed the ribs. This trend stopped only by the 19th century, when doctors and suffragettes began to actively protest underwear, which causes irreparable harm to women's he alth. It is worth adding that until the 16th century corsets made of leather and metal were also used by the strong half of humanity, they performed the function of protecting the body.
In the period of the late Renaissance, inspired by the example of Catherine de Medici, aristocrats of both sexes began to wear tight pants made of soft fabric - underpants (from the French caleçon - "trousers") under their outerwear. And in the middle of the 17th century, a shortened version appeared at the court of France - half pants for wearing.in warm weather. It is they who, a few centuries later, will become the founders of modern boxers.
The ancestor of panties
The history of women's underwear has not kept accurate information about who became the first wearer of men's cropped pants, known as knickers. According to one version, these were French courtesans, from whom this piece of clothing came to the royal palace and subdued it in a short time. There is no doubt that even then France was a trendsetter: the new pants took over Europe with lightning speed and finally established themselves in the women's wardrobe by the 19th century.
Pantaloons of past centuries had one piquant feature: the seam in the crotch area remained open. This gave the woman the opportunity to relieve her natural need without undressing completely, since the upper part of such an underwear was pressed to the body with a corset. It is curious to note that when the progressive part of the fair sex nevertheless decided to sew closed pantaloons, they accused her of debauchery.
Comfort revolution
In the 19th century, the production of men's underwear makes an intensive leap in development and begins to gain momentum. Overalls made of cotton fabric with a detachable window at the back are becoming especially in demand. In the same period, underwear for women becomes more gentle and interesting, it is no longer used only for hygiene and body shaping, but also for beauty. Ribbons appear in the decoration,lace, ruffles and embroidery.
At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, the corset began to rapidly shorten, and the first sample of a bra was presented at the Paris World Exhibition. The history of its creation is not known for certain, but there is a version that, at the request of one of the clients, master Hermine Cadol adapted the corset for playing tennis in this way.
After the First World War, pantaloons were also transformed: their shortened version became simpler, devoid of any complex details and lines. Also, men's underpants decreased in length, and with the advent of latex, the straps in them were replaced by rubber bands. Underwear has become more and more modern.
Amazing Facts
- Starting from III to II millennium BC. e. the only trend in women's clothing was completely bare breasts. In ancient Egypt, a soft-material strapless robe began under the bust, leaving it almost bare.
- Lace has been marked in the history of men's underwear. In the 17th century, the French used them to decorate underpants, over which shorter upper trousers were put on, so that the lace unobtrusively peeked out from under them.
- The appearance of the corset as an independent piece of clothing dates back to the 16th century, but history knows its earliest samples, which are associated with the Cretan-Mycenaean culture, dated to the 2nd millennium BC. e.
- A significant role in shortening the length of linen was played by the mass passion for sports and swimming. In the 19th century, a men's swimming suit was represented by a tights, which in the waterturned out to be not very convenient, so the athletes, stunning the audience, hastened to shorten it.
