History of Woman Underwear

Early Women's Underwear

Ancient Greek women wore a form of bra called an apodesme. Both Roman men and women wore a loincloth or shorts called subligaculum. After the fall of Rome women did not wear knickers until the 19th century. From the 16th century women wore corsets made with whalebone. Also in the late 16th century women began to a wear frame made of wire or whalebone called a farthingale. From the end of the 16th century women wore skirt like garments called petticoats, which were sometimes embroidered.

19th Century Women's Underwear

The word drawers was invented because underwear was drawn on. However womens underwear were soon called knickerbockers too. In the late 19th century the word was shortened to knickers.
However by the 1830s only girls not women wore pantalettes.
In the winter women often wore woollen knickers and woollen vests.
In the 19th century women's underwear were sometimes called bloomers. Elizabeth Miller invented loose trousers to be worn by women.

20th Century Women's Underwear

By the 1940s and 1950s many women wore briefs.


My Another Blog : All About Lingerie