There is hardly such an object in the history of the human wardrobe that causes as much speculation and controversy as underwear. Always hidden under clothes, it has little preserved for experts any exact information about itself, but it has left a lot of room for imagination and all kinds of conjectures. The image of linen is rarely found in the works of famous artists, and the written sources are mostly silent about its presence. Nevertheless, the history of underwear, according to the costume designer Victoria Sevryukova, is able to tell about a man much more than the rest of his achievements. And that will be the real truth.
BC…
The first analogue of the underwear that a man wore was a simple loincloth. In areas with a warm climate, she played the role of the only clothing for some time. During excavations in Europe, archaeologists discovered fragments of such dressings made of leather, whose age is more than 7 thousand years. They were long, narrow stripes that passed between the hips and tied around the waist. One Hawaiian people still uses a similar form of loincloth. They can also be recognized in traditional Japanese men's underwear - fundoshi.
Further, in the history of lingerie for several millennia, no significant changes were noted until its development continued in ancient Egypt. In the found tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun (1332-1323 BC), an impressive collection of linen in the hip style (shenty) was discovered. It had a shape somewhat reminiscent of a skirt: the fabric was repeatedly wrapped over the hips and thoroughly fixed on the belt. Later in ancient Rome, a leather loincloth appeared - a 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 resemblance in form to modern cowards. It was worn by representatives of both sexes, and for actors, athletes and gladiators, subligacules became a permanent part of the wardrobe.
Archaic and ancient times
Unlike comfortable and beautiful models of our time, underwear of bygone times was often uncomfortable, somewhere dangerous and often pained their owners. Strafion, the ancestor of a modern bra, was born in Ancient Greece, although the sports bodies of her residents did not need this element. It was a narrow strip of matter or skin, which was tied under the chest to more emphasize it. Subsequently, 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 the togas in the II century BC. e. A century later, women began to use wide ribbons of fabric, wrapping them tightly around their breasts. It is interesting that both Greek women and Roman women in every possible way impeded the natural growth of their breasts.
It should be noted that the sequence of the appearance of this or that underwear in the history of mankind is a very controversial issue. It is assumed that in the ancient period there were no analogues of male underwear, men preferred to do without underwear. This was due to the fact that the tunic and tunic served as outerwear, which quite adequately covered certain parts of the body. In later Antiquity, the Celtic and Germanic groups appeared underwear, reminiscent of pants, which were later successfully borrowed by Europeans of the Middle Ages.
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 came with the prevailing Christian morality, according to which there was nothing noble in the human body. At these times, a wardrobe shirt with a loose cut - a kamiza, which had a round neckline and long narrowed sleeves, was firmly based in the wardrobe. Her female version reached the ankles, while the male version covered only the upper thigh. Also, men's pants appear short pants - bra (legacy of the Celts), performing the function of the underwear. And if initially their length reached the knees, then by the 15th century they looked like shorts in appearance.
The era of the Middle Ages was famous for its sexual repression and denial, which undoubtedly was especially reflected in women's underwear. Since 1370, a decree began to operate in the Holy Roman Empire, according to which women were obliged to hold and hide their breasts in every possible way under their outer clothing. Complex iron devices, analogues of the corset, greatly transformed the female silhouette, giving it a boyish shape.
Waist Corset
Lingerie of the Renaissance era is undergoing fundamental changes: there is a fashion for a narrow waist and a raised open chest. In order to bring their figure as close as possible to the hourglass, representatives of high society went to strict measures and used tightening corsets, which greatly impeded breathing and deformed ribs. This trend stopped only in the 19th century, when active actions by physicians and suffragists against linen began, causing irreparable harm to women's health. It is worth adding that until the XVI century corsets made of leather and metal were used by the strong half of humanity, they performed the function of protecting the body.
During the late Renaissance, inspired by the example of Catherine de Medici, aristocrats of both sexes begin to wear tight panties made of soft fabric underpants - underpants (from the French caleçon - "pants"). And in the middle of the XVII century, at the court of France, a shortened version appeared - half-salons for wearing in warm weather. It is they who, several centuries later, will become the founders of modern boxers.
Ancestor of panties
The history of women's underwear has not preserved accurate information about who became the first wearer of shortened men's pants, known as knickers. According to one version, this was a French courtesan, from whom this toilet article got into the royal palace and conquered it in a short time. Undoubtedly, then France was also a trendsetter: new pants with lightning speed captured Europe and by the 19th century had finally established themselves in the women's wardrobe.
Pantaloons of past centuries had one piquant feature: the seam in the perineum remained open. This gave the woman the opportunity to meet her natural needs without undressing completely, since the upper part of such underwear was pressed to the body with a corset. It is interesting to note that when the progressive part of the fair sex still decided to sew closed trousers, she was accused of licentious manners.
The revolution of comfort
In the XIX century, the production of men's underwear makes an intensive leap in development and begins to gain momentum. Particularly popular are wearable overalls made of cotton fabric with a detachable window on the back. In the same period, underwear for women becomes more gentle and interesting, it is used not only for hygiene and body shaping, but also for beauty. Ribbons, lace, ruffles and embroidery appear in the decoration.
At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, the corset began to rapidly shorten, and the first bra was presented at the Paris World's Fair. The history of its creation is not known for certain, but there is a version that, at the request of one of the clients, the master Hermine Kadol thus adapted the corset to play tennis.
After the First World War, the transformation also overtook the drawers: their shortened version became more simple, 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 elastic bands. Underwear more and more began to acquire a modern look.
Amazing facts
- Starting from III to II millennium BC. e. the only tendency in women’s clothing was completely naked breasts. In ancient Egypt, clothing on straps made of soft material began under the breast, leaving it almost open.
- In the history of men's underwear, lace was noted. In the 17th century, the French decorated them underpants, over which upper shorter pants were worn, so that the lace gently peeked out from under them.
- The appearance of the corset as an independent piece of clothing dates back to the 16th century, however, its earliest examples are known that are associated with the Cretan-Mycenaean culture dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. e.
- A significant role in shortening the length of the linen was played by the mass enthusiasm for sports and swimming. In the XIX century, a men's swimming suit was presented in a leotard, which was not very comfortable in the water, so the athletes, stunned the audience, were quick to shorten it.