Underwear

Underwear is the commonly used term for garments worn under clothing to provide both support, insulation, and, in some cases, modesty. Usually this includes a form of panties, briefs, or boxers worn around the pelvic area, and bras and camisoles worn on the torso.

The first undergarment and simplest form of underwear known to human beings is the loincloth. The most basic type of loincloth is a long strip of material passed between the legs and wrapped around the waist as in the Hawaiian malo or the Japanese fundoshi. In warm climates a loincloth was often the only clothing and fulfills the purpose for which it was originally designed. However in lower temperatures the loin cloth was worn beneath the clothing and was the only form of undergarment available to ancient men and women. Men have been found to have worn loincloths in ancient Greece and Rome, though it is unclear when ancient women began to wear undergarments as the first known examples are of female athletes wearing breastcloths of soft leather and loincloths similar to panties. Even then, undergarments were as important an article then as they are now--King Tut was buried with 145 of them.http://www.amazing-planet.net/history-of-underwear.php

Today underwear comes in every size, shape, color and purpose imaginable. There's functional underwear, athletic briefs, edible undergarments, and burlesque attire to choose from. The underwear experience is a personal one and everyone has their own unique preference and comfort. There are probably as many conventions of underwear style and purpose as there are people wearing them.http://www.underwearclubs.com/female-panties-knickers/women-s-panties.html

Women were originally advised against wearing undergarments as it was believed that if women covered their genitalia, it would rot. As the concept of fashion developed women began to succumb to a frail and dainty look which was complimented by the corset. By 1828 mechanical corsets, comprised of metal eyelets and pulleys, replaced lace and fabric corsets inspired by the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1823. The mechanical corsets allowed women to lace themselves up as opposed to the original laced up the back version which required an extra set of hands. Later came the exaggerated shape of bloomers which were, at that time, thought to be particularly erotic.http://www.brasandunderwear.com