lingerie

Assorted lingerie styles

Half slip

A woman wearing a translucent brassiere and panties.

Women's panties or knickers

Lingerie is a term for fashionable and alluring women's undergarments. It derives from the French word linge, "washables" — as in faire le linge, "do the laundry" — and ultimately from lin for washable linen, the fabric from which European undergarments were made before the general introduction of cotton from Egypt and then from India.

While the term in the French language applies to all undergarments for either gender, in English it is applied specifically to those women's undergarments designed to be visually appealing or erotic, typically incorporating materials such as Lycra, nylon (nylon tricot), polyester, satin, lace and/or silk and not applied to functional cotton undergarments. It is commonly pronounced in English with a faux French pronunciation (such as LONJ-er-ee in British pronunciation or lonj-er-AY in American pronunciation). True French pronunciation is lan-ZHREE ((/læⁿˈʒri/).

The concept of lingerie being visually appealing was a development of the later nineteenth century. Up through the first half of the 20th century women selected underwear for three major purposes: to alter their shape (first with corsets and later with girdles or bras), for reasons of hygiene, or for modesty. Women's underwear before the invention of the crinoline was often very large and bulky. As the 20th century progressed underwear became smaller and more form fitting. In the 1960s 'controversial' lingerie manufacturers such as Frederick's of Hollywood begin to glamorize lingerie and the idea of lingerie having a sexual appeal slowly developed.

The lingerie industry has expanded in the 21st century with designs that double as outerwear. The French refer to this as 'dessous-dessus' which basically means innerwear as outerwear. The boutique Faire Frou Frou, which is an antiquated phrase meaning "show it off", heralds this philosophy by categorizing lingerie as an accessory with details such as straps and lace trim that should be layered and shown as part of one's outerwear.

Typology

• Babydoll, a short nightgown or negligee intended as nightwear for women.
• Basque, a tight, form-fitting bodice or coat
• Bedjacket, worn over a nightgown or negligee for warmth and modesty.
• Blanket sleeper
• Bloomers, underpants with short legs.
• Bodystocking, a unitard.
• Bodysuit, a leotard-like undergarment, usually skintight or formfitting.
• Bodice, covers the body from the neck to the waist.
• Boy shorts, a style of panties, so named for their resemblance to male shorts.
• Brassiere
• Bustier
• Camisole, sleeveless and tight fitting, covering the top part of the body
• Camiknickers, camisole and knickers joined as one garment
• Cami Shorts
• Cheeky, exposes the bottom part of the buttocks
• Chemise
• Corset by bone, a bodice worn to mold and shape the torso.
• Corselet = Brassiere + Girdle
• Corsage by elastic, covering the body from the neck to the waist, similar to a corset.
• Drawers a pant-like garment worn during the 19th century for modesty and warmth. Some drawers were split-leg, in that the crotch seam was left open.
• French maid, a form of ladies' fantasywear
• G-String/Thong, a narrow piece of cloth passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as a bikini bottom or as underwear by both men and women.
• Garter
• Garter belt, used to keep stockings up
• Girdle, resembles a tight pair of athletic shorts
• Granny panties
• Hosiery
• Jersey nightshirt - A long, loose T-shirt made of cotton, polyester, nylon or diaphanous chiffon that can be worn like a Babydoll.
• Knickers
• Leotard
• Merry widow
• Naughty & Nice
• Negligee
• Nightgown or Nightie, a loosely hanging item of nightwear, may vary from hip-length (babydoll) to floor-length (peignoir).
• Nightshirt
• Panties
• Peignoir
• Petticoat
• Pettipants
• Robe
• Slip (Full slip and Half slip / Underskirt)
• Spanky-Pants, "Spankies" (color-coordinated underpants worn by cheerleaders)
• Stockings
• Stringbody
• Suspender belt (British), aka Garter belt (US)
• Tanga
• Tap Pants
• Teddy
• Undergarment
• Unitard One piece, skin tight garment

Since the mid-1990s women have had more choice in bra sizes; the focus has changed from choosing bras in an average size to wearing bras that actually fit perfectly. In the UK, for instance, the media is fueling an awareness campaign about the need for each woman to have a proper bra fitting before every purchase.

Other companies have provided made to measure alternatives. The world famous French House of Cadolle, now owned by the fifth generation Cadolle, Poupie Cadolle, makes bras, corsets and other lingerie on a made to measure basis (also known as Demi-mesure for clothes adapted to fit the customers' measurements). The made to measure method is also used by British firm Kate Gibson Lingerie, founded by Kate Mellor and Katy Gibson. Kate Gibson Lingerie, taking the opposite track from Bravissimo, only produces petite lingerie for women who wear AA to 34B cup bras, thereby provided choice for smaller women. Both Cadolle and Kate Gibson Lingerie use couture fabrics and laces to created designer lingerie and petite designer lingerie.

Within the UK the choice of lingerie available is vast. In London Rigby and Peller are famous for their fitting service, and produce their own branded lingerie that sits alongside other brands such as Lejaby, Prima Donna and other premium brands. Bravissimo specialises in larger cup size bras, and has a huge choice of Fantasie and Freya. For more provocative sexy luxury lingerie Agent Provocateur is available in major UK cities and online.

Drapers magazine runs the annual Drapers Awards and includes a category for 'Best Lingerie Retailer' in the UK. In 2007 this was won by Scottish Lingerie Retailer, Boudiche, in 2006 by Marks and Spencer, and previously Figleaves held the title for 2 years running.

Companies such as The Natori Company, founded in 1977 by Josie Natori have helped expand lingerie beyond bras and underwear into the areas of sleepwear and loungewear, creating clothes that can be "worn either to bed or out on the town." ^[1]

Market structure

The lingerie market at the turn of 21st century was driven by the advent of modern technologies and fabrics that help in designing innovative products such as laser-cut seamless bras and moulded T-shirt bras. Designers are putting greater emphasis on rich-looking fabrics, laces, embroideries and brighter, more daring colors.

The global lingerie market in 2003 was estimated at $29 billion.^[2] Bras accounted for 56 per cent while briefs represented 29 per cent of the lingerie market in 2005.^[3] The world’s largest lingerie manufacturer, Victoria's Secret, operates almost exclusively in North America. The European market is quite fragmented, with Triumph International and DB Apparel leading the market.^[4]

See also

• Berlei
• Hosiery
• Undergarment
• Wonderbra

Notes

1. ^ "Josie Natori Turns Dressing Inside Out". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1664382,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-15. 
2. ^ Lingerie market peaks in 2003
3. ^ Bras and briefs dominate the global lingerie market
4. ^ North American lingerie market is consolidated, while the EU market remains fragmented

References

• Carter, Alison J. (1992). Underwear: the fashion history. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-6222-1
• Cox, Caroline (2000). Lingerie: a lexicon of style. Scriptum Editions. ISBN 1-902686-08-X

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lingerie

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