 A Brief History of Panties
Panties are thought to have originated in ancient times, when women wrapped long strips of fabric around themselves loincloth-style. During the Middle Ages, European women eschewed panties in favor of long petticoats and chemises.
Interestingly, women's underwear of the 1800s was often crotchless. Women wore long undergarments resembling men's pants with an open crotch, allowing them to use the restroom without removing all of their skirts and undergarments.
The latter half of the 18th century saw the advent of mass production of clothing items, including cotton undergarments. However, Western women didn't wear anything resembling panties until the mid 19th century, when the "union suit" was gradually replaced by "drawers." As skirts got shorter, drawers got longer to ensure propriety and warmth. Pantaloons and pantalettes came into existence toward the turn of the 20th century; these were long undergarments usually made of silk or cotton.
In the first decade of the 20th century, an underwear manufacturer took the traditional union suit and split it in two, creating the camisole top and drawers set still popular with women today. With the popularity of swimming and bicycling and the introduction of Gibson Girl style, active women adopted comfortable bloomers as the undergarment of choice. These were loose trousers worn under their skirts, enabling them to ride a bike or horse without exposing their legs.
After World War I, skirts crept up and women began wearing stockings. By the mid 1920s, flapper fashion was in full force. Bloomers became shorter and shorter, eventually resembling loose modern-day tanga shorts. During this era, panties were called "step-ins."
In the 1930s, elastic waistbands were introduced. Women continued wearing plain, loose panties throughout the 40s and 50s, when war shortages encouraged simplicity and details like metal fasteners were hard to come by. After World War II, panties suddenly became decorative. Women now had the option of buying patterned panties or panties made of interesting fabrics like nylon, lace and dacron.
It wasn't until the 1960s when panties became more fitted, allowing women to choose from multiple sizes and decide between bikini, hip-hugger or traditional brief styles. Panty hose became popular as women adopted the mini-skirt and other "mod" fashions.
Surprisingly, thong panties didn't become widely popular until the 1980s. Women in South America and exotic dancers had been wearing thongs for years but women werent' able to buy the sexy garment until mainstream retailers like Victoria's Secret and Frederick's of Hollywood began manufacturing thongs, followed by g-strings, extreme thong panties with a very narrow string running between the buttocks.
In the 1990s, wearing exotic, erotic lingerie became publically acceptable in America. Sexy lingerie became increasingly popular as more and more women felt comfortable walking into stores like Frederick's of Hollywood and Victoria's Secret. Internet lingerie businesses (including Wicked Temptations) enabled women to buy sexy lingerie easily and anonymously.
Today, women can choose from g-strings, thongs, crotchless panties, tanga shorts, boy shorts, bikinis... the choices are endless. If you're looking for sexy panties, we recommend Wicked Temptations' Lingerie Panties section. We have everything from boy shorts to crotchless panties in a variety of styles and colors. Panties are seductive, beautiful and sexy-- explore our collection and celebrate the allure of the panty!
Go to Wicked Temptations' Homepage Now!
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