About Womens Underwear
The main purpose of underwear is to protect the outer garments, but underwear is also often used for warmth, to shape the body and to make an erotic fashion statement. Women’s underwear commonly includes both brassieres and panties, both of which come in several styles. Here is a guide to the underwear that’s “under there” for women.
Underwear originated in the form of the loincloth some 7,000 years ago. Women would sometimes wear these with breastcloths. During the middle ages, chemises became popular under gowns and robes, which led to corsets to make the waist smaller and petticoats that were reinforced with rods so that the skirt stood away from the legs, giving it a wide appearance. In the 1900s, the corset became less rigid, and in 1913 the modern day bra was invented. Over time, trouser-like bloomers became shorter and smaller, eventually leading to what we call the modern day panty.
The brassiere, commonly known as the bra, provides support, cover and elevation for the breasts. They normally have front or back closures and some bras have additional support in the cups in the form of underwires. Padded bras enhance a woman’s figure, while push-up bras enhance cleavage. T-shirt bras are for everyday use and strapless bras are good for strapless gowns or tube tops. For exercise, sports bras provide additional support, minimizing breast movement, thus maximizing comfort. Several other types of bras such as nursing bras and mastectomy bras exist for different purposes.
Like bras, there are also several different types of panties for women. These range from minimal coverage that is provided by such types as the thong and g-string to prevent panty lines to moderate coverage provided by bikini style underwear or boyshorts and extends to maximum coverage that can be offered by briefs. Control briefs can offer support to give a slimmer stomach and may extend high above the waist.
Most underwear are made out of material that is comfortable on bare skin. These include satin, silk, cotton, nylon, latex, lycra and polyester. Some underwear comes in discrete nude colors, whereas others are brightly colored or made out of printed or patterned material.