Undergarment
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"Underwear" redirects here. For other uses, see Underwear
(disambiguation).
For the types and styles of women's undergarments, see lingerie.
Undergarments, also called "underwear", "underpants," "lingerie", or
"panties" (undergarments for women), or sometimes "intimate
clothing", and "pants" or "knickers", are clothes worn next to the
skin, usually under other clothes. They are also known as 'Katch' or
'Katchie' and worn under Indian traditional clothing.
Uses
A man wearing a Japanese traditional fundoshi—specifically a red
rokushaku.Some clothing is specifically underwear, while some is
also used as swimsuits (if made of suitable material), and both
T-shirts and some shorts are suitable as underwear as well as outer
clothing. Suitability as outer clothing is, apart from outdoor or
indoor climate, largely a social and sometimes even a legal matter.
One of the criteria for shorts not to be suitable as outer clothing
may be that it has a fly that avoids exposure of the genitals just
by an overlap of cloth, without buttons etc.[citation needed]
In the English Regency times this garment, basic for both men and
women, was straight cut, usually knee length, and had the elbow
length sleeves set straight into the shoulders.
The two major types of men's underpants are boxer shorts
(shorts-length and loose; also known as "boxers") and briefs
(smaller and tighter), which are also referred to as Y-fronts in
British English.
In addition to keeping outer garments from soiling, undergarments
are worn for a variety of reasons: warmth, comfort and hygiene being
the most common. Undergarments are often used for modesty or erotic
display; sometimes both of these motivations are simultaneously
present.
History
Ancient history
Roman female underwear from a mosaic at the Piazza Armerina,
Sicily.The loincloth is the simplest form of underwear; it was
probably the first undergarment worn by human beings. A loincloth
may take three major forms. The first, and simplest, is simply a
long strip of material which is passed between the legs and then
around the waist. The ancient Hawaiian malo was of this form, as are
several styles of the Japanese fundoshi. Another form is usually
called a cache-sexe: a triangle of cloth is provided with strings or
loops, which are used to fasten the triangle between the legs and
over the genitals. The alternate form is more skirt-like: a cloth is
wrapped around the hips several times and then fastened with a
girdle.
In warmer climates, the loincloth may be the only clothing worn
(making it effectively not an undergarment), as was doubtlessly its
origin, but in colder temperatures, the loincloth often forms the
basis of a person's clothing and is covered by other garments. In
most ancient civilizations, this was the only undergarment available
(King Tutankhamun was buried with 145 of them).
Men are said to have worn loincloths in ancient Greece and Rome,
though it is unclear whether Greek women wore undergarments. Mosaics
of the Roman period indicate Roman women (primarily in an athletic
context, whilst wearing nothing else) sometimes wore wrapped
breastcloths or brassieres made of soft leather, along with
loincloths and possibly something like panties.
Any cloth used may have been wool, linen or linsey-woolsey blend.
Only the upper classes could have afforded imported silk.
The loincloth continues to be worn by people around the world (it is
the traditional form of undergarment in many Asian societies, for
example). In various, mainly tropical, cultures, the traditional
male dress may still prescribe only a single garment below the waist
or even none at all, with underwear as optional, including the Far
eastern Dhoti and Lungi or the Scottish kilt.
Middle Ages and Renaissance
Male undergarments
Medieval braiesIn the Middle Ages, western men's underwear became
looser fitting. The loincloth was replaced by loose, trouser-like
clothing called braies, which the wearer stepped into and then laced
or tied around the waist and legs at about mid-calf. Wealthier men
often wore chausses as well, which only covered the legs.
By the Renaissance, the chausses became form-fitting like modern
Hose, and the braies became shorter to accommodate longer styles of
chausses. However, chausses and many braies designs were not
intended to be covered up by other clothing, so they are not
actually underwear in the strictest sense.
Charles V: 1530s codpiece.Braies were usually fitted with a flap in
the front that buttoned or tied closed. This codpiece allowed men to
urinate without having to remove the braies completely. Henry VIII
of England began padding his own codpiece, which caused a spiraling
trend of larger and larger codpieces that only ended by the end of
the 16th century. There are two possible explanations for Henry
VIII's codpiece becoming larger and larger. It is speculated that
he, along with many others in this time period, may have had the
venereal disease syphilis. The large codpiece may have included a
bandage soaked in medication to relieve the symptoms. It would then
be wrapped again to protect the outer clothing. Henry VIII also
wanted a healthy son and may have thought that projecting himself in
this way would portray fertility.
The modern men's shirt appeared during this era, but it was
originally an undergarment. Men would wear this long shirt under
their other clothing and pull the long piece up from the back and
then put their braies on over the shirt. In this way the shirt acted
as underwear. Renaissance noblemen also adopted the doublet, a
vest-like garment tied together in the front and worn under other
clothing.
Female undergarments
This lady wears an informal linen jacket over her rose-pink pair of
bodies (corset), smock, and elaborate petticoat, c. 1600Medieval
women usually wore a close-fitting garment called a chemise in
France or a smock in England (occasionally a shift), sometimes
coupled with braies-like leg wrappings.
They may have worn petticoats over the shift and under the dress.
Quilted petticoats could be worn during the winter.
Elaborately-quilted petticoats might be displayed by a cut-away
dress, in which case they became a skirt rather than an
undergarment.
During the 16th century, the farthingale was popular. This was a
petticoat stiffened with reed or willow rods so that it stood out
from a woman's body, like a cone extending from the waist.
Corsets also began to be worn about this time. At first they were
called pair of bodies, which may refer both to a stiffened bodice
designed to be seen, and a bodice stiffened with buckram, reeds,
canes, whalebone etc., worn underneath another, decorative, bodice.
These were not the small-waisted, curvy corsets familiar from the
Victorian period, but straight-lined corsets that flattened the
bust.
There is a myth that Crusaders worried about the fidelity of their
wives and forced them to wear chastity belts. There is no reference,
image, or surviving belt to support this story. In fact most
historians of this period are of the view that chastity belts were
worn to prevent sexual assault and that the woman kept the key.
Enlightenment and Industrial Age
"Tight Lacing, or Fashion Before Ease", a satirical drawing of the
early 1770sThe inventions of the spinning jenny machines and the
cotton gin in the second half of the 18th century made cotton
fabrics widely available. This allowed factories to mass-produce
underwear, and for the first time, people began buying undergarments
in stores rather than making them at home.
Women's stays of the 18th century were laced behind and drew the
shoulders back to form a high, round bosom and erect posture. With
the relaxed country styles of the end of the century, stays became
shorter and were unboned or only lightly boned, and were now called
corsets. Undue binding of a corset sometimes led to a woman needing
to retire to the fainting room. Colored stays were fashionable.
'health corsets' in 1883As tight waists became fashionable in the
1820s, the corset was again boned and laced to form the figure. By
the 1860s, a tiny ('wasp') waist came to be seen as a symbol of
beauty, and the corsets were stiffened with whalebone or steel to
accomplish this. By the 1880s, the dress reform movement was
campaigning against the pain and damage to internal organs and bones
caused by tight lacing. Inez Gaches-Sarraute invented the Health
corset, with a straight-fronted bust made to help support the
muscles of the wearer.
The corset was usually worn over a thin shirt-like garment of cotton
or muslin called a shift. Shift In the latter half of the 19th
century, long drawers, called pantalettes or pantaloons, often
accompanied the shift to keep the legs out of sight as skirts styles
got shorter.
As skirts became fuller from the 1830s, women wore a profusion of
petticoats to achieve the fashionable bell shape. By the 1850s,
stiffened crinolines and later hoop skirts allowed ever wider skirts
to be worn.
The bustle, a frame or pad worn over the buttocks to enhance their
shape, had been used off and on by women for two centuries, but it
reached the height of its popularity the later 1880s, and went out
of fashion for good in the 1890s.
union suitThe standard undergarment of the late 19th century for
men, women and children was the union suit, which provided coverage
from the wrists to the ankles (this "second skin" style is more
commonly known as long johns today). The union suits of the era were
usually made of knitted material and included a drop flap in the
back to ease visits to the toilet. Drawers for women were not
generally worn until the mid-nineteenth century when the adoption of
crinolines made them necessary for reasons of modesty and warmth.
The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago
sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and
support for bicycle jockeys riding the cobblestone streets of
Boston. In 1897 Bennett's newly-formed Bike Web Company patented and
began mass-producing the Bike Jockey Strap[1].
1900s
Modern jockstrapBy the early 20th century, the mass-produced
undergarment industry was booming, and competition forced producers
to come up with all sorts of innovative and gimmicky designs to
compete. The Hanes company emerged from this boom and quickly
established itself as a top manufacturer of union suits. Textile
technology continued to improve, and the time to make a single union
suit dropped from days to minutes.
Meanwhile, designers of women's undergarments relaxed the corset.
The invention of new, flexible but supportive materials allowed them
to remove the whalebone and steel while still providing support. The
emancipation or liberty bodice offered an alternative to
constricting corsets, and in Australia and the United Kingdom, the
liberty bodice became a standard item, for girls as well as women.
1910s
Ladies' underwear advertisement, 1913The increase in the number of
underwear manufacturers necessitated the birth of undergarment
advertising. The first underwear print advertisement in the United
States ran in the Saturday Evening Post in 1911 and featured oil
paintings by J.C. Leyendecker of the "Kenosha Klosed Krotch". Early
underwear advertisements placed emphasis on durability and comfort;
fashion was never a selling point.
By the end of the 1910s, Chalmers Knitting Company split the union
suit into upper and lower sections, effectively inventing the modern
undershirt and drawers. Women wore lacier versions of this basic duo
known as the camisole and drawers.
In 1913, a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob changed
women's fashion forever when she cobbled the first brassiere
together by tying two handkerchiefs together with ribbon. Jacob's
original intention was to cover the whalebone sticking out of her
corset, which was visible through her sheer dress. Jacob began
making brassieres for her family and friends, and word of mouth soon
spread about the garment. By 1914, Jacob had a patent for her design
and was marketing it throughout the United States. Although women
had worn brassiere-like garments years past, Jacob's was the first
to be successfully marketed and widely adopted.
In 1912, the United States had its first professional underwear
designer. Lindsay "Layneau" Boudreaux, an immigrant from France
established the short lived panty company "Layneau". Though her
company closed within one year, it had a significant impact on many
levels. Boudreaux showed the world that an American woman could
establish and run a company, and she also caused a revolution in the
underwear industry. Boudreaux is possibly the reason why up-scale
underwear and panty stores exist today.
By the end of the decade, trouser-like "bloomers" (popularized by
Amelia Jenks Bloomer 1818-1894 but invented by Elizabeth Smith
Miller) gained popularity with the so-called Gibson girls who
enjoyed more athletic pursuits such as bicycling and tennis. This
new female athleticism helped push the corset out of style, as well.
The other major factor in the corset's demise was the fact that
metal was in short supply in much of the world during World War I.
Steel-laced corsets were dropped in favor of the brassiere.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of World War I were issued button-front
shorts as underwear. The buttons attached to a separate piece of
cloth, or yoke, sewn to the front of the garment, and tightness of
fit was adjusted by means of ties on the sides. This design proved
so popular that it began to supplant the union suit in popularity by
the end of the war. Garments of rayon also became widely available
in the post-war period.
1920s
corset over "step ins" and camisole,1922.In the 1920s, manufacturers
shifted emphasis from durability to comfort. Union suit ads raved
about "patented" new designs that reduced the number of buttons and
increased accessibility. Most of these experimental designs had to
do with new ways to hold closed the crotch flap common on most union
suits and drawers. A new woven cotton fabric called nainsook gained
popularity in the 1920s for its durability. Retailers also began
selling preshrunk undergarments.
Women's bloomers became much shorter and stockings covered the legs
instead. The shorter bloomers became looser and less supportive as
the boyish flapper look came into fashion. By the end of the decade,
they came to be known as step-ins, very much like modern panties but
with wider legs, worn for the increased flexibility they afforded.
As dancing became a favorite pastime of young flappers, the garter
belt was invented to keep stockings from falling. Nevertheless, the
increased sexuality of the flapper also made underwear sexier than
ever before. It was the flappers who ushered in the era of lingerie.
A Russian immigrant named Ida Rosenthal further developed the
brassiere in this decade when she introduced modern cup sizes in
1928 for her company, Maidenform.
1930s
A man wearing a pair of boxer shortsMeanwhile, other modern men's
underwear was largely an invention of the 1930s. On January 19,
1935, Coopers Inc. sold the world's first briefs in Chicago. The
company placed a Y-shaped front and overlapping fly on knitted
drawers in both short and long styles. They dubbed the design the
"jockey" since it offered a degree of support that had previously
only been available from the jockstrap (the company itself would
later adopt the name Jockey, as well). Jockey briefs proved so
popular that over 30,000 pairs were sold within three months of
their introduction.
Companies began selling buttonless drawers fitted with an elastic
waistband, the first true boxer shorts (named for their resemblance
to the shorts worn by professional fighters). Scovil Manufacturing
also introduced the snap fastener at this time, which became a
popular addition to various kinds of undergarments.
Women of this decade brought the corset back, now called the girdle.
The garment lacked the whalebone and metal supports and usually came
with a brassiere (now usually called a bra) and often garters
attached.
1940s
During World War II, elastic waistbands and metal snaps gave way
once again to button fasteners due to rubber and metal shortages.
Undergarments were harder to find, as well, since soldiers abroad
had priority to get them.
At war's end, Jockey and Hanes remained the industry leader in the
United States, but Cluett, Peabody and Company would make a name for
itself when it introduced a preshrinking process called
Sanforization, which came to be licensed by most major
manufacturers.
Meanwhile, some women readopted the corset once again, now called
the waspie for the wasp-shaped waistline it gave the wearer. Many
women began wearing the strapless bra, as well, which gained
popularity for its ability to push the breasts up and enhance
cleavage.
1950s and 1960s
Corselette of 1953In the 1950s, underwear manufacturers began
marketing printed and colored garments. What had once been a simple,
white piece of clothing not to be shown in public suddenly became a
fashion statement. The manufacturers also experimented with rayon
and newer fabrics like dacron and nylon. By 1960, men's underwear
was regularly printed in loud patterns or with images ranging from
messages to cartoon characters.
Women's undergarments began to emphasize the breasts instead of the
waist in the 1950s. The decade saw the introduction of the bullet
bra, which featured pointed cups. The original Wonderbra and
Fredericks of Hollywood's push-up bra finally hit it big in this
decade as well. Meanwhile, women's panties had become even more
colorful and decorative, and by the mid-Sixties were also available
in two smaller, more abbreviated styles called the hip-hugger and
the bikini (after the island of that name), frequently in sheer
nylon fabric.
Pantyhose, also called "tights" in British English, which combined
panties and hose into one garment, made their first appearance in
1959, invented by Glen Raven Mills of North Carolina. The company
later introduced seamless pantyhose in 1965, spurred by the
popularity of the miniskirt. By the end of this decade, the girdle
had fallen out of favor as women chose sexier and lighter
alternatives.[2]
1970s till the present day
Woman in camisole, garters and stockingsUnderwear as fashion matured
in the 1970s and 1980s, and underwear advertisers forgot about
comfort and durability, at least in advertising. Sex appeal became
the main selling point, in swimwear as well, bringing to fruition a
trend that had been building since at least the flapper era
(underwear is the last barrier before nudity, and thus it acts as a
sort of gatekeeper to sex).
Tank tops, an undershirt type named after the Tank suit swimwear
which dates from the 1920s, have been popular warm-weather casual
wear in the United States since the 1980s and are regarded as
acceptable public casual dress in most locales there.
Performers in the 1980s such as Madonna and Cyndi Lauper also got
into the act, often wearing undergarments on top of other clothes.
Later, in the 1990s, hip hop stars would popularize a similar style,
known as the Sag, which allowed loosely fitting blue jeans or shorts
to droop low, exposing the underwear. In fact, in the case of Mark
Wahlberg, it was his success as underwear model for Calvin Klein
(with his chiseled muscularity on full display in a series of
advertisements in the early 1990s) that allowed him a double launch
to showbiz fame as both a white hip hop star and a respectable
Hollywood actor.
Man wearing popular Bond's brand "tighty-whiteys"Although it was
worn for decades by exotic dancers, the g-string first gained
popularity in South America, particularly in Brazil, in the 1980s.
It was originally a style of swimsuit made so that the back of the
suit is so thin that it disappears between the buttocks. By the
1990s, the design had made its way to most of the Western World, and
thong underwear became popular. Today, thong underwear is one of the
fastest selling styles available among women and is even gaining
some popularity among men.
In the 1990s, retailers started selling boxer briefs, which take the
longer shape of boxers but maintain the tightness of briefs. Though
marketed as a new design, these are actually quite similar to the
bottom half of the two-part union suits worn in the 1910s. In 2006,
fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine released a new
style of underwear, which are made of Nylon and designed to flatten
the tummy or buttocks so that the areas appear slimmer, therefore
acting as both underwear and a slimming mechanism.[3]
Underwear and brassieres are a common sex symbol in culture today
and modeling such as fashion shows
Men's underwear, 1990s to the present
Men's underwear styles in the present day have seen a dramatic shift
in style when compared to the evolution of female styles in
underwear. While women's underwear continued to emphasize feminine
sexuality, around the late 1980s and early 1990s; particularly in
the United States, men's underwear styles began to deemphasize
sexuality, in favor of baggier and looser styles. This trend also
became evident in swimwear, which grew longer and looser in this
period as well as all other fashions which also became consciously
baggier and less form fitting. Despite this exodus from extremely
revealing undergarments, tighter fitting underwear still remains
popular.
Religious significance
Mormon Temple garments (two-piece style)
The tzitzis strings of one corner of a tallit. Note how the eight
strings are really four that are folded through the hole on the
tallit.Undergarments can also have religious significance. For
example:
Some members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
wear special undergarments after they have been endowed in a temple
to help them remember the teachings of the temple.[4]
Many Jews wear a four-cornered garment called a tallit katan, with
tzitzit (fringes) attached at the corners[5].
Some Hindus wear a sacred thread, called the Yajñopavītam,
underneath their clothing.
One of the five articles of the Sikh faith is underwear called
kaccha.
Underwear styles and function
Traditional BriefToday, there are many options in underwear
available. These include
boxer style (at or near true waist, leg sections extending to
thighs)
woven boxer (traditional)
knit boxer (like traditional but with more fabric give)
boxer brief (also knit; more form-fitting)
pouch boxer brief (boxer briefs but with pouch for genitals rather
than access flap)
athletic-style (skin-tight, usually with no access pouch or flap;
like short tights; a variation are cycling shorts
retro style (boxer shorts in a brief style)
brief style (knit fabric, with access pouch or flap; usually at or
near true waist, leg bands at tops of thighs
traditional brief (vertical flap)
double seat brief or double back brief
diagonal flap brief
pouch brief
low-cut/low-rise brief
bikini brief (usually lower than true waist, often at hips, usually
no access pouch or flap, legs bands at tops of thighs)
high-side bikini brief
low-side bikini brief
string bikini brief (the front and rear sections meet in the crotch
with a shoestring-like thread at the top, with no fabric on the side
of the legs)
g-string type (with a front pouch for the genitals but no rear
coverage)
thong (with a strap securing the pouch at the bottom rear, passing
up the crack between the buttocks to the waistband)
athletic supporters, also known as jockstraps (with two straps
securing the pouch at the bottom rear, passing through the perineum,
around the bases of the buttocks up to the waistband at the sides)
and dance belt
strapless pouches (with a front pouch and waistband only, no
securing straps)
Man in boxer briefs (trunks style)
Women's panties or knickersThere are also many types of long
underwear, union suits, and other variations of men's underwear.
Some underpants also have a fly. These usually do not allow
detachment at the waist; elasticity allows them to be taken on and
off. Usually the fly of underpants avoids exposure of the skin just
by an overlap of cloth, without buttons, etc. Such a property may be
one of the criteria for boxer shorts not to be suitable as outer
clothing.
Today, there are many specialized types of underwear made for sexual
purposes, such as edible underwear or crotchless panties. Most of
these are meant simply to display the body or genitals in certain
ways, while some are intended to provide genital stimulation as
well. Frederick's of Hollywood is an example of a business centered
around manufacturing and selling such underwear.
Not wearing undergarments
Main article: Going commando
Not wearing undergarments under one's outer clothing is also known
in American slang as freeballing for men or freebuffing for females;
the terms going commando and going bareback are also used for both
sexes.[6] Finding female celebrities who are not wearing underwear
and taking upskirt pictures of them is quite a common action
undertaken by the paparazzi as the right picture of the right woman
can earn them a lot of money.
This trend shows that a few consider underwear unnecessary for
hygiene, especially for modern people who bathe every day.
In situations where a certain amount of body coverage is required
(legally or socially), people who prefer to go clothes free might
enjoy not wearing undergarments, as that is the closest they can get
to nudity. For others, there may be sexual motives; undergarments
are the final physical barrier to sex, and not wearing them might be
arousing. |
Pantyhose (also called tights) are sheer, close fitting
coverings of the body from the waist to the feet, most frequently
worn by women. Like stockings they are usually made of nylon. The
one-piece pantyhose garment appeared in the 1960s and provided a
convenient alternative to stockings (nylons).
The term 'pantyhose' originated in the United States, referring to
the combination of 'panties' (an American term for women's
underpants) with sheer nylon hosiery, meaning they are usually worn
without other undergarments. In the United Kingdom, they are called
tights, a term that refers to all such garments regardless of
whether they are sheer lingerie or sturdy outerwear. In the U.S.,
the term tights is used for non-sheer garments typically made of a
stretchy material like spandex, and worn during exercise or athletic
activity, or as utility clothing.
History
In the 1920s the fashionable hemline for women's skirts and dresses
began to rise enough to show a woman's legs and sheer hosiery that
covered the legs was only available as stockings. They were
typically made of silk or artificial silk (now known as rayon), and
after 1939 with nylon.
In 1959, Allen Gant Sr. of Glen Raven Mills introduced pantyhose.
Stocking manufacturers began using circular knitting machines to
reduce manual labor and create seam-free stockings. In 1965, Glen
Raven Mills introduced a seam-free version of pantyhose, which
coincided with the introduction of the miniskirt. The miniskirt made
it unfashionable to show the tops of a woman's stockings, and by the
end of the decade pantyhose had replaced stockings almost entirely.
This also contributed to a marked shift in foundation undergarment
sales: younger women stopped buying girdles around this time. In the
same period hosiery started adding spandex or elastane to give it
stretch superior to crimping nylon. Glen Raven Mills still operates
in North Carolina, U.S. as Glen Raven Inc.
Starting sometime in the 90s, pantyhose went almost completely out
of fashion. Until recently, women, in general no longer wore
pantyhose unless it was mandated by dress code, typically found at
corporate companies and executive level. An exception to this was
the wearing of special pantyhose such as fishnet or various pattern
types, but this was a rather rare occurrence.
However, in the mid 00s of this century pantyhose have been
appearing once again in fashion and public, indicating the
reoccurring cycle of couture once again is bringing the leg covering
back into vogue. With the return to Paris runways and Haute Couture
it should only be a matter of time before pantyhose makes a
mainstream resurgence.
Pantyhose styles
Pantyhose are available in a wide range of popular styles. The
sheerness of the garment, expressed as a numerical 'denier'/'dtex',
ranges from 3 (extremely rare, very thin, barely visible) to 15
(standard sheer) up to 30 (semi opaque) until 70 (opaque).
For people who want a slimmer form, they may opt to get "Control
Top", which has a reinforced panty. The downside to Control Top
Pantyhose are the panty lines that may appear when wearing high cut
skirts or shorts. Sheer to Waist are just that - sheer from the toe
to the waist. The "panty" portion is same thickness and color as the
leg portion. Often, but not always, sheer to waist pantyhose will be
reinforced along and on either side of the seam in the middle of the
panty. Perfect for high slit gowns, mini-skirts and when wearing
with lingerie.
Also for the person who wants a bit more support on the top half,
there are pantyhose that have panel gussets incorporated into them.
These are either single or double types. In the single type, there
are two seams instead of the usual one, with a single one on the
opposite side; with double panel gussets, there are two seams on
either side. The single type can be worn either way. They both help
to expand the top panty area. There are also types of pantyhose
which have a lacy panty area which is normally floral in design.
(citation needed) Many pantyhose brands now produce pantyhose that
do away with seams completely, so that the outline is smooth from
top to bottom.
The composition of pantyhose
Most pantyhose are composed of nylon and a mixture of spandex, which
provides the elasticity and form fitting that is characteristic of
modern pantyhose. Unfortunately, the nylon fabric is somewhat prone
to tearing and it is common for very sheer hose to 'run' soon after
snagging on something rough or sharp.
Pantyhose worn for fashion have a standard construction. The top of
the waist is a strong elastic. The part covering the hips (panty
area) is composed of a thicker material than the legs. The gusset or
crotch is also a stronger material, sometimes made of cotton. The
legs of the pantyhose are made of the thinnest material which has a
consistent construction down to the toes, which may be reinforced to
guard against wear.
Advantages of pantyhose
On mildly or moderately cold days, pantyhose help keep the legs warm
for those wearing skirts or dresses. Above all pantyhose hides
blemishes or scars on the legs, leg hair stubble, and varicose
veins. On cold dry days, pantyhose can help prevent the legs from
becoming too dry. Some companies regard wearing skirts or shorts
without pantyhose as unprofessional and thus require people who wear
skirts or shorts to work to also wear pantyhose or sheer tights.
Dark pantyhose, and black pantyhose in particular, can create the
illusion of slimmer legs. Another flip side depends on the wearer's
skin tone - dark hose shows runs when worn over light skin, whilst
lighter hose show water spots flipped up from the heel after walking
in the rain. Whilst, as detailed below, the material is not
absorbent, it is quick drying (for example after walking in the
rain/being splashed by traffic).
Support hosiery can be worn to support the leg. Regulating blood
circulation in the legs, it helps those who work on their feet with
preventing/helping varicose veins and resolving pain in the back and
legs.
Disadvantages of pantyhose
The nylon fabric of pantyhose is extremely prone to runs (called
laddering in the United Kingdom). A woman can even cause a run in
the hose by catching the toenail of her big toe in the fabric when
she puts the hose on, catching it on a desk, car, and numerous other
'risks'. Some women use clear nail polish to prevent runs from
growing.
Unlike cotton, nylon is not an absorbent material. As a result,
perspiration from the wearer's feet is more likely to remain in
contact with the feet, which may feel unpleasant to the wearer. If
one wears high heels with pantyhose, the increased moisture can
cause the feet to slip forward in the shoe, causing the toes to be
scrunched together. The increased moisture also causes the foot to
move around inside the shoe. This, combined with the fact that
pantyhose are thinner than cotton socks and thus do not provide as
much skin protection, can lead to blisters on the foot, heel, and
ankle.
Men and pantyhose
While traditionally considered a women's garment, pantyhose are
occasionally worn by men for thermal protection and therapeutic
relief. In the late 1990s several small manufacturers introduced
pantyhose styles designed for men to cater to this niche market.
Violent crime applications
Pantyhose are an occasional choice for criminals (such as bank
robbers) who wish to hide their identity. When worn over the head,
pantyhose make the face difficult to identify but still allow the
wearer to see fairly clearly. A satirical experiment about pantyhose
masks as a fashion statement in public was performed by The Chaser's
War on Everything.
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to
the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or
period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of
accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the
time, place, or other circumstances represented or described, or to
a particular style of clothing worn to portray the wearer as a
character or type of character other than their regular persona at a
social event such as a masquerade, a fancy dress party or in an
artistic theatrical performance.
The Girdle in literature
In literature, girdles are often portrayed as magical, giving power
and strength if worn by men, and protection if worn by women. Many
scriptures in the Bible point to the use of a girdle as a means of
protection. Ishtar, a Babylonian Goddess, wore a fertility girdle,
which, when removed, rendered the universe infertile. Hercules
wrestled with the Amazon queen for her girdle in his Greek myth.
Aphrodite and Venus also wore girdles associated with lechery in
later poetry.
For men a girdle was often used to hold weapons. It also gave them
freedom to move in a fight, unlike other types of clothing. both of
these are thought to carry the connection of power to the man's
girdle in literature. For example, Odysseus wears a girdle which
allows him to swim for three days straight, and a girdle worn by
Thor doubles his strength.
Later on, for women, the girdle became a sign of virginity, and was
often considered to have magical properties. Monsters and all types
of evil are recorded as being subdued by girdles in literature, a
famous one being the dragon slain by Saint George. Marriage
ceremonies continued this tradition of girdles symbolizing virginity
by having the husband take the wife's girdle, and prostitutes were
forbidden to wear them by law in historic France. Often in
literature, women are portrayed as safe from sexual or other attack
when wearing a girdle, but suddenly vulnerable if it is missing or
stolen.
Non-clothing uses in literature include Tolkien's "Girdle of Melian,"
a magical, protective "wall" surrounding an elven kingdom, and the
metaphorical "girdle of righteousness" mentioned in the Bible,
representing righteousness as a protection as well as something to
be worn constantly.
Sports
In American football, a girdle is a piece of clothing that is worn
under the football pants to keep the hip, thigh, and tailbone pads
in place, making the process of putting on the tight football pants
easier. Older girdles resembled chaps, in that they covered only the
front of the leg with pads, that snapped on. Modern girdles are
essentially a tight pair of compression shorts with pockets for the
pads.
Pantyhose (also called tights) are sheer, close fitting coverings of
the body from the waist to the feet, most frequently worn by women.
Like stockings they are usually made of nylon. The one-piece
pantyhose garment appeared in the 1960s and provided a convenient
alternative to stockings (nylons).
The term 'pantyhose' originated in the United States, referring to
the combination of 'panties' (an American term for women's
underpants) with sheer nylon hosiery, meaning they are usually worn
without other undergarments. In the United Kingdom, they are called
tights, a term that refers to all such garments regardless of
whether they are sheer lingerie or sturdy outerwear. In the U.S.,
the term tights is used for non-sheer garments typically made of a
stretchy material like spandex, and worn during exercise or athletic
activity, or as utility clothing.
History
In the 1920s the fashionable hemline for women's skirts and dresses
began to rise enough to show a woman's legs and sheer hosiery that
covered the legs was only available as stockings. They were
typically made of silk or artificial silk (now known as rayon), and
after 1939 with nylon.
In 1959, Allen Gant Sr. of Glen Raven Mills introduced pantyhose.
Stocking manufacturers began using circular knitting machines to
reduce manual labor and create seam-free stockings. In 1965, Glen
Raven Mills introduced a seam-free version of pantyhose, which
coincided with the introduction of the miniskirt. The miniskirt made
it unfashionable to show the tops of a woman's stockings, and by the
end of the decade pantyhose had replaced stockings almost entirely.
This also contributed to a marked shift in foundation undergarment
sales: younger women stopped buying girdles around this time. In the
same period hosiery started adding spandex or elastane to give it
stretch superior to crimping nylon. Glen Raven Mills still operates
in North Carolina, U.S. as Glen Raven Inc.
Starting sometime in the 90s, pantyhose went almost completely out
of fashion. Until recently, women, in general no longer wore
pantyhose unless it was mandated by dress code, typically found at
corporate companies and executive level. An exception to this was
the wearing of special pantyhose such as fishnet or various pattern
types, but this was a rather rare occurrence.
However, in the mid 00s of this century pantyhose have been
appearing once again in fashion and public, indicating the
reoccurring cycle of couture once again is bringing the leg covering
back into vogue. With the return to Paris runways and Haute Couture
it should only be a matter of time before pantyhose makes a
mainstream resurgence.
Pantyhose styles
Pantyhose are available in a wide range of popular styles. The
sheerness of the garment, expressed as a numerical 'denier'/'dtex',
ranges from 3 (extremely rare, very thin, barely visible) to 15
(standard sheer) up to 30 (semi opaque) until 70 (opaque).
For people who want a slimmer form, they may opt to get "Control
Top", which has a reinforced panty. The downside to Control Top
Pantyhose are the panty lines that may appear when wearing high cut
skirts or shorts. Sheer to Waist are just that - sheer from the toe
to the waist. The "panty" portion is same thickness and color as the
leg portion. Often, but not always, sheer to waist pantyhose will be
reinforced along and on either side of the seam in the middle of the
panty. Perfect for high slit gowns, mini-skirts and when wearing
with lingerie.
Also for the person who wants a bit more support on the top half,
there are pantyhose that have panel gussets incorporated into them.
These are either single or double types. In the single type, there
are two seams instead of the usual one, with a single one on the
opposite side; with double panel gussets, there are two seams on
either side. The single type can be worn either way. They both help
to expand the top panty area. There are also types of pantyhose
which have a lacy panty area which is normally floral in design.
(citation needed) Many pantyhose brands now produce pantyhose that
do away with seams completely, so that the outline is smooth from
top to bottom.
The composition of pantyhose
Most pantyhose are composed of nylon and a mixture of spandex, which
provides the elasticity and form fitting that is characteristic of
modern pantyhose. Unfortunately, the nylon fabric is somewhat prone
to tearing and it is common for very sheer hose to 'run' soon after
snagging on something rough or sharp.
Pantyhose worn for fashion have a standard construction. The top of
the waist is a strong elastic. The part covering the hips (panty
area) is composed of a thicker material than the legs. The gusset or
crotch is also a stronger material, sometimes made of cotton. The
legs of the pantyhose are made of the thinnest material which has a
consistent construction down to the toes, which may be reinforced to
guard against wear.
Advantages of pantyhose
On mildly or moderately cold days, pantyhose help keep the legs warm
for those wearing skirts or dresses. Above all pantyhose hides
blemishes or scars on the legs, leg hair stubble, and varicose
veins. On cold dry days, pantyhose can help prevent the legs from
becoming too dry. Some companies regard wearing skirts or shorts
without pantyhose as unprofessional and thus require people who wear
skirts or shorts to work to also wear pantyhose or sheer tights.
Dark pantyhose, and black pantyhose in particular, can create the
illusion of slimmer legs. Another flip side depends on the wearer's
skin tone - dark hose shows runs when worn over light skin, whilst
lighter hose show water spots flipped up from the heel after walking
in the rain. Whilst, as detailed below, the material is not
absorbent, it is quick drying (for example after walking in the
rain/being splashed by traffic).
Support hosiery can be worn to support the leg. Regulating blood
circulation in the legs, it helps those who work on their feet with
preventing/helping varicose veins and resolving pain in the back and
legs.
Disadvantages of pantyhose
The nylon fabric of pantyhose is extremely prone to runs (called
laddering in the United Kingdom). A woman can even cause a run in
the hose by catching the toenail of her big toe in the fabric when
she puts the hose on, catching it on a desk, car, and numerous other
'risks'. Some women use clear nail polish to prevent runs from
growing.
Unlike cotton, nylon is not an absorbent material. As a result,
perspiration from the wearer's feet is more likely to remain in
contact with the feet, which may feel unpleasant to the wearer. If
one wears high heels with pantyhose, the increased moisture can
cause the feet to slip forward in the shoe, causing the toes to be
scrunched together. The increased moisture also causes the foot to
move around inside the shoe. This, combined with the fact that
pantyhose are thinner than cotton socks and thus do not provide as
much skin protection, can lead to blisters on the foot, heel, and
ankle.
Men and pantyhose
While traditionally considered a women's garment, pantyhose are
occasionally worn by men for thermal protection and therapeutic
relief. In the late 1990s several small manufacturers introduced
pantyhose styles designed for men to cater to this niche market.
Violent crime applications
Pantyhose are an occasional choice for criminals (such as bank
robbers) who wish to hide their identity. When worn over the head,
pantyhose make the face difficult to identify but still allow the
wearer to see fairly clearly. A satirical experiment about pantyhose
masks as a fashion statement in public was performed by The Chaser's
War on Everything.
Typology
* exotic lingerie is the kind of underwear, sleepwear, and other items of intimate apparel worn by women
* exotic costume is a style of dress, including accessories and hairdos, esp. that peculiar to a nation, region, group, or historical period.
* exotic underwear is a kind of clothing worn next to the skin under outer clothes.
* exotic pajama is a loose-fitting garment consisting of trousers and a jacket, worn for sleeping or lounging. Often used in the plural.
* exotic boxer or boxer shorts, men's loose-fitting undershorts with an elastic waistband.
* exotic babydoll, often, baby dolls. Also called baby doll nightgown, baby doll pajamas. a garment for women or girls consisting of a hip-length top of delicate fabric often decorated with ruffles, ribbons, or lace, with a matching panty, worn for sleeping.
* exotic corset, sometimes, corsets, a close-fitting undergarment, stiffened with whalebone or similar material and often capable of being tightened by lacing, enclosing the trunk: worn, esp. by women, to shape and support the body.
* exotic catsuit is a tight-fitting one-piece garment for women usually made of leather or a synthetic fabric such as spandex and covering the torso, legs, and sometimes the arms.
* exotic bodysuit, or body, is a leotard-like garment that may or may not have snaps at the crotch. It is usually skintight or formfitting and can have sleeves of any length or be made like a tank top. There are bodysuits for both females and males,
* exotic bodystocking is an article of lingerie, similar to a leotard or a catsuit. It is much the same thing as a unitard, but the term bodystocking is likely to be preferred when the garment is worn as an underlayer in cold weather. It usually has long legs, but it may have long, short, or no sleeves. It is usually made from a sheer fabric similar to those used for stockings and tights, or from fishnet material. Some people consider bodystockings to be an erotic garment.
* exotic funwear is a kind of wear, clothing, or costume for fun or games
* exotic hosiery describes tight-fitting garments worn directly on the feet and legs. Most are made by knitting methods. Modern hosiery is usually tight-fitting by virtue of stretchy fabrics and meshes. Older forms include binding to achieve a tight fit. Due to its close fit, most hosiery can be worn as an undergarment, but it is more commonly worn as a combined under/outer garment.
* exotic bra ( brassiere) is an article of clothing that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. The bra is considered a foundation garment, as well as an undergarment, because of its role in shaping the wearer's figure. It was originally developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to replace the corset, and has now become, in many parts of the world, the most popular form of undergarment for the upper body, although camisoles and chemises are becoming more popular.
* exotic panty is a kind of short underpants for women or children (usually used in the plural)
* exotic clubwear is a kind of fashion design, primarily in ready-to-wear lines, boyfriend is any style for women's clothing that was modified from a corresponding men's garment. Examples include boyfriend jackets and boyfriend jeans, which are more unisex in appearance than most women's jackets or pants while they are still designed for the female form.
* exotic bustier (alternately bustier re) is an article of clothing for women, which is form-fitting and is traditionally worn as lingerie. It looks somewhat like a Basque, but a bustier is shorter. It reaches down only to the ribs or the waist and has a different function: its primary purpose is to push up the bustier by tightening against the upper midriff and forcing the breasts to move up, while gently shaping the waist. These days, it is often made with mesh panels rather than boning. The bustier is a multi-purpose garment and doubles up as a push-up bra for inner wear and as a camisole for outer wear. The bustier can also be worn as a half-slip under diaphanous upper garments if a bold display of the midriff is not desired. In modern days, women wear a bustier as an undergarment/push up bra in the occasion that their dress or outer-wear has a low-back.
* exotic robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe is borrowed from French, although in French it typically refers to a woman's dress. There are various types of robes, including:
* exotic gown (medieval Latin gunna) is a (usually) loose outer garment from knee- to full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the early Middle Ages to the seventeenth century (and continuing today in certain professions); later, gown was applied to any woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt.
* exotic teddy is a form of bodysuit-like lingerie, often worn in the boudoir. By definition, a teddy is an undergarment which combines a camisole and panty in one piece. Unlike a bodysuit, it is typically looser and more sheer, and may be designed to slip off from the shoulders, rather than to open at the crotch. The teddy is normally worn for the seductive look, rather than practical reasons.
* exotic teddiettes is a loose-fitting teddy designed as sleepwear. Sleep teddies tend to use simpler materials and styles than teddies designed for visual appeal.
* exotic chemise can refer to the classic smock or shift, or else can refer to certain modern types of women's undergarments and dresses. In the classical usage it is a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils, the precursor to the modern shirts commonly worn in Western nations.
* exotic pantyhose (also called tights) are sheer, close fitting coverings of the body from the waist to the feet, most frequently worn by women. Like stockings they are usually made of nylon. The one-piece pantyhose garment appeared in the 1960s and provided a convenient alternative to stockings (nylons).
* exotic garters are items of clothing, used to keep stockings up. Normally just a few inches in width, they are usually made of leather or heavy cloth, and adorned with small bells and/or ribbons. In the 18th to 20th centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg was skinniest, to keep the stocking from slipping. The advent of elastic has made them unnecessary from this functional standpoint, although they are still often worn for fashion.
* exotic girdle originally meant a belt (or metaphorically speaking, something which confines or encloses, as in Tolkien's Girdle of Melian). In modern English the term "girdle" is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity.
* exotic halter top is a kind of woman's top, secured behind the neck and across the back, leaving the arms, shoulders, upperback, and often the midriff bare.
* exotic knickers is a word for women's undergarments and there are now many names for the undergarments that previously have been called knickers, such as panties, thongs, g-strings, briefs, shorts, tangas, etc. Note that while the term 'knickers' refers almost exclusively to women's underwear, 'knicks', knick-knacks' and similar more masculine variations are acceptable monikers for men's underwear, particularly for young boys.
* exotic g-string (alternatively gee-string or gee string) is a type of thong, a narrow piece of cloth, leather, or plastic that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as swimwear or underwear by both men and women.
* exotic nightwear, also called "sleepwear", "nightclothes", or "nightdress", is clothing designed to be worn while sleeping. Nightwear usage is seasonal, i.e. different weights for different seasons or it is only worn in winter.
* exotic basque is an item of women's historical apparel. The term, of French origin, can mean either a long corset or jacket characterised by a close, contoured fit and extending past the waistline over the hips. In Victorian outerwear, basque refers to a closely fitted jacket extending at the back past the waistline over the hips, to be worn over a bustle. In 20th century and contemporary attire, the term is used to refer to an article of lingerie, particularly a torso-hugging camisole that resembles a basque or corset (typically featuring decorative front or back lace-up detail), but of more delicate construction and offering little or no figure-molding compression.
* exotic corsetry is craft of making corsets and corset-like garments and accessories most of which incorporate stays. It is also a subfield of fashion that deals with those garments and accessories and it is common term used for those garments and accessories. Term derives from the word corset. A special type of tailor who is an expert in corsetry is called corsetmaker.
* exotic sleepwear is a kind of clothes, such as pajamas or a nightgown, worn in bed. Also called nightdress, nightwear, sleepwear
* exotic briefs are a type of short, tight Y-shaped underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs. In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which makes briefs a popular underwear choice for men who are participating in athletic activities or who feel they need more support than loose-fitting underwear can provide. In addition, boxers often ride up the body when the wearer is running.
* exotic bikini a very brief, close-fitting, two-piece bathing suit for women or girls. Often, bikinis. underwear briefs that are fitted low on the hip or below it.
* exotic thong is a strip of material, esp. of leather or hide, used to fasten or secure something. Thong is also refered a shoe or slipper fastened to the foot chiefly by a strip of leather or other material passing between the first and second toes and often attaching to another strip of material, as a strap across the instep or around the ankle. The thong is a brief garment for the lower body that exposes the buttocks, consisting of a strip of fabric passing between the thighs and attached to a band around the waist.
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