History and evolution of underwear: here's who invented them
A very important ally for our physical health , fundamental for ensuring correct intimate hygiene, essential for making every outfit unique, we are talking about the most important underwear item for every woman: panties .
For those who don't know, it has a whole story to tell, full of amazing events that everyone should know and that show us where it comes from, why it was born and how it was used by our ancestors.
That's precisely why we're here to tell you about it today. But first: where does the term "mutanda" come from?
The origin of the underpants and their etymology
First of all, according to Treccani , underwear is a piece of underwear worn by both men and women and covers the part of the body from the waist to the groin (reaching up to the thighs in some models).
Like most of the words we use, the term underwear comes from the Latin gerund mutandae , which means to change , as if the Latins had already understood how important it was to connect intimate hygiene to such a fundamental item of clothing.
However, the history of underwear is much older . Let's find out!
The history of underwear: here's who invented them!
It all began in Ancient Egypt , when elegant briefs made with the typical precious materials used to decorate the Pharaohs were found in Tutankhamun's tomb.
The Egyptians already believed it was important to protect such a precious part of the body, and thus the very first underwear was born. Their shape was clearly different from today's, resembling mostly slips worn under tunics.
When the real underwear was born and why
The history of underwear is full of different facets and women who have come forward to defend the use of certain types of clothing.
The historical figure who was interested in innovating the world of lingerie was born in the Middle Ages . She was the wife of King Henry II of France, a queen admired and acclaimed by the people also for her libertine character: Catherine de Medici .
During the 16th century, this woman with many interests invented a new way of riding, with the left foot firmly anchored in the stirrup and the right leg resting on the saddle tree.
This innovative way of practicing horse riding risked revealing more than was permitted at the time, so it was necessary to invent a type of underwear that was close to the body and allowed the rider to move agilely on the animal's back : thus was born the first underwear more similar to those of today.
It was a success among the French nobility, but soon the new creation was deemed blasphemous by religion and was therefore banned .
Later, during the 18th century, knickers returned to fashion as they were worn under crinolines —the enormous cages beneath the princess dresses typical of that period. In the years that followed, this garment gained increasing importance, eventually becoming the center of media attention.
How were underwear used in ancient times?
Today we wear them every day, we choose them carefully and we love to feel protected by wearing the ones that best suit us.
The history of underwear , however, tells us that not everyone used underwear as we do today, in fact, some wore them only on special occasions : let's see which ones!
Underwear in Ancient Rome
Our mighty Roman ancestors didn't bother wearing underwear. For some occasions, such as sports or swimming, they wore the subligatula .
There subligatula was a piece of cloth that passed across the groin and was tied at the hips ; in fact, the meaning of the term is literally “ to tie underneath ”.
Underwear in Ancient Greece
Greece has a very fascinating history, even when it comes to ancient underwear !
Think that they didn't wear them at all, in their youth they used to show off their private parts with pride, while in adulthood they wore a tunic, even if the women had nothing underneath .
As for men, as adults they only wore a loincloth.
The evolution of underwear up to the present day
In the post-war period, underwear was a highly sought-after item of clothing that not all girls could afford . In nightclubs (especially those in Paris), a sort of underwear exchange took place between girls, marketed by the very clubs where people went dancing.
In the 1960s and 1970s, underwear became a real object of desire because it entered the good graces of the great designers and finally received the attention it deserved.
Generally, sizes tend to get smaller as we age, and it seems that the first thongs appeared in Brazil in the 1980s . Then, in the 1990s, men's boxer briefs were born , whose bizarre name draws inspiration from boxer briefs. Curious, isn't it?
In addition to boxers, the 90s also inspired the world of underwear : underwear that you could eat and underwear that you could smell were invented in Japan.
The culmination of this fascinating history of underwear comes with the creation of a dedicated museum in Brussels . In 2009, artist Jan Bucquoy literally framed these dozen underwear belonging to prominent Belgian figures.
And would you like an underpants museum in Italy?
It would be a curious place, but perhaps it's best if underwear remains under our clothes. If you have any other questions, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!
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