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Interesting
Background Taken From Wikipedia:
Lingerie
is a term for fashionable and notionally alluring
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.
The term in the French language
applies to all undergarments for either gender. In English
it is applied specifically to those undergarments designed
to be visually appealing or erotic, typically incorporating
materials such as Lycra, nylon (nylon tricot) polyester,
satin, lace, sheer 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.
The concept of lingerie being
visually appealing was a development of the later nineteenth
century. Lady Duff Gordon of Lucile, was one of the first
pioneers on lingerie freeing women from restrictive corsets.
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.
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A
baby-doll is a short,
sometimes sleeveless, loose fitting nightgown or negligee
intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed
cups called a Bralette for cleavage with an attached loose
fitting skirt falling in length between the hips and the
belly button. The garment is often trimmed with lace,
ruffles, appliqués, marabou fur, bows and ribbons,
optionally with spaghetti straps. Sometimes it is made of
sheer or translucent fabric like nylon or chiffon or silk.
The garment's hemline is usually about six inches above the
knee like a mini-dress and may have a scoop-neck. Usually
panties are worn underneath.
It is said the name was
popularized by the 1956 movie Baby Doll starring
Carroll Baker in the title role, which essentially marked
the beginning of the enduring popularity of the style for
adults.
Short daywear dresses of a
similar style are sometimes called Babydoll dresses;
the name is sometimes two words, baby doll, and
sometimes hyphenated, baby-doll. Some styles are
similar to what is worn by dolls in the form of infants, and
by some infants; the gown is short enough that diapers are
easily changed. However, there may be an alternative origin
for the style, if we consider the lineage of lace-trimmed
shortie bed jackets and bed-capes of the 1930s and 1940s.
It is now a highly eroticized
item of adult apparel, often classified as a form of
lingerie. Adult Babydolls are quite different from the
infant Babydolls; they fully expose the woman's legs, and
some styles emphasize or deliberately expose the breasts as
well. The gown is often sold as a set with matching panties,
as a typical Babydoll is short enough that underwear is
visible if worn. Styles of the same general length but not
intended to emphasize sex appeal are sometimes called
shortie nightgowns.
Babydolls became a prominent
part of the "Kinderwhore" look during the early-to-mid 1990s
due to the popularity of Riot Grrrl and Grunge performers
like Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland.
Babydolls are now available in a
sufficiently wide variety of styles that many lingerie
retailers consider babydolls a distinct department. Modern
babydolls often vary considerably from the styles of the
1960s and 1970s. Babydoll negligees from the 1950s to the
early 1980s are now collectible vintage items. Some
babydolls open in front and resemble a robe or peignoir. |
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The
Thong is a garment
worn as either
underwear or as a
swimsuit by both women and men. The garment from the
front can look like a regular
bikini bottom, but on the back the material that holds
the front up is reduced to a minimum. The back of the
garment typically consists of a thin waistband and a thin
strip of material that runs from the waistband under the
crotch to join up with the bottom front of the garment,
and typically designed to sit between the wearer's
butt cheeks and is then referred to as a simple string (i.e.
string bikini).
One type of thong is the
g-string or T-back, the back of which consists only of an
elastic string.
The two terms g-string and thong are often
used interchangeably; however, they can refer to distinct
pieces of clothing. Thongs come in
a variety of styles depending on the thickness, material, or
type of the rear portion of fabric and are available for
both men and women throughout most of the world. The thong
is known as literally as
dental floss in Brazil. |
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