Womens Lingerie : Lingerie Articles

1859
A bra-like device to give a symmetrical rotundity to the breasts was patented (nr 24,033) by Henry S. Lesher of Brooklyn, New York; although it is recognisably a bra, the design looks uncomfortable by current standards
 
1889
Herminie Cadolle of France invented the first modern bra, a two-piece undergarment called le bien-être (the well-being). The lower part was a corset for the waist, the upper supporting the breasts by means of shoulder straps.
 
1914
In the United States, Mary Phelps Jacob was granted a U.S. patent (nr 1,115,674) in the newly created patent category for "brassieres" She was aided in this work by her French maid, Marie. Their invention was a lightweight, backless bra suitable for wear under low-cut evening dresses. Although it was not the first bra to be commercially produced in the U.S., the use of the name "brassiere" (rather than the older term "bust supporter") has led to the misconception that Jacob's invention was the first bra, or the first American bra; in fact, U.S. bra patents appear in the 1860's
 
1922
Ida Rosenthal, a seamstress at the small New York City dress shop, Enid Frocks, along with shop owner Enid Bissett and husband William Rosenthal, changed the look of women's fashion. The "boyish figure" then in style downplayed women's natural curves through the use of a bandeaux brassiere. Their innovation, designed to make their dresses look better on the wearer, consisted of increasing the shaping of the bandeaux bra to enhance and support women's breasts: hence the name "Maidenform",a play on the name of an earlier company, "Boyishform". A later innovation was the development of cup sizing for brassieres. The company they founded became the Maidenform manufacturing company.
 
1936
The first recorded use for the G-string for female (stripper) underwear.

 
1943
Howard Hughes designed a cantilevered brassiere for Jane Russell for her appearance in the movie The Outlaw, although Russell later asserted that she never wore it. This "lifts and separates" design went on to influence later commercial brassieres.

 
1950
There was a brief revival of the corset in the early 1950s, in the form of the waist cincher. This was used to give the hourglass figure dictated by Christian Dior's 'New Look'. However, use of the waist cincher was restricted to haute couture, and most women continued to use girdles. This revival was brief, as the New Look gave way to a less dramatically-shaped silhouette
 
1952
The merry widow a short, strapless corset with half-cups for the breasts and long garters, was first made by the lingerie company Maidenform to coincide with the film, The Merry Widow, starring Lana Turner.
 
1956
The Hollywood movie Baby Doll starring Carroll Baker is acredited as having populariized the name and style of this garment.

 
2003
Thong underwear is one of the fastest-selling styles among women and currently gaining popularity among men. One advantage attributed to the wearing of thong underwear is that no visible panty line can be seen even under a thin, light-colored or skin-tight garment, which makes for a more attractive appearance. Although the popularity of wearing thong underwear in America has taken off only in the last decade, in Eastern and Northern Europe it has been common for many more years, and is considered commonplace today.