PLUS SIZE LINGERIE

 Lingerie-- the word suggests lacey, titillating garments. But lingerie came from humble origins. The term "lingerie" is from the French linge, or linen alluding to the cloth from which underwear was by tradition made. By the end of the nineteenth century, lingerie had become a common term to describe underwear that had moved beyond sensible functions to be used as a device of for the exhibit of the female body. Lingerie was initially made for every size- including plus sizes. 

Lingerie was supposed to only be used by women within the confines of a blissfully married life in the early years; with strict controls. One female journalist penned in 1902, "Lovely lingerie does not belong only to the fast. . . . dainty undergarments are not necessarily a sign of depravity." As time passed, lingerie's attractiveness to the general population increased along with decreasing adherence to Victorian morality, and the increasing social status of women. Lingerie was freedom from the practical and flagrantly straitlaced undergarments advocated by the Victorian era. For example, a doctor of that time period recommended wool as the perfect underwear for sanitation and wellbeing.

In the beginning, handmade lingerie was a symbol of high social class, which only a few could afford. Notable were those designed by English fashion designer known as Lucile (Lady Duff-Gordon) who produced camisoles, peignoirs, and petticoats using combinations of lace, chiffon , and crepe de chine. These fabrics intentionally appealed to the sense of touch, and were the basis of a new sensuality for the 20th century woman. Although artificial fibers such as rayon and nylon were marketed in the 1920s and 1930s as a luxury fabrics through the use of the name "artificial silk" their use made lingerie more affordable.