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.
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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 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.
 
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