Underwear was first added to the wardrobe for functional and hygienic reasons. Prior to the invention of the tampon, it was common for women to stuff absorbent materials into their underwear during their menstrual cycle in order to prevent bleed through becoming visible. It saved them a great deal of embarrassment and prevented many outfits being ruined by stains that would be near impossible to remove.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it was found that certain items could change the shape of the female body to accentuate or to hide certain features. In some countries and cultures, it became common practice for girls to begin binding their chests at the onset of puberty in order to prevent their breasts becoming overly large. In other cultures, women began to wear corsets. These devices pushed the breasts upward and made them look larger while forcing the waist to remain small.
Corsets went out of style when it was determined that they were causing internal damage to the women who used them and that they may have been directly responsible for a very large number of miscarriages. Women began to let their waists grow to a more normal size, though some still chose to maintain some control through the use of girdles, which held the waist in, but not to the degree of the corset.
For the most part, undergarments remained relatively utilitarian and formless until the latter half of the twentieth century due to a society-wide prudishness toward sex and female form. These items, when spoken of at all, were referred to as unmentionables. For a time, from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries, their primary function was to obscure the female body and give women a more androgynous profile.
Attitudes toward women and sex began to change drastically during the 1960s and ’70s. Along with these changes came changes in underwear for women. Items began to be made of lacier materials, some of which allowed skin to be exposed for view if outer clothing were removed. Women began to choose items that showed off their curves and to expose more flesh. The fashion industry began to take notice and some designers began creating bras and panties for the specific purpose of making the wearer more alluring.
Today, designers and manufacturers must work hard to maintain a balance between covering too much and exposing too much. One thing that is generally agreed upon by all is that some things are considered sexier when left to the imagination. However, some items, such as thongs, were created because outer clothing has become tighter and lines from underwear are not considered to be attractive.
Women today have a large number of options open to them when considering undergarments. Often, their decisions are dictated by what they plan to be doing. For example, working out at a gym or running might dictate a sports bra in order to hold the breasts down and restrain them. Work may call for plainer items that blur the lines for the female form without hiding them completely. A night out may indicate pieces that accentuate the body in ways specifically designed to attract men’s attention. The choices available today are nearly infinite.