- May 23, 2025
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From Strophion to Bralette: How Women’s Lingerie Evolved Through the Centuries
Lingerie has always reflected women’s strength, beauty, and freedom. This story takes you through its evolution — from ancient wraps to today’s bralettes — showing how every era shaped not only style but identity.
Lingerie for women has always been more than simply a staple piece of clothing. The way a woman feels, lives, loves, and exists in her period and society is reflected in it. It has been a part of her own story.
Despite being concealed under clothing, lingerie has always reflected societal shifts, such as the pursuit of bodily autonomy and beauty standards. The evolution of underwear throughout the ages, from basic cloth wraps to exquisite lace, is really fascinating.
Antiquity: When Comfort Was Born
Women wore strophia, which are strips of cloth wrapped across the breast, in ancient Greece and Rome. These were some of the first iterations of the modern bra.
This underwear was soft, functional, and made for movement—dancing, sports, and everyday life. Women weren’t trying to “shape” their bodies — they simply supported their natural form.
The Middle Ages: When the Body Became a Taboo
The emergence of the Middle Ages made the body something to hide. Women’s figures were hidden not only beneath heavy gowns but beneath a veil of silence and modesty.
They wore long linen chemises underneath those layers, which had a practical rather than ornamental purpose. Lingerie lost attention, both culturally and aesthetically.
The Renaissance & Baroque: Corsets — Beauty Through Pain
The feminine silhouette underwear a significant transformation during the 15th and 17th centuries. In order to raise the breast and constrict the waist, corsets were invented.
They were worn for hours each day and were composed of wood, metal, or whalebone. Though they created a fashionable shape, they often harmed the body.
This marked the beginning of underwear as a constrictive aesthetic ideal in addition to its functional use.
18th–19th Century: Class and Complexity
Lingerie got more and more ornate throughout this time. In order to achieve volume and the “ideal” silhouette, women wore corsets, bustles, pantaloons, many layers of underskirts, and petticoats.
Lingerie became a sign of status: the richer the underlayers, the higher the class. But comfort? Still not a priority.
Early 20th Century: Finally, Freedom
The first modern bra, which was soft, light, and liberating, was patented in 1914 by American Mary Phelps Jacob.
Women started to avoid wearing corsets. Comfort became the primary goal of lingerie, rather than body control.
Women were free to explore in the 1920s because of softer silhouettes and shorter gowns. And that freedom was represented in lingerie.
1950s–1990s: Lingerie as Fashion and Sexuality
Lingerie such as stretch corsets, high-waisted underwear, and bullet bras were used to create the hourglass form in the 1950s.
Lingerie gained prominence throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was no longer concealed; it had become a feature of fashion. Lingerie, including lace, bodysuits, garters, and ornamental bras, came to represent femininity, self-assurance, and individuality.
The Present: The Era of Freedom, Comfort & Self-Expression
Women have finally regained complete control over their bodies and the clothing they wear in the twenty-first century.
Comfort and style are no longer mutually exclusive. We don’t conform to inflexible forms. Nothing needs to be proven by us. We simply are.
These days, lingerie is all about you: your comfort, your sentiments, and your mood. It’s the comforting touch you experience all day long. The fabric that moves with you. The cut that flatters, not fixes.
Some of today’s favourites include:
- Bralettes are so soft they feel like second nature.
- seamless underwear that blends in with clothes
- Sets of organic cotton for daily convenience
- Satin, silk, and lace—for those opulent moments of self-care
Above all, there is no right or wrong decision. You have only one option.
Dress in a revealing lace bodysuit on Friday and a sporty crop top on Monday. Be brave at night and kind in the morning. Let your lingerie evolve along with you.
Lingerie is More Than Clothing. It’s a State of Being
Your inner language is modern lingerie. You whisper that private secret to yourself. It may be subtle or vivid, rich or sensual, or entirely undetectable. No one is in need of an explanation. It’s your personal story.
At Moonlit, we produce emotions, feelings, and inner peace in addition to lingerie. We combine the most potent aspects of lingerie’s history with the style and liberation of today. You are your own inspiration, not someone else’s imagination.
And your lingerie should feel just like that: real, beautiful, and entirely yours.
✨ If you’d love to explore more about the evolution of women’s lingerie — we’ve written beautifully detailed stories for every era. You’ll find them all on our website.
With love,
Your Moonlit team