Undressed

One of the biggest nights in fashion is the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Whether you are a 15 year old boy staring at the beautiful models with googly eyes wishing to date one of them, or an 18 year old girl staring at the beautiful models wishing you could be one of them, this fashion show is quite the spectacle. According to Forbes, it has become the "most watched watched fashion show on the planet" and has made a spectacle out of lingerie fashion.

This sort of "lingerie spectacle" is all a result of the invention of underwear. The Victoria and Albert Museum displays hundreds of examples of how underwear has transformed from the 18th century to present day. Underwear has morphed from functional to fashionable over the past three centuries. The fashion and sexuality of underwear started with the corset. Corsets gave women the desired hourglass shape and transformed their bodies. At first, corsets were strictly meant to be worn under garments in order to provide the functional purpose of giving an illusion of curves, but as time went on, the sexuality of these corsets was discovered, and lingerie was born.

Lingerie began to be mass produced and became wildly popular in the 1940's (A Brief History of Underwear). Lingerie gave rise to many stars such as Marilyn Monroe, various pinup girls, and the famous Christian Dior. Today it is one of the biggest influences in fashion and has even had influences on the red carpet. Included in the Undressed exhibit is a dress that Mila Kunis wore to 2011 Oscars. The dress is lavender and has obviously been inspired by lingerie with lace and silk draping. The fact that lingerie is even influencing the some of the biggest fashion moments goes to show just how influential it has become within societies all over the world.

Whether it be for the big wedding night or just a sexy night in, lingerie has become an essential for many women. Not only is it visually appealing for a man, but it is also extremely empowering for women. In a world where men are mostly in the positions of power, lingerie provides an outlet for women to take back their power. Lingerie represents the ability for women to take control and feel sexy. It has become a staple of fashion and is a vastly growing industry.

http://www.stylist.co.uk/fashion/a-brief-history-of-underwear#gallery-25
http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2015/12/08/the-business-of-the-victorias-secret-fashion-show/#6b91143d41bb