Erotic Lingerie, it's not just ladies underwear!

A Erotic Black Leather Bustier set from Dreamgirl Lingerie. In a variety of sizes. It comes with the neckband and garters, stockings and the thong. A classic example of erotic lingerie. (It's faux leather, genuine leather ones are available at one of our other erotic lingerie lenses Leather Lingerie)
Only available in Black, but it is supposed to be black leather erotic lingerie. Don't think it would suit other colours.

There is underwear and there is lingerie and it is a shameful understatement to call lingerie just sexy underwear. It is an enhancement of the woman's form. It is the wispy negligee that cuts a seductive silhouette as severe or as dainty as the woman allows. It is the breast lifter that long ago was made of whalebone, revolutionized earlier this century with the underwire, and now evolved into cups that push breasts in and up with ease and comfort. Erotic lingerie is an age-old tool for seduction that has reflected the era's definition of sexy and helped women transform from working woman or mild-mannered wife to a mistress of sexual magnetism.

This article was first published in it's entirety (in two parts) at the following lingerie blog link.
Permission is given to reproduce it as long as the links and place of origin are credited.

Lingerie Blog

This Erotic Samantha corset comes with an attached underwired bra, a necklace and all the other erotic lingerie accessories as pictured. Good news about this corset, it is continuing to be made well into 2008 and is still selling well.

What society deems "Sexy" or "Erotic" certainly varies according to location on the planet and position on the timeline. This is a study in itself, but we are here diverted to the area of how it has impacted on the design of lingerie (or ladies underwear). Which, as we shall see, has not at all times been considered a sexy piece of clothing or worn with any erotic intent.

Lingerie first appears long before its name does, in Greece and Egypt and makes a rather erotic introduction...boned corsets which pushed breasts up, but also out, so as to fully expose. Most lingerie of today looks restrained by comparison.

Corsets are, perhaps, the most representative of lingerie apparel, in so far as they, more than any other garment, have changed with society's wants without becoming obsolete.

The corset had, not unexpectedly, changed its use by the Middle Ages as now it was designed to flatten breasts, as was the desired silhouette of the day, and of course, fully cover them.

By the 17th century corsets were becoming adorned with lace, ribbons and beautiful embroidery and again pushing the breasts up. But they were very tight, a narrow waist being fashionable, and extra pressure from the medical profession saw them outlawed. Corsets returned in the next century though, when they were worn with the new lingerie fashion accessories of stockings and suspenders.

Another piece of lingerie which is relevant here is the Chemise, originally intended exclusively as a piece of underwear and warn without any hint of eroticism. The chemise was to protect clothing worn over it from sweat. It is only in the later part of this century that the chemise and many other items have become more than plain and private underwear and worthy of view, if not by the public, by the wearer's partner.

The bra or brassiere is the third item of lingerie to receive special mention here. Mary Phelps Jacob secured a patent for an item with such a name in 1913 and is credited with its invention. There is some dispute over this though as there are earlier versions of a similar garment with support and she doesn't mention breast support in her patent. It is not until the 40's and 50's that bras began to separate the breasts and extra support was added with underwiring. The 60's saw the bra being burned as feminists sought equality with men and in the late 90's we began to see the bra itself being exposed in addition to the uplifted and separated breasts. A look, outside of the bedroom, that some feel is sleezy.

We may be familiar with the reminder to make sure we are wearing clean "underwear" in case we should befall an accident and need hospital treatment. This is never "lingerie", as, were it such, it goes without saying it would be clean under clothing and may even bring a touch of glamour to the hospital ward were it to be seen.

Perhaps only when the underwear is designed, or warn, with erotic intent and also worthy of view, does it becomes worthy of the term "lingerie". That being the case, lingerie, by its nature is always erotic, or if not erotic and worthy of view, then it is merely ladies underwear.

This erotic lingerie set is an embroidered boned bustier It is a complete set with stocking suspenders, thong as shown.