Stuff You May Not Have Learned During History Class

Posted by francheska on May 7, 2008

Ever wondered how the clothes you wear started out? Well, most of them started appearing during ancient times. Underwear, for example, didn’t appear as they are today. They were developed to fit the culture and views for a certain period of time. Let me show you some of the facts:

Brassiere - The earliest bra recorded were shown being worn by Minoan women around 2500BC. The bra-like garment exposed the breasts but held them upward. Later, the Greeks were shown wearing garments that prevented the breasts from moving while walking. The Romans copied it but designed it so that it would prevent the growth of young women’s breasts or to hide large breasts. These were similar to corsets. During the medieval period, It was only until around the 1920s or 1930s that bras were developed to hold the breasts instead of flattening them.

Underwear - Unlike bras, women’s drawers only started to appear around the 17th century. They were made up of two seperate leggings that were attached to the waist or corset and reached the calf. And yes, it doesn’t cover anything between the legs.

Shoes - During early times, Roman soldiers were shown wearing sandals called the caliga. Later, they developed a style more suited to British weather called gallica. The difference? Caliga exposed the toes while the gallica was closed. During the 17th century, women decided that pointed toes (on the shoes) were more feminine. It was during that time that buckles were used to fasten the shoes. Women used ribbons instead of buckles. Boots began to gain popularity during the 19th century, and in the 20th century designer shoes became prominent.