The history of underwear almost reads like the history of the human race.

And it started with the classic loincloth. This was technically an outer-garment in warm climates, when it was the only piece of clothing that a cavemen was fit to be seen in. In colder areas, it became an undergarment, animal skins were used to keep the brass monkeys at bay.

It might surprise some that the loincloth dates back around 7,000 years and came in quite a few forms. The first example was a long strip of material – usually leather – which went around the waist and then between the legs.

The loincloth was still going strong in ancient times – with Roman and Greek men favouring them as an undergarment - although the feeling amongst historians is the Greek women preferred to go commando. And in certain ancient societies, an undergarment was considered to be slightly low bred and for the prols, rather than the well-to-do.

Athletic women in ancient times wore an early version of the sports bra (a soft leather breast cloth), together with leather shorts (or the ubiquitous loincloth). Fit men preferred the bare-chested look and similar leather shorts to the women, or again, the loincloth.

The loincloth, although there are still versions worn around the world today, dropped from the high fashion stakes in the middle ages. In came ‘braies’, which actually resembled a pair of trousers. It was a loose fit undergarment which was tied around the waist and the calfs. Men who could afford it, then wore something called ‘chausses’ as well, although they only were for the legs.

When the Renaissance was ushered in, braies were getting shorter and shorter, and the chausses larger, which were in turn giving way to tight forms of ‘hose’ which was designed to cover both the feet and the legs. This is the time when men’s legs became a crucial part of the courting ritual and having a fine set of pins could work wonders for their chances with the fairer sex.

If you wondered how braies coped when it came to that male need to pop to the loo, they were eventually fitted with a flap (tied with loops, or secured with a button) which became known as the codpiece and provided generations with suitable jokes.

Braies eventually lost popularity and the hose became all the rage, with Henry VIII of England sporting an open crotch hose with only a codpiece protecting his modesty. It is also rumoured that Henry VIII started the craze of padding his codpiece to make his undercarriage appear larger than it was. Whether he was trying to show off, or as some historians point out was just keeping bandages on his syphilis infested manhood, might never be proved either way. But men of Henry VIII’s court thought it very chic to sport over-sized codpieces – as long as they weren’t bigger than the King’s off course.

Women’s underwear started to become more complicated around this time, with the introduction of the chemise, the petticoat and the corset.

By the time of the industrial age, the human’s ability to mass weave commercial amounts of cotton led to the mass production of underwear. And this marked the first time in history that underwear began to be bought from shops, rather being made at home by the wearer, or their servants.

Now underwear was becoming even more complex with various social sensitivities attached to its use.

In the 18th Century, women favoured stays which helped them maintain a shoulders back, round bosom and erect posture. By the end of the century, society was a little less uptight and the stays were replaced by shorter and less stiff undergarments, leading to the corset proper. Throughout the 1800s, the corset got stiffer and stiffer again, as women strove for the wasp waist and high bosom.

Underneath the corset, women usually wore a shift of cotton, or muslin. The shift would vary in its length as different fashions came and went.

By the late 19th Century, what was known as the union suit became a very popular undergarment. Usually of knitted material, it was a one piece suit which stretched up to the neck, out to the wrists and down to the ankles. A flap in the rear of the suit allowed for visits to the toilet. The union suit led to the long johns, which quickly became even more popular throughout the 1930s.

By the early 20th Century, mass produced underwear was a massive industry. The liberty bodies became the norm for women and children, and for, the first tightly fitting boxer shorts were on the scene.

A New York socialite called Mary Phelps Jacob caused a sensation when she tied two handkerchiefs together with a ribbon and invented the concept of the female brassiere. And by 1910 bloomers had arrived on the scene to add a large dose of fashionable colours and plenty of material.

By 1914 the soldiers fighting the First World War were supplied with shorts that had a button front. These buttons were attached to the outer garment by a yoke which could be adjusted by ties at the side.

The 1920s saw a change of emphasis from underwear as a functional item, to one of comfort and even attraction. Bloomers became shorter and stockings made an appearance, and because of their loose fitting style, had to have a garter belt made an appearance. Underwear just got sexy.

Men’s underwear improved rapidly throughout the 1930s and 1940s, with briefs, jockeys, boxers and Y-fronts becoming commonplace.

Women turned to the corset once again, which became known as the girdle, and although the whalebone, or metal supports had long since gone, it was equipped with a bar and garters.

In the 1950s and 1960s, in came colour, prints and new material. The undergarment was no longer something to be hidden away and destined to drab beiges and greys. The new materials boasted names such as Dacron, Nylon and Spandex, which literally allowed designers to introduce all manner of styles. The same went for the women, as the narrow waist became less important than a pronounced bust. In came the hip-hugger panties and the bikini. Also making an appearance was pantyhose.

By the 1970s, most of the patterns for future underwear crazes had been established. And from the seventies to the present day, underwear has straddled a fine balance between a functional, everyday piece of clothing, to an article of sex appeal, creating a whole lingerie business. The main invention in this time was the G-Strings and thong, for both men and women.

So, the history of underwear, has moved from the simple loincloth, to the even simpler G- String; is that what they mean by progress?

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