15 Things You Never Knew About Lingerie

The word “lingerie” was coined in 1922, but the origins of lingerie go back much farther.  In fact, there are so many interesting historical tidbits about lingerie that looking at it as sexy support for females is a disservice.  Lingerie has shaped the female culture.  You may be picky with your lingerie, and that’s what makes it so great!  The variation in the lingerie industry speaks out to femininity with personality, comfort and even power.  But if you think you know all there is to know about your lingerie collection—think again…

Is there a lingerie brand that you can not live without? Share it in the comments!

Bras originated in ancient Greece, where they were called the "apodesme." Bras then disappeared for years. It wasn't until the 1300s that bras made a comeback.

Girdles (not exactly your typical, sexy lingerie) stem date back to the 8th century. But it was the 1920s that popularized them. Their popularity lasted well into the 60s, until women preferred the "less is more" motif.

In the early 1900s corsets were made of whalebone. Yes. The bones of whale. For a corset. Glad that fad's over.

In the early 20th century, the "monoboob" was all the rage. Simply put, women wanted the appearance of having one large breast.

The average American woman owns roughly 21 pairs of panties. That'll last them a whopping 3 weeks!

The Legends of Football League (which is actually "the fastest-growing sports league in the nation," according to NBC Sports) consists of women playing tackle football in lingerie.

Want to know a secret? One of the two founders of Victoria's Secret is actually (surprisingly?) a man.

When it comes to lingerie, Italians are all about the red. And on New Years Eve, it's tradition for Italian women to throw old undies out the window!

Back in 1939, a man invented the thong—but really just for exotic dancers. It was a way to show off more skin in a profession that already showed off a lot of skin.

The average cup size for a woman in the U.S. is 36C.

Today, there are cup sizes to fit everybody. But that wasn't always the case. Cup sizes didn't come around until 1935.

G-strings were created to inspire sexual creativity. They may not look awfully comfortable, but they sure do make a statement.