Underwear has been around for a long time and was used in ancient Greece and Rome. Long ago, people wore different underwear than what we wear today. But these ancient undergarments helped create modern undergarments. In the past, the ladies of Greece wore a simple dress called “peplos” or “chiton”, which began at the shoulders and covered the entire body down to the feet. Women wore a long piece of cloth called a “stroion” under their clothing, which was wrapped around the chest and tied behind the back. The garment prevents the breasts from moving excessively during exercise, but doesn’t provide much support or shape. Roman women wore finer undergarments than men, and their undergarments sometimes included a loincloth called a “subligaculum”. In the past, women would wear a piece of cloth called a “sastroium” or “mamillare” over their chest for support.
In the past, the type of clothes and underwear a person wore indicated one’s status in society. Wealthy women in Rome wore silk, while poor women and slaves wore coarse wool. Although materials and styles varied, both Greek and Roman civilizations placed great emphasis on respectful association and decent behavior. Women should wear clothes that hide their body shape, it is unacceptable to wear clothes that expose a lot of skin. The idea of modern underwear came hundreds of years later. During the Renaissance, people began to think differently about women’s bodies and sexuality. As a result, the way underwear was made began to help women’s bodies look better.
All in all, looking at the underwear worn in ancient Greece and Rome can help us understand how history and culture can shape our own perceptions of underwear. Women’s clothing used to look very different from what we wear today. But they gave life to ideas that still influence the way we make bras and underwear today.
