Underpants. A History.

Ladies' panties only started being worn in mid-19^th century in Germany; before that, men had thought them inappropriate for women, because of:

1) Medical views such as this: In 1757, a German doctor wrote women should not wear pants or closed underwear, because "their genitals need air to allow moisture to evaporate, which could otherwise cause them to decay” and "stink." Women could only wear undies in cold weather and to protect themselves against insects
2) Pants were (and are) associated with freedom of movement and authority (see the phrase, “to wear the pants in one’s family”), so it was generally thought only men should wear them in any form
3) Underpants were considered lewd and masculine, so ladies only wore skirts and petticoats (a kind of underskirt)


However, in the 1840s they start being generally worn:

• they're made of two cylindrical legs with the inside seams open in the upper half, the two legs only linked by the waistband; legs end well below the knees
• 1870s: length is shortened to the knees
• 1880s: legs are seamed together and an opening at the sides is used to fasten together; they are also gathered into a band with a frill below, instead of being straight (see pic: original 1910 bloomers!)
• the term for them was “Bloomers” in America, and "Directoire Knickers” in Britain
• the American name came from Mrs. Amelia Jenks Bloomer (1818-1984), an advocate of "rational dress" for women, who is reputed to have first worn them.