But there's a caveat. Roman women wore a form of underpants - a loincloth or a garment called a subligaculum. But after Rome fell in 476 AD, this practice disappeared.
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Roman woman wearing a subligaculum (from Wiki Commons) |
The drawer had two separate legs which were joined at the waist. That's right - drawers were open between the legs (and you thought Frederick's of Hollywood or Victoria's Secret invented open crotch panties!) Why the open crotch? It was a matter of hygiene and convenience. Imagine trying to lower your drawers while struggling to scrunch up yards and yards of skirt while crouching over the chamber pot.
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Open drawers circa 1874 (From Wiki Commons) |
So to answer our question "when did women start wearing underpants" we have to answer with "when in Rome do as the Romans do".
References and additional reading:
- http://www.localhistories.org/womenund.html
- http://www.fashion-era.com/drawers-pants-combinations-knickers-fashion.htm
- http://mentalfloss.com/article/51840/7-things-historical-women-wore-under-their-skirts