Since the beginning of human history as observed through art and written documents the loincloth has been worn by humans around the world with slight variation in style, materials used, and name depending on culture. In colder climates the loincloth would be covered by layers of clothing for warmth, making the loincloth the first undergarment.

The oldest discovered human-utilized fibers, found by archaeologists in a cave in present-day Georgia, were made from flax, which would have been foraged and used to make linen and thread. From this discovery we know that humans were intentionally making fabric over 30,000 years ago for some purpose, and that purpose could very well be making clothing and undergarments.

The oldest leather loincloths found date to 7000 years old.

The first evolution of the loincloth called the schenti has been attributed to the Badarian Culture, located in present-day Egypt. The schenti consists of two triangles of fabric or leather connected with strings.

The first documented instance of female-specific undergarments comes from the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete. In Minoan art women are depicted wearing a band of cloth to support their breasts, similar to the modern bandeau. Sometimes the band of cloth was placed around the ribs below the breasts.

In Ancient Greece two types of undergarments were worn, the strophion and the perizoma. The strophion is a cloth band worn around the breasts. The perizoma is an evolution of the loincloth worn by both men and women consisting of a single piece of fabric tied around the midsection, varying in length from brief to knee length.

In the Roman Empire, men and women wore a sublicula, a single piece of fabric tied around the waist, brought up between the legs, tucked in, and secured with a belt. As in Ancient Greece, women wore strophiae. Nudity was tied to class, and enslaved people usually wore only these garments, technically making them outerwear for some members of the society.

 During the Han Dynasty in China, a tunic-style undergarment called a baofu was worn. The baofu is a single piece of cloth with shoulder straps that ties in the back like an apron.

Prior to and during the middle ages in Europe, three main undergarments were worn: the chemise, the petticoat, and braies. Under their outer garments, women would wear a chemise, a loose fitting tunic with sleeves or shoulder straps often made of linen or cotton, tucked into a petticoat, a loose-fitting skirt. Men would wear a chemise tucked into braies, two trouser legs (ranging in length from brief to full length, but usually cut off at the knee) tied around the waist. It’s unclear whether or not women also wore braies.

Indigenous people of the Arctic, specifically the Inuit culture, traditionally wear naatsit, inner breeches made from sealskin, starting after puberty. Excessive layers can lead to overheating, and sweat building up inside a garment can freeze in cold climates.

 During the Ming Dynasty in China, men and women would wear the du dou as an undergarment, a rhombus-shaped piece of cloth that covered the front of the chest. It had four strings that would be fasted around the neck and behind the back. Variations of this garment may have existed earlier, but the du dou didn’t take its modern form until the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911).

The earliest modern-looking bra comes from a castle in Austria and was carbon dated to 1390-1485 CE. It is made of linen and decorated with lace and consists of two triangles of fabric attached around the back and over the shoulders. Some medieval written sources refer to these garments as “breast bags” but may not have been commonly worn.

After the middle ages in Europe, the chemise and petticoat worn by women evolved into a much more complex collection of undergarments. Closest to the body, a woman would wear a chemise. Under the chemise, drawers (also called knickers or pantaloons) were worn. Drawers are a two legged garment open at the crotch that evolved from braies. A new type of structural garment, the corset, evolved from the chemise but was tighter-fitting and lined with whalebone to support the female figure. A petticoat would be worn on top of the chemise, drawers, petticoat, and corset, with the function of giving structure to the skirt. A crinoline could also be worn over the petticoat, made from rigid horsehair or with whalebone hoops sewn in to provide structure to the silhouette of the skirt. Stockings closely resembling those we wear today would be held up by garters or suspenders.

The Industrial Revolution led to the mass production of clothes for the first time, including undergarments. Mass production also led to an increased variety of styles, colors, and fabrics to choose from.

Synthetic dyes patented for the first time, allowing garments to be colored in new bright shades. 

By the 1880s, fashions were changing quickly. Women still wore drawers, a chemise, a petticoat, a corset, crinoline, and stockings, but with some modifications. Now, the drawers were not always fully open at the crotch, but could have a flap fastened with buttons. The chemise sometimes had ribbons for shoulder straps that could be removed or adjusted to fit the neckline of different dresses. Underbust corsets were fashionable and had a pronounced hourglass shape. The corset cover was worn on top of the corset and was usually visible under the dress, making it a transition piece between undergarment and outerwear. In the 1880s, a bustle extending the backside of the silhouette was in fashion. 

In the 1890s, womens’ fashion started to slowly transition toward practicality. A slimmer silhouette was fashionable, so petticoats were made from stiff and heavy materials to create structure rather than volume. A small horsehair pad was attached to the lower back in place of the prominent bustle of the last decade. Corsets now had a pronounced conical shape, drawing attention to a long straight waist.

In the 1900s, the combination garment started to be worn in place of the chemise and drawers. The combination is a front-fastening step-in chemise with two separate legs, still open in the crotch. At first, the combination was only commonly worn under informal dayware or for exercise, and primarily by young women. Corsets with an s-bend silhouette were now fashionable, so the corset functioned to tip the bust forward and force the hips out and back. Bust improvers were worn to enhance the fashionably prominent bust. Bust improvers were often boned, had shoulder straps, and could be front or back fastening. These were worn either over or under the corset, but always under the corset cover. 

By the 1910s, the combination garment had effectively replaced the chemise and knickers. Corsets of the time created a columnar figure, they started below the chest and extended down past the hips. The bust was unsupported by these corsets, so women started to wear early brassieres, unboned and made of thin fabric.

 First brassiere patented by Sigmund Lindauer in Germany.

In the 1920s, the “natural” figure was in fashion. The primary function of the brassiere was to flatten the bust, and it was worn under all other undergarments. The combination garment was knee length or shorter, had an elastic waist, and featured a bodice with very thin shoulder straps. Alternatively, a woman could wear drawers with a camisole. Corsets of the 1920s extended from below the bust down to mid-thigh and were unboned or lightly boned. The slip was worn over all other undergarments, varied in length, and functioned to smooth the silhouette. As dresses were shorter during this time period than ever before, it wasn’t uncommon to see a woman with bare legs wearing no stockings.

In the 1930s the “brassiere” was commonly referred to as the bra. Bras were intended to separate, lift, and support the bust. Bras now had two separate cups that could be triangular or cone shaped. Some bras were double lined, but padding and underwires were not yet common. There were three main categories of underwear in the 1930s: the bloomers, the panties, and the briefs. Bloomers had a high elastic waist and ended above the knee, a style carried over from the 20s. Step-in panties were high waisted, loose fitting, varied in length from very brief to mid-thigh, and some had a flared open leg. Briefs were close fitting with a high waist that extended in length just past the buttocks. Women could choose between wearing a girdle and a corset to support their figure. The girdle, shaped like a snug, short skirt, is a structural garment that extends over the stomach and buttocks to smooth the figure. Some women chose to wear corselettes, boned corsets that extend from over the shoulders down to the upper thigh, supporting the bust, stomach, buttocks, and upper thighs. Slips were still worn over all other undergarments to smooth any bulky lines. The all-in-one undergarment of the 1930s, which resembled a slip with a built in bra and connected shorts, was not very popular for practicality reasons, because the whole garment had to be removed to use the restroom.