Lingerie is a nomenclature for women's fashion undergarments. It derives from the French word 'lin' for linen. While the style in the French lingo applies to all undergarments for either sex, in English it is applied only to those women's undergarments weighed to be visually appealing or erotic, typically incorporating materials such as Lycra, nylon (nylon tricot), polyester, http://www.sexylingeriespot.com satin, lace and/or gentleperson and not applied to utility cotton undergarments.

Up through the first partly of the 20th century women selected underwear for three major purposes: to alter their shape (first with corsets and later with girdles or bras), for reasons of hygiene, or for modesty. Women's underwear was often very full and bulky. As the 20th interval progressed underwear became smaller and more form fitting. In the 1960s 'controversial' lingerie manufacturers such as Frederick's of Hollywood begin to glamorize lingerie and the idea of lingerie having a sexual appeal slowly developed.