When did the colour red for women’s lingerie take on a salacious reputation? Five hundred years ago, women of the elite class considered this a sensible and attractive colour, and proudly put their red undergarments on display for all to see. Yet by the Victorian period, there was a dramatic change. Although not completely forbidden, colourful and highly decorative underpinnings were considered impractical, improper, and unladylike. Red lingerie was considered ridiculous during the early twentieth century — though took on more romantic and ‘saucy’ associations after the Second World War.

By the early 1980s and into the 1990s, editorials and marketing published in women’s magazines like Cosmopolitan perpetuated the idea that red lingerie was something that women wore to reward and attract men. This has resulted in a backlash, where modern-day wearers are wary of its association with the male gaze. Despite this, many people today are using red lingerie as a tool for self-empowerment. Contemporary brands are changing their marketing of sexy lingerie to promote it as something one wears to spark their own self-confidence rather than to please a partner. This lecture was inspired by research that was conducted for the 2022 digital exhibition ‘Incendiary: A History of Red Lingerie’ for the Underpinnings Museum.

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