Evolution of Women’s Underwear Body shape and underwear has had a significant part in women’s fashion. People may not think underwear could have such an impact, but it did. Women have gone from corsets to thongs in less than 100 years. During the years 1890 to 1899, underwear was not spoken of much. Women were trying to get the hourglass figure, and an “S” siliouet. These body shapes were made possible by corsets. Corsets were said to “emphasize the fragility of women and to accentuate [their] physique” (Mulvey and Richards, 22). In order to create this painful fragility, the corset pushed their chests up and out, whi