Most women have probably noticed that there is a little pocket that comes sewn into their knickers.
But have you ever questioned why it’s there? Well the reason has finally been revealed – and the pocket definitely isn’t in lingerie for storage purposes.
It’s actually all to do with hygiene.
The “pocket” is in fact the gusset of the underwear.
Gussets often are made with moisture-wicking breathable fabric, such as cotton, which helps to make sure genitals dry and ventilated.
They also are highly absorbent and prevent friction as well as reducing the risk of infection.
Synthetic materials don’t provide protection against rubbing, sweat and bacteria, so the cotton insert can be key.
A curious Reddit asked the question in a forum, as they probed: “Why do so many panties have that little bow on the centre front? Where did the tradition come from?”
One person replied: “As for the roots of the tradition? It comes from pre-elastic days, when your underthings were held in place by a bit of ribbon threaded through the eyelet lace at the tops.
“The little bow is where you tied that ribbon, and of course it’s in the front because that’s the easiest place to do something like that.”
However, there is even more backstory to the bow.
According to another Reddit poster, women previously would have gotten up before the daylight and dressed in the dark or by candlelight.
They claimed the bows helped them work out which way round their knickers were supposed to go.
Today, the bows are mostly used for decorative purposes, though.
Source:thesun.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, dailystar.co.uk
