Lingerie in the broadest sense of the term has come a long way from the boned corsets worn by the women of early Crete and the whalebone corsets worn in the 18th century when women had to undergo painful transformations of tightening laces and pulling the corsets tight to make their waistlines appear smaller. In those days women were wearing the undergarments to attract men and to display what was thought to be the appealing form of the day.

Today's lingerie is designed more for the woman in that it is made to be comfortable in addition to being sexy. This has resulted in a boom for the lingerie industry while the overall clothing industry has actually seen a decline. We see sexy lingerie showing up everywhere even in department stores previously seen as conservative.

Let's take a look at the basic types of lingerie available today.

First we have practical lingerie which is bought for everyday use and also possible to send the signal that this isn't your lucky night! This includes everything from everyday garments for work to just plain standard nighttime sleepwear. Sometimes you just want something plain for lounging around in and lingerie doesn't always have to be babydolls and teddy's.

Secondly we have the category of sexy lingerie. Some women who buy this type of lingerie do so to feel sexy throughout the day having the knowledge that they are hiding something provocative under their everyday clothing. This also can give a woman a sense of power and confidence knowing that if her male co-worker had any idea what she had on underneath it would drive him insane.

Finally, we have my favorite, naughty lingerie! This is the kind of lingerie that is designed to seduce and entrance. While usually worn for special occasions it can be exciting to wear nightly if you have several different items to make it stay interesting and fun. This the type of lingerie most purchased by men, I wonder why!

Have fun with shopping for lingerie and don't be afraid to take a walk on the wild side. If you want to get some good ideas on what is hot go to a classy club that has exotic dancers and take note of what they are wearing. These women make a good living and usually are wearing the latest lingerie fashions.