Lingerie is a term for women's fashion undergarments. It derives from the French tete-a-tete 'lin' for linen. While the appellation in the French language applies to all undergarments for either sex, in English it is applied only to those women's undergarments intentional to be visually appealing or erotic, altogether incorporating materials such as Lycra, nylon (nylon tricot), polyester, satin, lace and/or silk and not applied to nonfunctional cotton undergarments.

The concept of lingerie Sexy Lingerie being visually appealing is relatively recent. Up through the first hemisphere of the 20th century women selected underwear for three better 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 large and bulky. As the 20th century progressed underwear became smaller and extended cast fitting. In the 1960s 'controversial' lingerie manufacturers such as Frederick's of Hollywood begin to glamorize lingerie and the belief of lingerie having a sexual appeal slowly developed.