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Lingerie has come a long way from Adam and Eve's improvisation with Eden's flora. Fine lingerie is seen as an art by the people who make it and wear it. It has come in many different guises over the decades since the term 'lingerie' - meaning simply 'linen' - emerged at the turn of the twentieth century.

Though it has enjoyed a particular heyday since the 1970s, some of the world's best established lingerie makers have been going almost as long as lingerie itself.

Take Cadolle, the brand founded by the inventor of the bra, Herminie Cadolle. Herminie was a pioneer in other ways. An émigrée to Buenos Aires, the shop she opened in that city became famous - as did she, thanks to her appearance at exhibitions all over the world. Cadolle has been run by the women in Herminie's family ever since. It is currently overseen by Poupie, a fifth-generation Cadolle, who was responsible for the reintroduction of a new-style corset in the 1980s.

Another family brand, Chantelle, was born in France in 1876. Its founders began to investigate new-fangled processes such as elastics in their constant search for improvement. In 1902 the effort paid off when the company introduced elasticated corsets. Today the lingerie makers have a presence in 25 countries and produce many millions of pieces per year, operating under the philosophy that style requires either great detail or great simplicity. The company is now run by Patrick Kretz, a fourth generation member of the founding family.

Not every fine lingerie maker is French, however. Spanish company Sarda built its reputation on lace, but is now a major force in the lingerie market. Baldomero Sarda founded the business in 1898 to give Iberian ladies beautiful mantillas to wear, and the company's success in the ensuing decades was such that even Jackie Kennedy was spotted wearing one.

Nowadays Baldomero's descendent Andres Sarda also designs for the rich and famous under his Risk brand of lingerie. Compared to the venerable heritage of these lingerie makers, Dior seems positively young. It was one of the first couture houses to devote time to foundationwear - to go with its 1947 'New Look' - and in the 1960s unveiled a pioneering range of fine nightwear. Today Dior's lingerie echos its ready to wear collections and changes accordingly each season. These are just a taste of the possibilities out there. The established houses of fine lingerie have been joined by young pretenders such as Huit and Passionata and, of course, the marvellous revamped Wonderbra.

 

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