Whatdothethousandsofimagesofbrasandpantiesonperfectlysculptedbodiesthatweseespreadacrossbillboardsandmagazinessayaboutoursociety?Manywomenindulgeinlingerietopleasemen.Yet,sinceAntiquity,womenhavealwayskeptlingeriehiddenawayunderoutergarments.Thus,lingeriemustbemorethaneroticbait.AuthorsMurielBarbierandShaziaBoucherhaveresearchediconographytoexploretherelationshipoflingerietosociety,theeconomyandthecorridorsofintimacy.Theycorrelatelingeriewithemancipation,queryingwhetheritassertsnewfoundfreedomsorsimplyadjuststoconformtochangingsocialvalues.Theresultisarigorousscientificrationalespicedwithazestlyhumour.Andthetinierlingeriegets,themorescholarlyattentiontheauthorsbelieveitdeserves.