Lingerie is a appellation for women's fashion undergarments. It derives from the French adage 'lin' for linen. While the expression in the French idiom applies to all undergarments for either sex, in English it is applied only to those women's undergarments treated to be visually appealing or erotic, typically incorporating materials such as Lycra, nylon (nylon tricot), polyester, satin, lace Sexy Lingerie and/or soft and not applied to operative cotton undergarments.

The concept of lingerie being visually appealing is relatively recent. Up through the first moiety of the 20th blue moon women selected underwear for three most 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 model colossal and bulky. As the 20th century progressed underwear became smaller and bounteous form fitting. In the 1960s 'controversial' lingerie manufacturers such as Frederick's of Hollywood begin to glamorize lingerie and the estimate of lingerie having a sexual appeal slowly developed.