Many people assume that burlesque refers to the art of female stripping. On the contrary, burlesque encompasses a wide variety of musical and theatrical forms. However, today’s exotic lingerie definitely has its roots in the burlesque tradition.

Burlesque has always thumbed its nose at conventional notions of modesty and sexuality by wearing exotic lingerie and other outrageous costumes. For example, Lydia Thompson, a British born actress and burlesque performer, wrote and produced a play in which young women played mythological figures dressed in tights. This production was performed in New York at the height of the Victorian era. At the time, when even the merest hint of the female form was considered scandalous, young women appearing in exotic lingerie caused quite a stir. Needless to say, the performance was a smashing success financially, if not morally and ethically.

As burlesque gained in popularity, exotic lingerie and outrageous costumes became a mainstay of the art. However, it is important to note that the purpose of the burlesque is to titillate. Although burlesque managers attempted to get away with revealing as much of the female form as possible in exotic lingerie, nothing overtly vulgar was permitted. Millie DeLeon, a famous burlesque dancer in the 1920s, used to don exotic lingerie and toss her garter belts to the audience during every performance. She was well known for revealing a fair bit of leg and then exiting the stage leaving the audience howling and clamoring for more.

In the early stages, burlesque provided an alternative to restrictive sexual norms. A man could go to a burlesque show and see his fantasies come to reality. Where he dare not ask his wife to model exotic lingerie or perform a strip tease, he could attend the burlesque and see his secret desires enacted on the stage. However, the loosening of sexual mores in later times sounded the death knell for the burlesque tradition. As sexuality began to be expressed in a variety of forms, burlesque and the exotic lingerie costumes lost much of their titillating appeal. On the contrary, burlesque began to show itself in others ways and the exotic lingerie of the burlesque began to crop up in unexpected places.

In the 1950s and 60s, burlesque began to make its way into bedrooms across America. Retailers began to capitalize on women’s desire to appear attractive for their husbands by introducing several lines of exotic lingerie designed to feed into male fantasy. Lacy bras, garter belts, corsets and bustiers were just a few examples of the types of exotic lingerie that became available on the mainstream market.

In today’s society, where many forms of sexual expression are acceptable, burlesque is once again gaining in popularity. Burlesque revues have popped up in places as diverse as Montreal, New York and Oslo. It is too soon to say if burlesque will have a full blown revival, but there is something to say for art that relies on suggestively exotic lingerie in an environment where anything goes.

Although burlesque is really a comic form, it has done much to celebrate the female form in all shapes and sizes. Burlesque dancers have always been on the curvier side. In its heyday, it was not uncommon to see a fuller figured woman dancing about in exotic lingerie on a burlesque stage. Today, as the art revives, there are several burlesque troops that are specifically composed of plus size women.

Much of the exotic lingerie that we see today has its roots in the burlesque tradition. Exotic lingerie like corsets, bustiers, gloves, sheer underwear, garter belts, fans and slippers were all a standard part of the burlesque dancer’s attire. Burlesque was all about celebrating the outrageous and thumbing its nose at conventions. Exotic lingerie and outlandish costumes were the focal point of the burlesque dancer’s performance.

Today, although the heyday of burlesque is gone, you can capture a bit of that irreverent attitude with some exotic lingerie of your own.