A Brief History of Sexy Lingerie

Elle
"Sucker Punch," 2011
You'd think this film was just about women in lingerie holding weapons, which is as ridiculous as it sounds, but it's actually a fantasy action film about the fantasies of a young woman, abused by her stepfather, before she commits to a mental institution. In one of her fantasies, Babydoll imagines she's in a brothel and befriends four of the other dancers. They wear fishnet stockings and vintage-inspired lingerie—but okay, there's been a lot of controversy over whether this film is misogynist or not. We'll let you form your own opinion, but we like Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict's interpretation: "It's about fighting a losing battle. About using every tool at your disposal, be it sexuality or physical strength or wit or the ability to band together to fight a common enemy—the tool of Sisterhood—and about how that still isn't enough." (Media Platforms Design Team)

Who knew open-crotch underwear was an 1800s norm?