The embarrassing history of underwear

DNA analysis of the body louse (a distinct subspecies from the head louse and the pubic louse), which only survives in our clothing, has allowed us to date when humans began to wear clothes: about 70,000 years ago. This tells us that clothing has accompanied humans since we left the primeval savannah of Africa. The history of underwear may seem unglamorous, but it is as long as the history of our civilization and has evolved with our hygienic and climatic needs. Through an intimate look at the history of underwear, which includes unexpected and fascinating twists, we will see Eve's fig leaf, the 19th-century corset, the 20th-century bikini, or why pants became a symbol of scandal and debauchery before the invention of the thong.