Comments on: The Secret Life Of Syrian Lingerie

The Secret Life Of Syrian Lingerie

artof.mulata — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:43:10 -0800

"The more religious an area is, the more risqué the underwear becomes. I think that Muslim women have less freedom on the outside so to compensate they have more freedom on the inside." Journalist Malu Halasa and designer Rana Salam have produced a tome on "the most outrageous lingerie in the world."

By: artof.mulata

artof.mulata — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:48:26 -0800

A little more for the discerning culturologist... From thepeeq.com, a view of the souk where one purchases said lingerie. Time magazine weighs in. The Los Angeles Times has some more imagery and bit to say.

By: infini

infini — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:53:11 -0800

Haven't we done a post on Syrian lingerie before? Perhaps it was a link to a blog of some kind but I recall these strange items of clothing

By: artof.mulata

artof.mulata — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:01:08 -0800

And some video (also from Time). And from Russia Today, "Syrian Sexy Underwear." (YT silliness) If there was an entry prior, I could not find it.

By: infini

infini — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:06:16 -0800

Me neither ;) Perhaps someone might but in the meantime I'm enjoying the write up, thanks!

By: Horace Rumpole

Horace Rumpole — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:07:04 -0800

Metafilter: Haven't we done a post on Syrian lingerie before?

By: kitchenrat

kitchenrat — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:10:53 -0800

this theory of geographical sexy religiosity would put the pope in crotchless panties? GOD HELP ME I'VE GONE FUCKING BLIND!

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:15:56 -0800

So, somewhere in utah, there's a lot of wives in rubber, leather or barbed wire undies, then?

By: ukdanae

ukdanae — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:17:49 -0800

This is brilliant! I thought i'd seen everything in luxury lingerie (£10,000 platinum suspender clasps, rabbit fur and snakeskin bras, £600 mohair underwear and leather harness skirts) but this is certainly new! From what i see in these photos, the Syrian idea of luxury lingerie is some kind of sick hybrid of the UK's Ann Summers and the Muppets.

By: daisystomper

daisystomper — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:25:21 -0800

at first this seemed surprising, but it seems less surprising the more I think about it; in a society where men control women's public exterior appearance, of course there's going to be an effort to control their intimate clothes and behavior as well.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:27:38 -0800

They have a conservative culture that abhors sexual freedom, and they produce some of the most unappealing lingerie I've ever heard of. I see no contradiction here.

By: Halloween Jack

Halloween Jack — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:27:46 -0800

I think that the cartoonist Dylan Horrocks did a strip once in which he said that the really rococo fashions--you know, the ones that really come off as publicity stunts--get bought up by the wives of sheiks who wear them only in their household, and really only for their husbands. This sounds similar.

By: rifflesby

rifflesby — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:34:17 -0800

tacky != risqué

By: ghharr

ghharr — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:43:32 -0800

So, somewhere in utah, there's a lot of wives in rubber, leather or barbed wire undies, then? Maybe not.

By: I love you more when I eat paint chips

I love you more when I eat paint chips — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:50:51 -0800

You're right, Zappa singing "Catholic Girls" would really hit the spot right now.

By: jenlovesponies

jenlovesponies — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:53:11 -0800

I, for one, am shocked that people's private behavior contradicts their outer appearance.

By: stilist

stilist — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:09:29 -0800

I remember the previous post—it was about a factory/factories in the Middle East that produce lingerie or bondage gear or something in that line. I wasn't able to find the post, though.

By: infini

infini — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:12:39 -0800

stilist - yes! I still have an odd photo I saved from that post - two spirals of red wire with a pompom each at the end, er I mean a bra

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:13:30 -0800

Make sure Lady Gaga never sees this.

By: jacquilynne

jacquilynne — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:09:27 -0800

I have heard similar things about Amish and Mennonite women, though I have no idea if it's true.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:38:15 -0800

I have heard similar things about Amish and Mennonite women, though I have no idea if it's true. Not true about observant Amish women. The Ordnungen of each Amish community are quite detailed in their descriptions of permitted and non-permitted clothing, including undergarments.

By: obiwanwasabi

obiwanwasabi — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:04:17 -0800

I, for one, am shocked that people's private behavior contradicts their outer appearance. posted by jenlovesponies Eponysterical on two levels.

By: verstegan

verstegan — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:49:50 -0800

I remember the previous post—it was about a factory/factories in the Middle East that produce lingerie or bondage gear or something in that line. I wasn't able to find the post, though. Here. 'Despite a threat from Islamists, two Pakistani brothers stealthily manufacture fetish and bondage wear, earning more than $1 million a year from their Western customers.'

By: hal_c_on

hal_c_on — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:47:43 -0800

But is that REGULAR lingerie or is that frederick's of hollywood crotchless panties you wear for an orgy type of lingerie. I mean all its saying is that ebay sellers ship to damascus.

By: unliteral

unliteral — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 16:17:08 -0800

This is not like my favourite lingerie post.

By: DU

DU — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:01:51 -0800

Which of these links goes to the risque lingerie? I see some regular lingerie made out of stupid things like fur and sequins.

By: gjc

gjc — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:04:07 -0800

There are also smiley faces and charm bracelet panties.

By: Katjusa Roquette

Katjusa Roquette — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:14:40 -0800

I seem to remember a post about this weird underwear on MeFi before. Maybe a couple three years ago. I find a lot of underwear intended to be sexy, plain flat tasteless and not even flattering to the female body. This stuff is mostly silly. Well I guess humor is a valid part of a loving relationship...

By: Fezzer

Fezzer — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:23:25 -0800

I've recently been to this souk and can confirm the random lingerie on display. Infact around central Damascus lingerie shops are by far the most numerous of any business.

By: vytae

vytae — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:54:44 -0800

Regardless of the correlation between religiosity and wacky lingerie, you would have to be wearing some fairly shapeless, concealing outer garments to get away with wearing any of the pictured items. Coconuts and remote controlled curtain bras would look pretty ridiculous under most of the shirts American women wear, even a relatively concealing cable-knit sweater or something. Flower petals on your panties don't work well with "jeggings." Perhaps if we didn't wear such clingy tops, we'd wear that kind of underwear too.

By: artof.mulata

artof.mulata — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:14:54 -0800

vytae, I doubt anyone wears those garments except under 'private' situations. Hopefully...