The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie

Thanks to a dear friend (aka: The Tartlet), Eve's Apples heard about The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie, a new book. According to Jezebel, the book "is a sociological study that seeks to examine the history and culture of undies, and by extension, a society in transition. The authors find that the more religious the area — and correspondingly, conservative women's outerwear — 'the more risqué the underwear.'"

Veryshortlist.com reviews the book and takes another approach, "Want to spice up your marriage? Look east — to the Middle East, that is. There, the brides wear undergarments that’d make a Victoria’s Secret model blush.

The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie: Intimacy and Design showcases custom-made outfits festooned with feathers, butterflies, flowers, flashing lights — even cell phones (insert vibrate-setting jokes here). The kinky cottage industry, which thrives in the souks of Damascus, isn’t well known in the West.

But the lingerie itself serves a symbolic role — representing a young woman’s passage from virginity to womanhood — and when the honeymoon’s over, the frilly undies are meant to keep hubby out of the local Bada Bing. Flip through the book’s pages, read the accompanying testimonials, and find your preconceptions about veils and burkas — and what’s beneath them — shattered."

Images on this page are from the book. The images above feature extravagent lingerie designs (above top) and covered women (above bottom). To see more images, click on Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie Images.

For the full post by Jezebel, click on The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie post.