Even though underwear is something most of us wear every single day, it’s likely that you haven’t given much thought to its small details.
But you’ve probably noticed that many panties have a small bow on the front—and it’s not just there to look pretty.
There’s actually a bit of history behind this feature, and now you’re about to learn why it’s there.
“Holy s***, you just blew my mind,” commented one person in response to the revelation.
Another added: “I always wondered what that damn bow was there for.”
“That was kind of a cool piece of information,” admitted a third commenter.
Someone else wrote: “I just thought it was a girly design!”
While a fifth person simply said: “Never knew that.”
Many people finally discovered the reason behind the bow when one Reddit user decided to ask and solve the mystery once and for all.
They posted: “Why do so many panties have that little bow on the center front?”
The post quickly went viral, sparking a wave of responses and theories from curious people.
“As for the roots of the tradition? It comes from pre-elastic days when your underthings were held in place by a bit of ribbon threaded through the eyelet lace at the tops.”
“The little bow is where you tied that ribbon, and of course, it’s in the front because that’s the easiest place to do something like that.”
“Same for ballet flats. Ballet shoes that dancers wear tie in the front, so ballet flats sometimes mimic that.”
Many commenters agreed that the bow is also practical for knowing which side is the front, especially when dressing in the dark—something that was much more common in the days before electricity when women would often get dressed by candlelight.
Its popularity truly took off during the Victorian era when it was commonly used to adorn corsets and chemises.
Even today, the bow remains a classic feature on women’s underwear, although some modern designs replace it with alternatives like a small diamante for a bit more sparkle.
It’s true—you really do learn something new every day!
