The Secret Life Of Syrian Lingerie

February 13, 2011 10:43 AM

"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."
posted by artof.mulata (29 comments total)

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.
posted by artof.mulata at 10:48 AM on February 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

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
posted by infini at 10:53 AM on February 13, 2011

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.
posted by artof.mulata at 11:01 AM on February 13, 2011

Me neither ;) Perhaps someone might but in the meantime I'm enjoying the write up, thanks!
posted by infini at 11:06 AM on February 13, 2011

Metafilter: Haven't we done a post on Syrian lingerie before?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 11:07 AM on February 13, 2011 [7 favorites]

this theory of geographical sexy religiosity would put the pope in crotchless panties?
GOD HELP ME I'VE GONE FUCKING BLIND!
posted by kitchenrat at 11:10 AM on February 13, 2011 [3 favorites]

So, somewhere in utah, there's a lot of wives in rubber, leather or barbed wire undies, then?
posted by jonmc at 11:15 AM on February 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

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.
posted by ukdanae at 11:17 AM on February 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

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.
posted by daisystomper at 11:25 AM on February 13, 2011 [2 favorites]

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.
posted by Afroblanco at 11:27 AM on February 13, 2011 [3 favorites]

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.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:27 AM on February 13, 2011

tacky != risqué
posted by rifflesby at 11:34 AM on February 13, 2011 [2 favorites]

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

Maybe not.
posted by ghharr at 11:43 AM on February 13, 2011 [2 favorites]

You're right, Zappa singing "Catholic Girls" would really hit the spot right now.
posted by I love you more when I eat paint chips at 11:50 AM on February 13, 2011

I, for one, am shocked that people's private behavior contradicts their outer appearance.
posted by jenlovesponies at 11:53 AM on February 13, 2011 [2 favorites]

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.
posted by stilist at 12:09 PM on February 13, 2011

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
posted by infini at 12:12 PM on February 13, 2011

Make sure Lady Gaga never sees this.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:13 PM on February 13, 2011 [4 favorites]

I have heard similar things about Amish and Mennonite women, though I have no idea if it's true.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:09 PM on February 13, 2011

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.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:38 PM on February 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

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

Eponysterical on two levels.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 2:04 PM on February 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

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.'
posted by verstegan at 2:49 PM on February 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is not like my favourite lingerie post.
posted by unliteral at 4:17 PM on February 13, 2011

Which of these links goes to the risque lingerie? I see some regular lingerie made out of stupid things like fur and sequins.
posted by DU at 6:01 PM on February 13, 2011 [1 favorite]

There are also smiley faces and charm bracelet panties.
posted by gjc at 6:04 PM on February 13, 2011

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...
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 12:14 AM on February 14, 2011

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.
posted by Fezzer at 3:23 AM on February 14, 2011

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.
posted by vytae at 2:54 PM on February 14, 2011

vytae, I doubt anyone wears those garments except under 'private' situations.
Hopefully...
posted by artof.mulata at 7:14 PM on February 14, 2011