Lingerie is a term for fashionable and alluring women's clothing. It refers specifically to women's undergarments designed to be visually appealing or erotic, typically made from materials such as satin, lace, silk, Lycra, nylon and polyester. The concept of lingerie being visually appealing was developed in the late 1800's. The major purposes of undergarments were transformed to alter the shape of the women's body (first with corsets and later with girdles and bras), for reasons of hygiene and for modesty.