Why Women’s Undergarments Often Feature a Small Decorative Bow

If you’ve ever glanced at a pair of women’s underwear, you may have noticed a small, delicate bow stitched near the waistband.

For many, it appears to be nothing more than a decorative flourish — a tiny, charming accent added by designers to make lingerie look “cute” or feminine.

Yet this tiny bow is far more than a simple embellishment. Its story stretches back centuries, linking modern fashion to practical necessities from a time before elastic waistbands, electricity, and mass-produced clothing.

While today it may seem purely stylistic, the bow carries echoes of a time when women’s garments were more labor-intensive to create, wear, and navigate.