A Brief History of Underwear. The history of underwear is filled with a pageant of garments that are unhygienic, erotic, uncomfortable, mind bogglingly impractical, and frequently just plain funny. The wonderful photos and illustrations in the book include a pair of Queen Victoria's vast draws, with full Royal monogram. She was given to passing them on to ladies in waiting who had given special service. Dulcie Lewis is well known to WI audiences for her humorous talks on topics ranging from early baths and lavatories to the development of beauty treatments and cosmetics. This book is outrageous and beautifully readable.