It’s such a familiar little detail that most of us don’t even notice it anymore—a tiny, discreet, and charming bow that adorns most women’s underwear. A stylist’s whim? Just another bit of frill? Not exactly.

Behind this little ribbon lies a fascinating, often-overlooked chapter in the history of women’s clothing. And once you know it, you’ll never see that bow the same way again.

Where did this famous bow come from?

Before our drawers were filled with modern-cut lingerie, women’s underwear wasn’t fitted and didn’t have elastic. Yes, elastic—that invention that now feels as obvious as a zipper—didn’t always exist. In the past, underwear was loose, held in place by a simple cord threaded through a casing. And how was that cord secured? Tied at the front, of course.

That little bow we still see on underwear today is a subtle nod to that old fastening system—a small stylistic wink at a time when lingerie was both practical and poetic.