People Are Just Learning Why Knickers Have Bows On Front & Their ‘Minds Are Blown’

Many underwear brands sell knickers with small bows on the front and most of us will think little of it – but people are just learning that they’re not only for decorationNo matter where you buy your knickers from, you’ll likely have noticed that more often than not they have little bows sewn to the middle of the waistband on the front.

It’s a feature that lots of underwear shares and something many people won’t spend too much time thinking about – except for when you’re getting dressed in the dark and can’t work out which way round they are meant to go.

But it turns out there’s a lot more to the tiny piece of ribbon than many initially thought.

A Reddit user went viral after explaining the meaning behind the little bows – and the post has recently resurfaced once more, blowing people’s minds all over again.

The original post asked: “Why do so many panties have that little bow on the centre front? Where did the tradition come from?”

The most common reply to this question was that the bow used to keep people’s underwear from falling down as elastic was yet to be invented – but today it also remains on knickers for aesthetic reasons.

One person said: “Now? Because it’s cute, it’s feminine, it evokes innocence, and it makes it really easy to tell which side is the front when dressing hastily in the dark

“As for the roots of the tradition? It comes from pre-elastic days when your underthings were held in place by a bit of ribbon threaded through the eyelet lace at the tops.

“The little bow is where you tied that ribbon, and of course, it’s in the front because that’s the easiest place to do something like that.”

Someone else seconded this explanation, adding: “Originally the idea came from pre-elastic days when you had to tie it. Same for ballet flats. Ballet shoes that dancers wear tie in the front so ballet flats mimic that sometimes.”

As you might expect, the bow has also been used to distinguish the front and back of underwear for years.

Centuries ago, before electricity, many women would have to get up before dawn and dress in the dark – or by candlelight.

The bow made it easier to put them on with little light to see and still does today.

Many people admitted they didn’t know the reason behind the bow, with some claiming it had “blown their mind”.

One person replied: “Holy s**t you just blew my mind.”

Another wrote: “I always wondered what that damn bow was there for. I always found them a bit stupid but I learned to ignore them. It’s interesting to know why they were there to begin with (as a practical way to tie your underwear).”

Someone else claimed they love the bow, posting: “Personally love it. I am completely blind without my glasses and sometimes I need to put on panties in a hurry. This is how I can just feel which part goes in front. Lmao but if I’m not being lazy, I get your point.”

However, there were some who shared their ‘hatred’ for the bows, with a different user admitting they always remove the bows from their underwear as they find them “annoying”.