Unmentionables on your coffee table

I was trying to find a good coffee table book - likely going to be something related to travel (i.e. something with wonderful pictures from around the globe) - but in doing the search, I ran into a couple interesting links.

The latter had this interesting book in their list..

Unmentionables: A Brief History of Underwear by Elaine Benson and John Esten (Simon & Schuster) dives right to the heart of the matter with the book flap: "Garters. Bras. Briefs. Corselettes. Underpants. We know what these sexy items are, but how much do we really know about them?" How much do you want to know? This book takes you from strategically placed fig leafs on Adam and Eve to "fetishistic paraphernalia, intrinsic elements of sadomasochistic fantasy."

Apparently, "this thoroughly illustrated volume covers all, from the first fig leaf to the newest Fruit of the Looms and from bloomers to panties, revealing a side of humanity not often seen in public."

Or as Judith Newman wrote in the NYT more than a decade back when the book was first published in 1996:

Smart and sprightly, the lavishly illustrated UNMENTIONABLES is a literary rummage through lingerie drawers past and present.

A literary rummage through lingerie drawers. Nicely put! :)

Related books: How Underwear Got Under There by Kathy Shaskan & Regan Dunnick and Inside Out: A Brief History of Underwear by Shelley Tobin.

(I really should have a tag called 'Books'. This is NOT Literature!)