Things of a seductive and lacey nature as Paris played host to its annual Salon de la Lingerie. To mark this event, a few French underwear facts.

A recent survey has revealed that 60% of French men and 75% of French women change their underwear daily – French women spend an average of 130 Euros a year on their lingerie, whilst French men spend a misérable 28 Euros on their underwear. 42% of women chose their underwear for its « seductive » qualities whilst 43% purchase ther undies with comfort in mind. Whatever the criteria, 22% of ladies buy their underwear in supermarkets or chainstores, and the most popular colour is white. The French lingerie industry is worth around 2.8 billion Euros a year.

As for the bra or brassiere – the first world patent for a bra was registered in France in 1889 – a clever little device for holding the boobs up from above, rather than supporting them from below as the uncomfortable corset had done for years