Underwear is designed to protect one of the body’s most delicate parts, but Victorian-era panties, which frequently included openings, may not have served that goal by today’s standards.

A woman’s dressing routine in the Victorian era was lengthy and intricate, with numerous layers of skirts worn over a crinoline. The underwear was constructed with a handy opening to make it easier for her to relieve herself, despite the fact that this may appear to contradict modern ideas of protection and modesty.