This is testable. Show the panties to a group of people that never grew up in the age where bows were necessary. See if these people like the panties with the bow or without.
I suspect it’s not a skeumorphic thing, but rather just aesthetics. There are probably other ornamentations that work too, like flowers or embroidery
I think you’d have a hard time finding anyone who did grow up in the age where underwear didn’t have elastic, either men or women. Which raises the question, why don’t men’s underwear have bows? Unfair!
This is testable. Show the panties to a group of people that never grew up in the age where bows were necessary. See if these people like the panties with the bow or without.
I suspect it’s not a skeumorphic thing, but rather just aesthetics. There are probably other ornamentations that work too, like flowers or embroidery
It could be a bit of both. Its both aesthetically pleasing and had a historic use.
I think you’d have a hard time finding anyone who did grow up in the age where underwear didn’t have elastic, either men or women. Which raises the question, why don’t men’s underwear have bows? Unfair!