Well, if I remember right, all history of underwear books tell you what a scandal it was when (was it catherine de medici?) in the 16th century started to wear drawers, inspired by the eastern countries. Then, it was actually the 19th century when drawers became common and were no sign of scandal or anything else. >>
I would treat with caution any stories of the scandalous things Catherine de Medici did. At least one of these stories (13" iron corset) seems to have been anti-French propaganda on the part of the British, coming from a Victorian history of underwear (_Freaks of Fashion, the Corset and the Crinoline_, by somebody or other Lord; per Valerie Steele's _A Cultural History of the Corset_)
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