Despite their state of decay, the knickers bear more than a passing resemblance to the string bikini briefs that are popular today, while the bra has the fitted cups and delicate straps of its modern-day counterparts.

While it was known that medieval men wore undergarments that looked like modern-day shorts, it was thought that women simply wore a smock or chemise.

Hilary Davidson, fashion curator at the Museum of London, said that the discovery “totally rewrites” fashion history, adding : “Nothing like this has ever come up before.”