Archive for the 'Intimate Wisdom' Category
What is the Proper Layering Sequence with Shapewear?
November 24, 2008
I think all of us at one time or another have wondered about the proper sequence of undergarments. Let’s say you have a pair of pantyhose, a panty, and a piece of shapewear. In what order do you put them on? Do you wear all of them or forfeit something?
We posed this question to 13 of our shapewear vendors including Spanx, Bali, BodyWrap, Va Bien and TC Fine. We were stunned to hear they all had the same response. It was, forget the panties, put on your pantyhose, and then put on your shapewear.
Are you surprised? We here in the office were. For starters, most of us felt panties should be worn. The reason the manufacturers feel they aren’t necessary is because they all make shapewear with a cotton crotch or an accessible crotch. Therefore, shapewear is specifically designed to eliminate the need for panties.
I took a poll of the women in our office about this. The responses fell roughly along age lines. Our younger crowd agreed about not wearing panties. Many had tried panties on under their shapewear, but found that the panty created an additional line – even when they tried laser edge cut panties like Commandos. Our more mature crowd simply likes the idea of panties and wouldn’t consider not wearing them.
The reason pantyhose go on first is because if put on over shapewear, they tend to slide down due to the slick nature of the shapewear fabric. You can spend the night feeling your pantyhose inching down your body and finding yourself in the ladies room several times in order to pull them back up. The panthose can also cause a line that otherwise would be smoothed out if shapewear was put on over it. Now, that said, there are several shapewear pieces that have silicone gripper tape along the legs to keep the shapewear in place. Putting this gripper tape on top of pantyhose renders it worthless, and could possibly cause a run in the pantyhose. So, there can be some conflicting results in this situation.
Personally, this is what I do. I don’t wear panties. I also don’t wear pantyhose. If I want leg covering, I buy thigh-high stockings. Since my shapewear of preference is a biker short style, I first put on my thigh-highs, pull up my shapewear, and make sure the top of my stockings are secured by my shapewear. Now, I really only have one layer on, I’m comfortable, not hot, and have a very simple solution when I need to visit the ladies room.
Does anyone have any better ideas here? If so, I hope you’ll post them here in comments.
Find shapewear at HerRoom in these departments:
Shapewear
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Posted by Tomima at 11:53am
2 Comments »
Why Lingerie Lace Can Be Itchy
November 14, 2008
When reading the product reviews our customers write, there are occasional comments about the lace being itchy. Well, there is a very good explanation for this– and a solution.
Anyone who has done some sewing will tell you that one of the biggest challenges is sewing on a trim. It requires a lot of planning, pinning, and careful sewing or it will look terrible. And lace is a particularly difficult trim to sew on well. It can be slippery and can stretch as you sew it. It’s also very thin and rather flimsy. So, one way manufacturers insure that the lace is sewn on efficiently and correctly is to have it treated with a starch or stiffening agent. This agent can give the lace a rather stiff hand and consequently render it itchy.
The good news is that all of these agents are water-based and designed to be washed out. After one or two washings, the lace on your lingerie should take on a much softer hand.
Now, having said all of this, some lace will always be stiff and scratchy. And this lace is much less expensive. Therefore, let price-point be your guide when selecting lacy lingerie. You will pay a little more, but get a much more beautiful and softer lace.
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Posted by Tomima at 9:37am
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Project Runway Winner – What’s She Underwearing?
November 10, 2008
This month, Leanne Marshall was the Project Runway Winner with her fabulous collection inspired by water elements such as waves, bubbles, soft colors and transparent elements. As is usually the case, models wear these designs without any undergarments to allow for quick changes and eliminate the chance of any VPL or bra strap slip. We, however, need to wear undergarments. So, here’s my pick for what we should be underwearing with this winning design by Marshall.
I picked this bra by LZ because it’s the perfect bra for a woman who wants support, but also wants to wear plunging and/or open necklines. It’s a great choice when your only other option would be to go braless.
This Spanx slimmer piece was picked for several reasons. White pants are one of the biggest lingerie challenges because almost anything can be seen through them. This Spanx piece comes up as high on the waist as these high waisted pants. This eliminates any extraneous horizontal panty lines. The control guarantees a smooth line from high-waist to calves, the cotton crotch makes wearing a panty optional, and the leg band gives you a bare foot look that is preferrable when wearing sandals.
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Posted by Tomima at 12:41pm
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