Frilly Knickers
[ 7 August 2007 ]
Last night I went to a lingerie show in a fabulous art deco-style bar. It was quite odd — not at all what I expected, more like a burlesque show than anything else — but it got me thinking about the way lingerie makes you feel. The good stuff can make you feel amazing, while conversely there’s nothing quite as depressing as a pair of faded knickers with the elastic coming out.
Underwear shopping can be great fun, & it’s even better, once you’ve bought it, to parade it in front of your lover or other unsuspecting victim. I suggest sitting them down somewhere — in your house, not a fast food restaurant — putting on some lusty tune (I like Gloria Lewis by Kyuss) & removing your clothes to reveal your newest lacy tidbit. Obviously, this technique is not to everyone’s taste — sometimes it’s good to just run into the living room wearing your new panties, yell something, & run out again. It’s up to you.
When it comes to actually purchasing the stuff, in my opinion, you should always spend as much as you can on bras — primarily because once your boobs start to sag, there is nowhere for them to go but DOWN... & we don’t want that! We have the technology, so make the most of it! Make sure you get your bras FITTED by an old woman with a measuring tape. Don’t be nervous or weirded out, she’s seen it all before! I also suggest trotting along during period week & buying one specifically for that time of the month, since so many women’s boobs change shape during that week. I am perhaps extra-cautious but I like to get EVERY bra properly fitted, & I always ask them to adjust the straps for me. I would just rather they did it — they’re the experts, after all. It’s not that I relish the interactions with the women who do it, it’s just important to me that my boobs are well-supported & I’m in the right size.
It is estimated that between 80-85% of women are wearing the WRONG SIZE BRA! The horror! If you’re wearing bad or inappropriate underwear, you could be wearing Dior & look like Quasimodo. Ill-fitting bras can give you a hugely unflattering line around your back, give the appearance of sagginess or cause the dreaded four-boob. (“No! Not the Dreaded Four-Boob! Anything but that!”) For proof of how much better a good bra can make you look, check out these fabulous bra makeovers by Oprah — what an incredible difference! So, cherish your bosoms & deck ‘em out with lace, beautiful fabrics & bows. That’s an order!
One thing you should always think about when you’re buying underwear is how it will look under clothes. If you can’t imagine it, then while you’re still in the changing room, throw your dress back on & have a look. (Don’t forget to take it off & pay for it!) There is some really cute stuff out there, like ruffle-butt or side-tie panties for example, which under clothing looks WRONG. All lumpy & weird, causing a “hey, my butt doesn’t normally look like that!” situation. The same goes for bras. I have some which are beautiful but have a bow on the top of the cup, making me look, in clothing, as if my nipples are severely displaced. Beware the perils of the badly-placed bow! Yarrrr!
While I strongly endorse boosting the economy while simultaneously boosting your bust, I am a total sucker for cheap underpants. (Knickers. “Panties”. Whatever.) I used to go to the children’s department of this chain store in New Zealand called The Warehouse (classy, no?) & buy all manner of knickers for about $1.79 a pop. It made me SO happy. It was cheaper than a bottle of soft drink, for crying out loud. Hard to argue with that! I had yellow ones with blue glittery polka-dots, striped ones (piratey, arrr!), some with a glittery teacup on the hip & one with a crown at the front. Love. Of course, at $1.79, they didn’t last long… but still, I am mad for fun, colourful, inexpensive knickers.
Here are my lingerie commandments. Live it! Learn it!
Always have thy brassieres fitted to you — fear not old women with measuring tapes;
Appraiseth ye olde visible panty-line scenario before purchase;
Boost the economy while boosting your bosom;
Stocketh uppeth on cute, cheap knickers;
Bid a tender farewell to ye olde, faded, stretched-out of shape undergarments.
These are some garments which I would be more than happy to wear under my clothes — or in some cases, instead of.
Anything by Agent Provocateur is pretty hard to say “no” to. This style is called Cookie, & as you can see, it is absolutely gorgeous.
I am also crazy about Etta...
& Gwendoline.
For those of us who aren’t quite pimping enough to deck our halls with boughs of Agent Provocateur, here are some sweet little pieces that shouldn’t break the bank!
Silk stripe knickers by Topshop — “...with a silk square in front pouch to write a personalised message”. £30. Strange, yes. I’m trying to think of an efficient use of that message space. It’s your lucky day? Welcome!? Boo!?
Sparkle & fade silk chiffon slip from Urban Outfitters. $19.99! This would look great with a vintage t-shirt over the top or with a long cardigan & big boots. I adore the colour.
Daisy Duck t-shirt also from Urban Outfitters… A nice rendition of the Kubrick ‘Lolita’ cover! Yay! Not strictly lingerie, but shhhh. I wish it wasn’t socially unacceptable to just wear underpants & a t-shirt in public, I think it’s about the cutest thing ever.
Do you have any secret, favourite online sources for great underoos? Share the knicker love!
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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I love how you put quotation marks around “panties.” I’m sure it’s a very funny-sounding word to you; I assure you, I get a bit of a laugh out of “knickers” every time as well!
I once dated a man who was very anti-lace. Ten months of white cotton underwear was hell on earth for me! Thank god my current boyfriend has had no trouble expressing his love for over-the-top underthings! (On ME, of course!)
Baby Doll boutique!
Awesome pin-up pants, and all kinds of pretty stockings; plus loads of cute shoes and frocks.
http://www.babygirlboutique.com/index.html
Stockings: http://www.babygirlboutique.com/hosiery.html
Pants: http://www.babygirlboutique.com/lingerie.html ,
and: http://www.babygirlboutique.com/retro-pinup- panties.html
“run into the living room wearing your new panties, yell something, & run out again.” that sounds EXACTLY like something i would do!! :]
and i am in love with cutesey knickers! the boy on the other hand is always asking me if i’m 10.
and i tend to buy them from the leggs hanes bali playtex outlet store. i’m not quite sure if they have a website though… :\
It may be boring, but there is no knicker I love more than boy leg bonds undies. You can buy them EVERYWHERE, they come in all colours and cute patterns AND they hold in ur butt cheeks, so no need to worry about critical sightings when ur wearing ur fav mini skirt. :D What more can a gal want…
http://thunderpants.co.nz
“Thunderpants – they won’t go up your bum!” I choose to believe that I DON’T have a super-giant arse, but these are the only knickers I’ll ever wear now, because they actually fit.
Thank you for advocating getting a bra properly fitted!
Also, if one wears a too-tight bra, the risk of breast cancer is significantly heightened. That should be enough for everyone to go out and get fitted. It’s really not that bad.
and I laughed really hard about “running into the room, yelling something, and then running out again.” That’s hilarious.
oh, and “knickers” makes me giggle too. But I also hate the word “panties.” I just call ‘em underwear. :D
i just wanted to jump in on this topic and suggest some bra retailers that serve women with larger busts…as the one’s pictured here are incredible, but are likely to only work for those who are smaller busted!
i personally have a LOT of trouble finding good bras because my band size is small, but my boobs are big. many american stores completely ignore women who fit that description. many of those that can be found in these sizes are more suited for octogenarians. :P
anyway, a few suggestions that might help other beautiful ladies who may be of a similar ilk:
http://www.bravissimo.com/ is a fabulous british chain that ships overseas.
http://www.figleaves.com/us/home.asp is a US company that carries bras with larger cup sizes and smaller band sizes.
“run into the living room wearing your new panties, yell something, & run out again”
I lol’d.
my favourite pair of underpants right now was made by melbournian jessie tucker and bought from madame fancy pants in wellington! v. comfy and cute, and they came with a story about “the adventures of jessie tucker” (she sailed across the sea/ got lost in the forest/ and rode wild stallions in the desert)
www.jessietucker.net
www.madamefancypants.com
Gala, I love this post.
www.jessietucker.net
Oh my god, I’m in love.
Damn they dont have a stockist in AK, next time I’m in welly I am so there.
“...with a silk square in front pouch to write a personalised message”
it looks like a convenient place to store a condom, imo…
Hehe, I work in an underwear store (Cotton On Body), so I see a lot of panties, but none as cute as these!
We have nice boyleg ones though, my favourites are pale green and cream candy striped, with cream lace.
I would suggest showing off your underwear to your friends instead of your lover. They seem to appreciate the lingerie more. Seriously, my favorite thing in the world is lingerie. People used to come into my dorm and ask to see it because they heard I had such a colorful collection. And my, er, ‘lovers’? Yeah, their favorite was usually my Tool boyshorts. Otherwise, it was usually a “oh yeah, that’s pretty, let’s move on.”
_However, when I brought it up with a few, I usually got, “Well, I think its more of a turn-on that you feel so good about yourself in your lingerie.” So if nothing else…
Personally I’ve been working on vintage inspired underwear (since I wear alot of 40’s and 50’s wear). So whatkatiedid.com is my fave place. Still, it takes a little getting used to the bullet bra look!
La Vie en Rose is my favourite in Canada.
Gala, I think you’re in a piratey mood today.
I have just started reading your blog and I love it!
I just thought I should mention also that Agent Provocateur are also having their annual sale.. with some at 60% off. It’s the only time I buy from them because otherwise it’s just too expensive. I got myself some nice leather gloves this time too! =)
eeek! this could not have come at a better time, miss gala! :) my old, worn-out bras are dying a slow and tortuous death, and also are a teeny weeny bit too small (I think the couple of times i threw them in the dryer ‘cause I needed them pronto! shrunk them). ugh. even the boy has noted that the current range of bras aren’t fitting right. ;) so I think after next payday I should take myself to the nearest store where I can get a proper fitting and just shell out the $$ for a nice bra! (I’m ultra-cheapo; my last bra cost $14!! which I think therein lies the problem)
thanks a zillion for the article on undie shopping! all that gorgeous lingerie is sooo tempting; makes me want to go out and spend gobs on some frillies!! hehe.
I think I just went blind looking at this article =oP
Andrea — Panties is such a dirty old man word! Well, it is to me anyway, because I think before I started using the internet, I had never heard it. It gives me the creeps like mad!
Damsel — I LOVE Bonds undies too. It’s really sad that they don’t have an online shop, because I often want to induct Americans into the cult of comfortable cute underwear but I CAN’T!
Nadine — I hear good things about Thunderpants, & have for years! But they don’t look the way I like undies to look, so I have never tried them on. I am shallow, ‘tis true!
tricia — Awesome links, thank you. I know that most women with big boobs go through hell trying to find something which fits. I never even knew you had a large, um, rack! Obviously your bra does what it should!
moira — OOH, that website is great! & I LOVE her teaparty set, it is WAYYYY cute.
Winona — I love YOU! ;D
dani — Wouldn’t that be… uncomfortable?
Chesney — You just need more refined lovers, obviously! Haha. I admire anyone who goes the vintage underwear route, I just do not have the patience!
Opium — Walk the plank, ye lily-livered wench!
Amelia — Hey, thanks! I saw they’re having a sale. I had to hide my credit card… I love their accessories & gloves, yum!
Casey — Hooray! I think that having great underwear will actually give you a new lease on life. Sounds dramatic, but it’s true!
Robin — You dirty old man! xx
Pants! (The word “panties” makes me want to vomit. Also, I’m British, so no “underpants”.
I recommend that any British readers of iCiNG stop reading this comment list immediately and run run run as fast as they can to their nearest Accessorize because the sales are still on and they have awesome pants. I got frilly things with bows, grey and white madness with a bow at the back, and LADYBIRD PANTS.
Of course if you are reading this comment list at night, wait until tomorrow because Accessorize will be shut.
Old?
Thanks!!! xoxo
I love Smitten Kitten on Degraves St. It’s so damn girly and frilly and the girls who work there wear corsets, garters and heels on a daily basis! So awesome.
Plus, go to their website and sign up for their newsletter!
http://www.smittenkitten.com.au
i totally love shopping for underwear, its the best joy, more better than shopping for clothes.
it makes me happy, thanks for posting this!!
“It is estimated that between 80-85% of women are wearing the WRONG SIZE BRA!”
Sadly, in the States, I imagine part of that is due to Victoria’s Secret, and the way in which they measure a woman for bras. They use a “vintage” measuring technique (which I think was used pre-1950s), that is no longer standard in bras. You shouldn’t be adding and subtracting inches from your bust line and rib cage to get your size.
Eternity — That was the cutest comment ever!
Robin — Ahhhhh you love it :D
Nadia — I’ve never been in there, just walked past. Maybe I should make a special visit.
Ashe — Hmm, maybe, but I think it’s actually more due to the fact that women aren’t taught that they need to have their bras fitted, & it’s so much easier to just grab one off a rack & buy it. Or women don’t make allowances for the fact their bust will change as they get older!
now I want to go buy cute sexy underwear hehe
Great timing with this article, as I am off to do a little bra and undie shopping tonight! I have resolved to throw out all the old/faded/stretched undergarments I own and make my underthings a little more sparkly and pretty. Thanks Gala! A little shopping inspiration is always appreciated. :) *
Cute underoos, very cheap, a bit addicting (they have new ones literally every week!)
http://www.forever21.com/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=intimates&Page=all
I have known of the existence of bra fitters, but is there such a thing as a knicker fitter? My butt-hip-thigh area is just massively weird, I haven’t found a pair that fit me properly since I was 10 years old and made of sticks. Am I just stuck with trial and error?
I need to go shopping now. Frilly things are calling to me.
hehehe naughty me…after reading this i went straight onto the AP website and ordered myself two new bras!
They are having a really good sale.
All i need now are some Manolos and my life will be complete _
xoxo
I saw the Daisy Duck Lolita t-shirt when I was in London and for some reason I DIDN’T BUY IT
Can’t remember why now, and I’m kicking myself.
I love Hello Kitty underwear.
On the whole getting measured thing…
We’ve all been “trained” to do so at my store, and it’s not too hard, except that our chart is whacky (inches and centimeters don’t match up) and it’s impossible to follow, and when we’ve tried on the bra our fit chart seems to suggest, it’s been wrong wrong wrong. So we can work out back size, but for cup size we tend to give the person a range and just see what feels most comfortable, and check the fit for them if they’re not sure.
But yes, the fitting process is not perfect, particularly at, dare I say it, lower end stores like mine.
I love the Agent Provocateur boutique in London. So fun.
And the Dior lingerie collections are usually works or art. Not that I’ve ever owned any :/
for shopping
www.angelsdream.eu
www.zodee.com.au
www.ellemacphersonintimates.com
And the www.bijoubra.com products are the best invention ever for people that can’t find bra’s that fit easily becuase they can make even the plainest uderwear special…
Batopus — Hmm, not that I know of. Have you tried those magic knickers which pull you in & create a smooth silhouette? Maybe they are your answer!
Rachael — Ahh… that’s why I like old women at snooty department stores, haha!
Aww, thanks, lol. It’s the power of the ladybird pants. Infectious cuteness.
Oh and anyone with knickers issues should try making their own from t-shirts-you-no-longer want-to-keep-as-t-shirts, it’s not difficult:
http://www.supernaturale.com/articles.html?id=70
Ha, I guess I should have read this earlier…
I have issues with bra buying, but that’s because I’m >32A. (I wouldn’t wear one, but I don’t want my nipples to be saying hello to everybody!) So the stuff I can afford that fits is mostly H& M. I’ve probably actually never worn a bra that “fits”, so I don’t know what comfortable is supposed to feel like. I guess I should get a fitting, but… not so much with the monies right now.
This article comes at a perfect time for me—I need to do an underwear drawer restock! Perhaps I’ll tear myself away from brightly coloured boyshorts long enough to find something frilly :)
Y’know, I maintain that the whole ‘pants-means-underpants’ bit is a Southerner Thing. No Brit I know in real life uses it. I mean, underpants. They go under the pants!
Anyway. I really need to get myself measured, because none of my bras are fitting me at the moment, and I can’t figure out which bit is wrong. I’m definately not the size I measure myself as. Or possibly the bras in the shops aren’t the size they pretend to be. I know there’s a million different sizes, even in one store. I should just stick to M&S, where I have a vague idea what might fit!
Lovely article on underclothing! I personally love Victoria’s Secret bras which I have my sister ship to me from the US (I’m from the Philippines) and I’ve sworn never to buy cheap bras ever again. I agree with you on the panties, cheap ones are always the best, even if they wear out easily, you can always buy more of them, right? :D
Being a lady of significant endowment, I have taken lingerie very seriously for many years. I already knew how to fit myself for a bra, but this article made me go and get checked. I was happy to find I was right on the money! :D
I like the idea of cute cotton underoos with pirates, bunnies, cupcakes or similar on them, but I have a weird lingerie issue, where my tops and bottoms have to match – I feel frumpy all day if they don’t. It seems quite rare to find cutesy undies with matching bras – at least in any decent quality.
I usually buy Elle McPherson stuff, because I love the style, fit, and quality of her stuff (there’s a noticable different between Elle McP and Bendon), but do you hear that shrieking sound?? That’s the sound my credit card made when I read that AP were having a sale ;)
I’m all for sexy yummy undies…problem is its hard to find for plus sized mamas! Much easier to find things that embarress aposed to make one feel sexy. :( boo. However….those wonderful models are totally rockin it!
girls room has cute matching bras and undies. you can get their stuff from farmers.
torrid.com has cute stuff for larger ladies
hahaha thanks to you I ran around in my underoos all day yesterday! =D
Fuck frills, granny pants is where it’s at.
I lovelovelove Johnny Cupcakes anything haha, grandness I say!
Arrrrr! I’m not the only one obsessed with underwear!
If only I was willing to spend £30 on those TopShop knickers with the pocket! They’re beautiful!
I love the advice Gala, although i didn’t even know you COULD get fitted bras! (i use capitals instead of italics) whoa…i feel slow. Hmm…I do have the urge to point out, the last two pics from agent provacator were a bit scary. I mean whats up with the girl who looks like she’s tied up?? and the one with the girl with the blindfold. Idk, that just creeps me out. That shouldn’t be considered sexy.
I freakin love my country (Chile) but how I HATE the fact that almost every cool store in the world will NEVER get here :’( or send their stuff here; not even Victoria’s Secret has a store here. Agent Provocateur has some amazing I would buy for sure..I only have two sexy garments, which I bought in Victoria’s Secret when I went to the US. It’s a shame cause they fit SO well (great for my tiny boobs xD) compared to most of the bras I have bought here in Chile :(
With this article in mind, I went and got fitted for a bra yesterday after realising I’d never bought my own bras. (My mum gave me some in a size she thought would fit me and every now and then would give me some new ones in that same size… I’m now 22. That’s been going on for a while)
The storewoman was horrified because she fitted me as a 12DD and I’d been wearing 12B. (*blush*)
Now I have fitting bras and I’m so entertained by my breasts at the moment. They’re so pushed up and THERE and …my gosh. Hurrah!
Now to find cute bras in my size….
where can I buy agent provocateur???????????????????????????
Ha ha, I have to agree totally with Eternity’s comments about Accessorize at Monsoon AND the word panties, mine are called pants, although I sometimes call them kaks as well – according to my sis the following are the best for making your bum look amazing, she hardly recognised hers when she put these on!
http://www.monsoon.co.uk/invt/19711399
Xxx
Hi!
to all those ladies who love the jessie Tucker Knickers:
We have a few pairs left of her summer knickers left. But get them quick because they may become collectors items (well…you know!)
Jessie is going to be stopping her own design venture for a wee while/few years to get more training and work for a major underwear company….. sad but I am sure she will come out even MORE amazing!
xoxmfp
I love your blog, I’ve only started reading it. I love the photos on here aswell. I love Miss Selfridge underwear!
Since my mother took me there to get my first bra fitted at the age of twelve, I’ve made numerous trips back to M&S for fittings, believing it to be the best place to get my tits once and for all sorted. Still, never ever have I on ANY occasion been completely convinced that the bra sizes they gave me were really correct. A few weeks ago, after the woman failed to convince me once again that I am a 32C, I decided to step things up a notch and brave Selfridges. Yes, I was even skeptical as I set foot into the place, convinced that this shopping trip would be no different to all the other times I’ve been bra shopping and that I should just face up to the fact that my boobs are weird. And lo and behold, it turns out that I ACTUALLY measure a 28DD, and for the first time ever my bra isn’t riding up at the back, there isn’t a humongous gap in between my boob and the cup and the middle of the bra actually sits on the skin in between the boobs! I’m still reeling. For all those others who are of the small back ilk, M&S, who don’t even MAKE bras in these sizes, just won’t cut it. God, I am happy. Yes, I spent a good £80 on only three bras, and I feel I’d feel incredibly guilty under most circumstances spending that much money in one go, except that I also all of a sudden understand what other women mean when they say that a good bra is worth it’s weight in gold, and dammit they fit me!