Alrighty
then! Today we are taking on shape wear, underwear, foundation garments, personal support
systems, brassieres, pantalettes, or whatever else you call the layer between
your skin and your outerwear.
Not to get
too personal, but do you look like this?
OR this?
Under this?
Many years
ago I read some romance novel and the heroine hoisted herself into her bra and
slipped into her matching panties and the earth sort of spun out of orbit for a
second and then settled a little wonky on it’s axis. I dashed to my dresser,
peeked inside my undies drawer and realized I had nothing! Nothing! Functional,
plain, somewhat distressed (okay, mostly manky) underwear lay limp in the drawer.
True, no one
(cause I was a young teen) knew what my under garments looked like, but I suddenly
became a tad bit obsessed. Not because I had been indoctrinated by unrealistic heroines that I couldn't possibly emulate, but because there was something, to me, inherently womanly and feminine in slipping into a delicate and functional layer, that was private.
Because you
can look like this
OR this
While granny panties are making a strong comeback and there a few catchy phrases surrounding them (if it is possible to surround them) - I think with most of todays fashions you'll find yourself camouflaging a lot of excess material. I mean, they make low-rise underwear!
Really, the
only person it should matter to is you, I sincerely mean this.
Then came the
day I got a roommate from Paris. That was a wake-up call on many fronts. The book, French Women Don’t Get Fat… well, my roommate was the
quintessential Frenchwoman. She could eat buttered baguette with Brie every day
of her life and not have an extra ounce on her. Of course in addition to being petite she was well
groomed, a fashion plate, funny, smart, and… well, what else is there for her
to be?
One day,
about two months after she moved in, she received a parcel from her mother. She
opened it, and pulled out matching bras and panties. That’s it. No homemade
treats, no photos of the family, no mementos. Undies. Just as I was
about to ask her why, she passed me a stack. I slid the material between my
fingers, I tugged at the waistband, I feel the velvety soft straps of the bras
and I was convinced. The French know what they are doing. I passed the stack
back, and she said, in her lilting and elegant voice, “Mais non! These are for
you. Ma mere sent you a gift for making me feel so welcome.” (Make sure you
roll your “r’s” and speak through your nose as you read this, maybe mutter a
little ‘unh, huhn-hunh.)
While writing Cognac & Couture, which takes place during Fall Fashion Week in Paris, I had the opportunity to explore the world of French lingerie. You should take a peek at this link, French Lingerie! To be fair, there is gorgeous lingerie to be found worldwide.
So! What is
the moral of this story? Treat yourself. Get measured. Wear what fits and what feels comfortable. Wear what speaks to
you, what you need… and then when there are days where the world tries to make
you feel like this
You can say,
“Mais non! Beecuz, I have dis.”
