Panties and others

Many women love receiving lingerie from the man in their life, and most men love giving it as a gift. It’s not uncommon for a man to give his significant other a racy piece of lingerie for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or other celebrations. The appeal of the gift comes from a woman feeling sexy in something her man bought her, and the man benefiting from the gift by pleasing his girlfriend or wife.

Buying lingerie for someone else can be a tricky business, especially if you don’t know the terminology, sizing, materials, and more. Here’s a quick tip guide to buying the perfect lingerie for your girlfriend or wife.

-First, consider if lingerie is an appropriate gift, and if you are giving it for the right reasons. If you are giving lingerie to encourage a more prominent sex life, the lingerie receiver may not be so keen on the gift. A gift should be given out of caring, not to entice a favor.

-Next, choose the retailer you would like to purchase the lingerie from. Common stores like Victoria’s Secret or Frederick’s of Hollywood can be found in shopping malls, but if you are looking for unique or specific lingerie at discounted prices, try shopping online at places like lingerie retailer <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=http://www.yandy.com/>Yandy</a>.

-Buying online can be beneficial, since there are descriptions for products you may not know about, and you can see how the lingerie is worn on the models. Most online sites also deliver lingerie in plain, non-descript packaging so if you live with your significant other, they won’t know what you ordered.

-If you choose to shop in a store, seek the assistance of sales employees. Likely, they will be knowledgeable and very helpful when it comes to choosing what you think your girlfriend or wife would like.

-Before you begin shopping, you need to know what sort of lingerie your significant other would like. If they dress conservatively and hate flashy apparel, you don’t want to get them something ostentatious or risqué. First, think about (or look at) the lingerie she already owns. Is it sexy sheer baby doll tops and racy thongs? Or sweet and simple bra tops with matching panties? Take a que from what she has and likes and stick with that. If she doesn’t own any lingerie, start simple with something like a chemise or gown, or matching bra and panties.

-Know her size. This can be difficult to find out, but it is essential. You don’t want to get something too big or too small to insult her size. Check the tags of her current lingerie and clothes, and write down bra cup sizes, shirt sizes, panty sizes, and if possible, corset/baby doll/ other lingerie sizes. Most websites have measurement guides if you’re buying online, and a sales associate in store can tell you what best matches.

-Choose fabric that is comfortable. Though you may enjoy it, a leather and vinyl body suit may not be what she is into. Don’t buy cheap, scratchy fabric that may give her a rash. If you’re buying a gift, pay the extra money to get something nice. Be aware of any fabric allergies she may have (latex, etc).

-Here is something that most men do not consider when buying lingerie: what is her discomfort level with what she reveals? While you may want to see her in a barely-there thong and open cup bra, she may find that too much to handle. If she is insistent on not showing her stomach, opt for a teddy or chemise that covers it. However, it can be very flattering to buy something that exposes her “discomfort area” (such as her stomach, thighs, or whatever else she doesn’t like about her self) and tell her how beautiful you think she is. This could encourage her to be happier with her self image if you express how much you like her body.

No matter what lingerie you choose for your girlfriend or wife, it is important to show her you care about her, whether the gift is for fun or for a celebration. Have fun picking it out and presenting it to her, and even more fun when she uses it!

Seamless, crotchless, backless… never has a piece of fabric – or lack thereof – created as much sensation. The early 90s saw the rise of the thong – a sliver of fabric leading to a sexy V-shape at the back. The thong, or tanga as the Brazilians dubbed it, promised zero panty lines and plenty of sex appeal.

Its successors have included the G-string, bikini, brief, boyleg and high rise cut. But, despite what men’s magazines would have us believe, it seems the average woman is no longer baring her cheeks in next to nothing lingerie. We still see women buying conventionally sexy G-strings but these days it’s more about comfort. Boylegs are becoming more popular, especially the seamless variety.

Full coverage seamless boy shorts are also now available, ruling out the visible panty line problem. Remember Sex and the City’s Carrie walking around her apartment in boyish Y-fronts, Cameron Diaz’s boy shorts in Charlie’s Angels and Bridget Jones’s granny pants? It seems even Hollywood is saying, ‘So long, thong…’

Bet your Bottom Dollar

So what’s in a thong? Well, there’s not much to it. Fabric, that is. But there is big money. In the early noughties, big business caught on to what a hit the lacy skivvies were. So did Hollywood. Sisqo released the irritatingly catchy ‘Thong Song’ in 2000. The same year Britney Spears released her second album and sexed up new image. As she purred on ‘Oops… I did it again’, a nation of teenage girls copied her low rise jeans and high rise thong look and imitated the accidentally on purpose thong flash. Two years later, a record 123 million thongs were sold in the US, more than double the number sold in 1998. American retail giant Abercrombe and Fitch even released a line of thongs targeted at 10 – 16 year old girls.

This year, online store cafepress reported that, with regards to political merchandise, thongs that are pro Barack Obama are ahead in sales, while Hilary Clinton has taken the lead in men’s boxer sales. Then there’s the whole underwear-as-outwear controversy. Blame it on Christina Aguilera. Remember her Dirty music video in 2002, which featured the singer in a boxing ring wearing cowboy leather chaps minus the crotch bit? In 2007 she released a follow up track, ‘Still Dirrty’, and vowed that she’ll still be dirty at 60.

Not all thong wearers are created equal. While Christina might look cracking in a next to nothing leather number, Kim Kardashian might not. Thongs do not support even the slightest bit of junk in your trunk, as Jimmy Fallon sang in his Sisqo spoof ‘Please don’t wear that Thong: It shows off ya belly roll, don’t wear that thong, thong, thong’.

The Future is Slight

Even though the thong may not be as popular now as it was when it first hit the shelves, it seems it’s here to stay. Admittedly it’s undergone a makeover of sorts – the thong of today bears little resemblance to the one that made its appearance in the early 90s. In 2004 an Australian invention called the backless thong appeared. Unlike the conventional thong, the back straps fit under the crease of the butt cheeks and the side strings fasten like bra straps around the hips.

Then there’s the Cstring, which looks like an Alice band except one side has a gusset and the other a string. A built in wire keeps the thong in place, as there are no straps around the hips. It shows no panty line because, well, there are none. It’s like a cricket box with a strip up the back. You can see it at Cstringdirect’s website.