Marriage Meander

Lingerie, making you beautiful!

(Photo courtesy of WM Studios)

Lingerie is an important confidence enhancer and necessity these days amongst women of all walks of life. Whether it be for practical reasons or for entertainment. Men on the other hand don't have too much to say when asked if they like to see their partners in beautiful lingerie. This should not discourage women from asking; what colour, style and fabric appeals to him (apart from the usual comment being "flesh" colour, style and fabric!). Teach him about the different types of styles e.g. babydoll, bustier, teddy and chemise. Let him feel different textures of fabric such as chiffon, satin, silk and pvc. His favourite colour and let him know your bra and panty size in case he wishes to surprise you.

Some interesting tips about lingerie

Know your size, be sure, if not, ask to be measured. For men shopping, look through her underwear drawer on one of her good bras and check the labels.

Be careful of “one size” items as this usually means dress sizes between 32 – 36 maximum. Also the same can be said for small (32), medium (34) and large (36). XL is 38 and so on.

Rather be realistic about your size or you will not enjoy wearing your outfits because you won’t feel comfortable. Good lingerie is too expensive to throw in the back of your cupboard.

Colours are a personal preference. But here are some guide lines. The most popular colours are red, white, black and flesh tone colours and anyone can wear them.

? Generally blondes look good in pastel colours.
? Redheads are stunning in greens and blues.
? Brunettes are lovely in white, red and even purple.
? The darker the skin tone the bolder the colours.
? Fair and light skin tones keep to the pastels.

When looking for lingerie men and women should “bare” in mind their partners preferences in colour, fabrics and also take into account their physical attributes and personality.

Lingerie by Bretties Lingerie

Ask these and other questions – talk to your partner – share your fantasies with each other!

? Do short or long night dresses and matching underwear give you confidence
? Do you feel sexy wearing, satin or lace fabric
? Does see through material like chiffon visually excite you
? Do you feel erotic wearing feathers or leathers

Baby Doll A garment usually consisting of formed cups with an attached, loose fitting skirt that falls anywhere between the belly button and the hips.
Bodice That portion of the garment which covers the breasts. The upper part of a dress.
Bodystocking Snug fitting hosiery that offers coverage from the neck or upper body down to the ankles or toes.
Brazilian back A triangular back that covers slightly more of the buttocks than a thong, but much less than a full back panty.
Burnout Alternating patterns of sheer and opaque fabric.
Bustier A bra that extends beneath the breasts to the waist to provide additional support, control and sex appeal.
Cheek-a-boo A tongue-in-cheek (pun intended) term we made up to describe a skirt so short that the bottom of the buttocks may peek out below the hem line.
Chemise Short under dress or slip.
Demi cups Demi cups, or half cups, have a lower line which reveals more of the upper breasts.
Dot net Sheer net fabric decorated with evenly spaced opaque dots.
Dotted swiss Evenly spaced raised dots on sheer material.
Fishnet Coarse, open mesh fabric noted for its sex appeal.
Iridescent Fabric which appears to change color or sparkle as it moves.
Jacquard Fabric characterized by an intricate weave or pattern. Originally named after French inventor Joseph-Marie Jacquard who invented a loom capable of producing this fabric.
Lurex® Fabric created from a trademarked metallic thread.
Marabou Soft fluffy feather-like material.
Matte Smooth, even, non-glossy look.
Mesh A knit or woven fabric consisting of small, evenly spaced holes.
Microfiber An extremely fine synthetic fiber usually woven into soft, light weight, washable, breathable fabrics.
Open bust/tip Little or no coverage is provided over the breasts. In general, open bust means there is no cup whatsoever while open tip usually means there is a cup, but with an opening over the nipple area.
Peek-a-boo cups Cups with a slit or other opening that partially exposes the breasts or nipples.
Peignoir From the French word which translates to "garment worn while combing the hair". A negligee or dressing gown.
Scallop edges A decorative fabric edge shaped similar to a line of scallops (or shells) lined up edge to edge.
Shelf cups Cups which only provide support and coverage underneath the breasts exposing the nipples.
Spandex/Lycra® Spandex is the generic term for fabric created from elastic thread which helps a garment to stretch for a better fit and added comfort. Lycra® is a well known brand of spandex.
Teddiette A teddy with attached garters to hold up stockings.
Teddy A one piece garment with high cut legs and usually a thong back.

History trivia

1889: The first piece of underwear worn was the corset in the 19th century. This was worn to play down womens attributes. Mme Cadolle of France cut out the midriff of her corset to allow movement in the waist, introducing the brassiere for all women to display their assets to the largely appreciative male population.

1913: The first modern bra is created by Mary Phelps. The following year she sold the patent to a gentleman whom she had met at a garden party.
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1925: Bras first had divisions between the breasts and adjustable straps. Thus, the modern day bra was introduced.

1938: Bra makers introduced A, B, C and D cups to acknowledge different sizes and shapes of women's breasts.

1959: Warners and Du Pont produced Lycra which we have continued to use ever since.

1965: The no-bra bra was introduced to give support with a nothing-under effect. Half-hearted women’s libbers rejoiced. Males unconsciously decided to let women's libbers enjoy themselves while they continued to enjoy women who looked good in a nice set of sexy lingerie.

1973: The first no-bounce sports bra was introduced.

2003: The world is your oyster. You name it we can get it. You think Madonna was original? Her pointy bra with tassels on the tips in the 80’s was not a first, ask your mums about the Chansonette bra from 1955 …..

Caring for your lingerie

1. Most lingerie is delicate and may require special care, so always read the label first.

2. Cotton and synthetics can be machine washed. Other fabrics should be hand washed.

3. Remember to separate dark colors from light ones.

4. If machine washing always use the gentle cycle and put in a nylon bag, stocking or special garment bag so that certain pieces like bras won't wrap around the agitator.

5. Liquid detergents made for delicates are preferable to granular or regular detergents and will prevent lingerie from fraying, fading or tearing.

6. Do not iron synthetics. Remember, ironing is not made for all fabrics so read the label carefully.

7. Rotate your bras. Bras do not need to be laundered after every wearing, but you should try not to wear a bra two days in a row. A bra needs a day of rest after wearing to return to its original fit; wearing one bra constantly puts a lot of stress on the fabrics and causes it to rapidly stretch out of shape and to lose its fit.

Information courtesy of Christine Hagen from Intimate Fantasy at 011 793 7469 or
083 255 8314