Lingerie for the Rest of Us

12. Jan, 2011 Categories: Women Talk by Sarah Baron 7 Comments

A Series: Part 1 – The Story Behind the Story

Okay, here we go. I don’t know about you, but whenever I see a Victoria’s Secret catalog, I go through a range of emotions from jealousy to admiration to anger to resignation. I mean, I’m never going to look like one of them. (Guys, see how we think? We compare ourselves to what we see…) Their legs probably end higher than my waist, they have NO stretch marks, and I find the whole thing … annoying, and for some strange reason, mesmerizing. Really. I don’t look like that. I have borne children. When I try on similar things, they look like a bad joke on Halloween.

So, as I reach my middle age and try to respond with maturity befitting a woman of my age, I decided it’s time to figure out what to do it about. And that is to find what works for the other 99.9% of us.

So, we’re embarking on a journey to look for “lingerie for the rest of us.” Guys, there is a post for you here too, but later on…

I have become an online friend of Treacle of TheLingerieAddict, and she did a long interview for me/us. (Check her out. Her tagline is “There’s no 12 step program for this.” Clever, witty, hilarious. Plus, she is really savvy and is definitely going places.) I like her because she does not represent any line, but she studies lingerie and its trends as a whole. We’ll be highlighting portions of that today and later in the series.

When I asked her about Victoria’s Secret, she made me feel better. She said that Victoria’s Secret does not sell lingerie, it sells “sexy.” One thing she reminded me of is that the models don’t even look like models we see in catalogs and magazines. Think airbrush… well-executed.

So, here are a couple of questions to get us started. We’ll continue on in the next few weeks figuring out what works best to make us “feel” our best, because, as I have come to learn, carrying off lingerie has to do with how you feel in it as a woman.

What are the newest trends in lingerie for those of us who have been married for a while (and have thus been out of it in terms of the what’s new in the lingerie world)?

One of the things a lot of people don’t realize about lingerie is that it changes seasonally…the same way the rest of the fashion world does. But that kind of works in your favor since no one will ever know (or notice!) you’re wearing last season’s lingerie.

At any rate, the big trends for next spring are what I’m calling “the return of the lady.” Think overtly feminine tones with intricate details like knife pleating and decorative seams. The “Mad Men effect” is still in full swing, and there’s a lot of vintage-inspired lingerie out there too.

Color is a big deal so look for jewel tones (fuschia, teal, sapphire) and pastel tones (blush, coral, mint). Finally, next season is all about silk, silk, and more silk. Brulee is a good example of all three of these trends, as is Fleur of England.

Anything you like that is both sexy and comfortable enough to sleep in “afterward”?

I’m a big fan of chemises, slips, and babydolls for lingerie that you can comfortably get intimate in and still wear afterweards as nightclothes. I really like Figleaves and Bare Necessities for these since they offer a wide range of styles at an equally wide range of price poitns.

What do you recommend for those of us post baby who are no longer 25. We have bulges and shapes and not everything is picture perfect any more.

Before you’re too hard on yourself, remember that us 25 year olds have bulges and lumps too! And no one (absolutely no one) looks like the model in the picture…not even the model. That said, I’m a big fan of shapewear if you have parts of your body you want to smooth out. I’m going to buck the trend here and say that I don’t like Spanx (it reminds me of wearing a full body band-aid) but I am a big fan of Yummie Tummie, Cass, and The Body Wrap. Sample sale sites (like Rue La La) often have these brands on sale if you want to try them for less money.

What is the most flattering form of lingerie for the woman who has been through several pregnancies? (I’m beginning to see a theme here…)

I’ve said it already, but it’s worth repeating…chemises, slips, and babydolls. There are so many styles to choose from, that you can easily highlight the parts you do like and hide the parts you don’t. I f you want to change things up, I recommend going with a slip in a sheer fabric like this silk nightgown from Mary Green. Even though it seems ultra-revealing, sheer materials act as a sort of soft-focus lens for the body, blurring away those problem areas. I also highly recommend lace topped chemises, like this one from Farr West. Two Lips is another brand that specialized in nightwear for curvy women, but I’m not sure if they’re still in business now.

A lot of time, lingerie feels like a costume in that it is private. If you need to leave your room for some reason (to attend to a little one), you have to cover up or get changed. Anything out that you recommend that doesn’t feel so costumey?

Have I mentioned slips and chemises? Another suggestion is teddies, rompers, and bodysuits.

Julianne Rae makes slips, and I’d recommend Mary Green for this retro silk teddy.

Sarah here. So, I’m hearing slips, chemises, sheer fabric, and babydolls to start. We’ll cover (or shall I say uncover) more later on.