Tag Archives: Knickers

Sweet Nothing Du Jour: 4/11/13

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I’m sorry y’all.  This is a super boring one.  It’s so boring.  I know, I know, my goal in life is to bring you the pretty things, but hello, my name is Sweets, I am wearing boring knickers today, and they feel INCREDIBLE:

Maxi brief by Sloggi, multipack. Super hot, no?

Maxi brief by Sloggi, multipack. Available in sizes 10-26 (UK).  Super hot, no?

Okay, look, hear me out.

I have this awesome dress, see?

Drape Jersey Dress. Available in sizes 08-18 (UK) Curvy/Really Curvy and Really Curvy/Super Curvy (some sizes sold out). £55.00 (about $88.09 USD)

Drape Jersey Dress by Pepperberry. Available in sizes 08-18 (UK) Curvy/Really Curvy and Really Curvy/Super Curvy (some sizes sold out). £55.00 (about $88.09 USD)

It fits my boobs, falls to my knees, hugs my waist, repels cat fur, and makes me feel super glamorous.  I wear a scarf with it at the office and whip my cleavage out afterwards.  It rules.  The other thing it does is caress my tush without also caressing my belly.  I love this, because it makes me look like I actually HAVE a tush, but all of a sudden my knickers are really in the spotlight.  I’ve tried all the briefs I own.  I’ve tried the really uncomfortable shapewear shorts that I hate wearing.  I’ve tried thongs, but my feelings on thongs remain unchanged (newbies: thongs are the worst and I hate them).  Tights help somewhat, but tights are slinky, and the dress is slinky, and tights make the dress’s lining ride up around my waist by the time I get to work.  I don’t get THAT bent out of shape about visible panty lines, because I have other things I’d rather worry about, but in this case I really did want to find a comfortable solution.

Enter the giant cotton knickers above.  The rise is high enough to sit right at my belly button and lie smoothly over my hips, the leg line is low enough that panty lines aren’t an issue, they’re black so they go with all my bras, and they’re cotton, so the dress’s lining stays put.  Frankly, they’re comfy as hell.  They’re SO comfy.  I’m not switching to giant knickers exclusively, but I’m really, really glad I’ve added these to my rotation of bikini briefs and shorties.  For the gym, for slinky dresses, and for certain times of the month, these are going to become my go-to.

Available in a 3-pack from Figleaves, which is currently running a 20% off full-price items Spring promotion with the code ‘TWENTY ’.  There are a TON of gorgeous Spring lingerie and swim styles hitting the site.  There are also boring giant cotton knickers.  Have at it.

Brand Introduction: Freya

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For those of us who know our bra sizes better than our social security numbers, Freya is nothing new, but for many women, particularly in North America, who are just getting to know their full-bust sizes, Freya’s is the first friendly face they’ll meet.  While Freya may not be for everyone, I want to share the brand with you because 1) it’s widely available in North America now, 2) it’s moderately priced (generally), and 3) Freya really paved the way for many of the beautiful, varied full-bust companies on the market today.

Lots of Styles

“Deco” molded plunge bra, available in black and beige as well as seasonal colors. Sizes 28-38 B-GG (some exceptions).

Being an internationally recognized leader in the full-bust market, Freya has the resources to offer many, many different styles over the course of a year.  On average, around 20+ new styles hit the market every season, including swim, lounge, lingerie, and athletic wear.

Clockwise from top left: Active, Lingerie, Lounge, Maternity, Swim

Freya offers lots of different shapes, too: padded half-cup, seamed balconette, molded plunge (the enormously popular Deco bra), soft cup, nursing, sports, and strapless bras as well as bikinis, tankinis, and full-length swimsuits, so there’s a chance that even if one shape isn’t your cup of tea, Freya may offer another shape that works for you.  Last year they introduced a longline style which returns this year in multiple prints.  Some bras are padded, some are sheer, some are opaque, some are frilly, some are basic, so you have a great chance of finding underwear to suit your needs and tastes.  Freya will be launching some pretty shapewear next spring, and Freya and sister brands Elomi, Huit, Fauve, Fantasie, and Goddess offer beautiful, colorful options for a range of shapes, sizes, styles, and budgets.

Lots of Sizes (sometimes)

Freya was one of the first labels to offer K-cups and 28-backs, and they should be applauded.  Competitive labels have expanded their size ranges in order to keep up, which means more options for everyone.  However, sometimes there are weirdly arbitrary sizing black holes.  Some bras start at C-cups, others at D, 28 bands frequently aren’t available in the full cup-size spectrum, the athletic and sleepwear ranges don’t go to K cups, and some other styles arbitrarily stop at G or GG instead of extending up to the full GG-K range (particularly in larger band sizes– boo).  Many women are waiting for Freya to adapt the Deco bra for larger cup sizes, and I am baffled as to why the longline bras can’t go higher than a G.  If it’s because the longline bras feature the padded half-cup shape, then make it an unlined balconette longline bra!  Hell, I’d prefer it unlined.  A longline version of the Arabella range would knock my socks off.

Right? Wouldn’t this make a super-sexy longline bra?

Holy crap, you guys, I am a design genius!  Freya, get on that: I will buy the hell out of it.  A longline bra with its six hooks feels like such a blessing to so many full-busted women, since, as we know, support comes from the band.  I know that the design, construction, and, well, architecture of larger cup sizes is more challenging and more time-consuming, but women who wear these sizes often want supportive sleepwear and sports bras most of all, and there’s currently a huge hole in the market.

Lots of Accessories

I’ve made my feelings on matching sets known before: I love them, I crave them, I feel so pretty in them.  Freya usually offers at least two, if not more, coordinating knickers (and occasionally suspenders) for each of their bras and coordinating bottoms for each of their bikinis and tankinis.  As an avowed thong-hater, I love this, because I can build lingerie ensembles of my choosing, with pieces that I know flatter me and feel the most comfortable.

Some of the accessories available in the following ranges: Pier (swim), Gem, Ashlee, Patsy.

Lots of Color

While my first Freya bra was a fairly basic black (“Pollyanna”, I know I keep harping on it but RIP I miss you), the first thing that made me notice the brand was color.  Again, the full-bust landscape has changed dramatically in the last five years, and brands like Cleo, Miss Mandalay, Parfait, Claudette, Curveturiere, and others feature bright, bold, on-trend colors and a sophisticated design approach, but when I first started figuring out how to fit my breasts, my only point of reference was your average US department store, where my options were beige, black, and white, if they carried my size at all.  Freya bras, on the other hand, came in reds and pinks and greens and blues and deep purples, and they were trimmed with lace and contrasting bows and ruffles.  The designs were interesting, the colors popped, and the whole feel overall was so much more youthful, sexy, and fun than the beige minimizer bras I’d turned to for years.

Some of the many, many colorful lingerie pieces released over the last few years.

Lots of Print

Polka dots. Bows. Flowers. Tattoos. Flamingos. Russian dolls. Feathers. Stripes. Freya really stands out in the full-bust market for its sometimes completely bonkers prints (I mostly mean that as a compliment).  While it’s really lovely to have elegant, luxurious lingerie in your drawer, sometimes it’s also nice to inject a little fun into the mix.  I will always love polka dots, and I LOVED the Nieve print (which sort of kills me, because I found the fit in both the balconette and the longline bras to be pretty strange (more later)).  There’s a nice playfulness to some of the prints, and a charming sensuality to others.

Freya Prints: Nieve (longline), Tabitha (balconette), Carly (molded plunge)

Does Freya have it all?  Well . . . they have a lot!  I think branching into shapewear for Spring 2013 was a really smart decision, given that shapewear’s surging popularity shows no signs of stopping.  I hope Freya listen to feedback and continue to expand their size ranges, as there are currently lots of ladies falling into the gaps.  There are sometimes baffling fit inconsistencies that make shopping online a real pain.  In the last year or two it seems like Freya’s bands have gotten much, much stretchier, and sometimes the cups have too.  I have the balconette version of the Nieve in what is, for me, a pretty average size, and I’ve worn it a few times, but it has stretched so quickly I’m already wearing it on the tightest hooks, and the cups are bizarrely unsupportive and droopy.  I almost feel like I should have gone down 1 band size and up 2 cup sizes, a fit adjustment that is impossible to anticipate and which most likely means an online shopper will have to pay shipping and returns.  The “Faye” style is very popular as a basic bra, but I have yet to find the right fit on me.  I find the band somehow loose and tight all at once, the cups are shallow, and the fabric feels flimsy to me.  However, these complaints might be specific to my body type, and maybe to a women with firmer tissue or differently shaped breasts, Freya’s recent design changes are a breath of fresh air.  Freya’s wires tend to run narrower than Panache’s, which are notoriously wide, so Freya bras in general might suit some women better than others.  Finally, many of Freya’s unlined bras give a kind of retro pointy shape, which can be either really appealing or a huge turn-off, depending on your preferences.  I’m not a fan of the shape for me personally, but I have found that the silhouette tends to soften to a more natural look after a few wearings, almost like I have to break it in first.

While I don’t think Freya will ever be everything to any one specific customer,  I do think Freya has a little something to offer a wide range of women, no matter her age, shape, or style.

Have you tried Freya?  Do you have a favorite style?  I’ve mostly featured past styles, but if you want a sneak peek of Spring/Summer 2013 (and the chance to preorder anything that catches your eye), check out A Sophisticated Pair’s preview of some of the beautiful styles to come!

Clothing Your Curves: Suggestions for Fuller Bums, Part 2: Knickers Edition

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In addition to sharing their favorite clothes shopping secrets, my blog buddies all graciously got personal with me and shared some knicker preferences.  The incredible surge in lingerie brands and sizes in the last five years means that there are lots of choices in terms of styles (bikinis, hipsters, cheeky boyshorts, thongs, g-strings, high-waisted briefs, tap shorts, etc.), and while that’s great, it still seems like there hasn’t been much discussion about how to approach fitting these garments.  For example, sometimes a woman tries on one brand of thong, and if the rise isn’t right (the waist rides up too high or is too low to fit comfortably), she’ll write off thongs entirely.  Sometimes a woman finds a bra she loves but hates the coordinating pieces that come with it.  In response to situations like this, some brands, like Freya, have stepped up in recent years and begun offering multiple styles per range.

“Gem” in blue by Freya. Half-cup bra and high-waisted brief pictured.

For example, the new season style “Gem” will offer a half-cup bra up to an F-cup, a balconette bra up to a K-cup, a Brazilian brief, a short, and a high-waisted brief, all in two different colors.  It gives the customer a lot of variety to choose from so that she can purchase the range she likes in the styles that suit her best (I, for example, desperately want the balconette bra and the high-waisted brief in either color), but it can be a burden on retailers.  Erica discusses the issue of briefs and matching sets in this post, and I particularly enjoyed reading her replies in the comments about why matching briefs can be so expensive, and how it can be very, very hard for boutiques to calculate their inventory.   This, in turn, can make it hard for shoppers to have the opportunity to try on all the styles available to find the ones to suit them best.  There’s also such a strong focus on bra-fitting in the general lingerie world that by the time that’s taken care of, knickers can seem like an afterthought.

There’s nothing wrong with knickers being an afterthought, of course!  Nothing at all.  I know lots of women who put their time and energy into selecting bras that best suit their shape, tastes, and style, and who then prefer to buy multi-packs of basic cotton underwear.  These women feel pretty and comfortable, so they should keep on keeping on.  (For some great recommendations on basic knickers for different shapes, check out Braless in Brasil’s knickers post).  However, I remember the first time I had a matching set of underwear (after I’d graduated from college), and I felt so womanly, sophisticated, decadent, pretty, and sexy.  It was like a little treat to myself, after years of thinking I wasn’t allowed to have pretty underwear (really).  For me, finding the right bra opened up the world of lingerie sets.  For women with curvier bums and fuller hips who are looking for some good knickers to make their lingerie sets complete, here are some suggestions.

Curvy Kate

“Emily” bra and brief in Midnight/Blush by Curvy Kate. Also available in beige, black, and white (other colors may be available on sale).

Several bloggers responded that they’d had good luck with Curvy Kate, in particular the briefs for the “Emily” and “Princess” ranges.

“Princess” short in black.

The way CK cut the top of their briefs leads to less digging into the hips, and the rise is better than some other companies’, coming up higher in the back so that the briefs aren’t falling off the bum.  (Bravissimo, for example, who really changed the game in the full-bust bra world, has some work to do with their knickers.  They cut their (own brand) briefs very, very low in my limited experience, and several times it has made me unwilling to commit to overseas shipping, for fear of needing to return the order.  I’d love to see some high-waisted briefs, or even highER-waisted briefs, to go with their lovely bras.)  Curvy Kate in general offers a good range of knicker styles, including briefs, thongs, high-waisted briefs, and shorts with detachable suspenders, so you should be able to try your favorite styles.  I’m also happy to recommend Curvy Kate because of their generous range of sizes (28-40 D-K), and because they’re becoming more and more widely available in North America.  Figleaves (which is also running a competition on Facebook to win a Curvy Kate set), HerRoom, Bare Necessities, Linda’s, A Sophisticated Pair, and Butterfly Collection all carry Curvy Kate, as do many smaller boutiques.

Parfait

“Charlotte” High Waist Brief in Red, in sizes XS-2XL

Their high-waisted retro briefs are to die for.  Check out Invest in Your Chest’s and Sophia’s reviews to see some curvy girls rocking the “Charlotte” range.

Elomi and Freya

I’ve already fessed up to the fact that I don’t have a pronounced waist-to-hip ratio, and that my underwear shopping tends to be fairly straightforward and painless.  I would still be remiss not to say that I have loved almost every single Freya brief I’ve ever worn.  I love the design and details of my Cleo by Panache sets, but the briefs are incredibly hit or miss with me.  Freya’s bikini-style briefs and high-waisted briefs are always winners (their thongs though . . . yikes).  Elomi, Freya’s sister brand for fuller figures, also offers a beautiful range of knicker styles, and their designs just keep getting better and better.

“Betty” ruched brief by Elomi. Available in sizes M-4XL.

“Patsy” ruffled brief by Freya. Also available in black. Sizes XS-XL.

“Taylor” high-waisted brief by Freya. Available in sizes XS-XL.

Hips and Curves

Caged Back Lace Panty. Available in multiple colors in sizes 1X-4X.

Can we talk about how hot those panties are?  They’re SUPER HOT, y’all.  They’d look dynamite with your favorite black bra and hold ups.

Embroidered Lace Front Brief. Available in sizes 8-14 (is this how panties are sized?) in black, white, and red.

Stretch Lace Boyshorts. Available in sizes 1/2X.

Curveturiere

Curveturiere will launch their full catalogue online on September 10.  All knickers will be available in sizes XS-3X in a huge range of styles and colors, including high-waisted briefs, bikinis, and thongs.  Check out this photo from Curve NV for a glimpse at some of the colors:

Their ranges are designed to mix and match to suit each customer’s personal taste.  I’m really looking forward to hearing fit feedback once the brand is available for purchase.

By Baby’s Rules shared with me a good general, curve-friendly construction tip: ruched back seams.  I like a good ruched back seam because it’s sexy, but she pointed out that it can also help the brief fit better to the wearer’s shape, so it’s definitely a design feature to look out for if you have a curvier bum.

The high-waist brief I saw at the Curveturiere preview party, the late and lamented (by me) “Pollyanna” range by Freya, and the lovely “Paris” briefs by Miss Mandalay all share this design feature.

“Pollyanna” brief by Freya. The “Faye” style is supposed to be the same as Pollyanna, except it’s NOT AND I HATE IT. RIP Pollyanna. You were my first favorite bra.

“Paris” brief in hot pink. I had a rotten time getting a good picture of it, but there’s a vertical elasticized seam running up the back of the briefs. I adore these briefs. When the black “Paris” set is available later this year I might totally cave and purchase it.

Etsy

I’ve highlighted some Etsy sellers before.  So, yes, sometimes Etsy is full of nonsense.  Sometimes Etsy is full of INSANELY GORGEOUS UNDERWEAR.  Here are pictures/links to some of my favorite sellers (I’ve deliberately selected items made of natural or eco-friendly fibers):

“Phoenix Lights Garter Short” by ClareBare. Black Bamboo Jersey, available in sizes S, M, L, or to custom measurements.

Bamboo High Rise Panties with Lace Trim by sandmaidensleepwear. Available in multiple colors, sizes XS-XL or custom measurements.

Organic Cotton High Rise Lingerie Knickers by sandmaidensleepwear. Available in multiple colors, sizes XS-XL or custom measurements.

Panties with Pink Heart by knickerocker. Available in S, M, L, or XL. Not organic, but oh-so-cute.

Here’s the cool thing about Etsy sellers: sure, you might pay more than you will at Target.  Sure, you may not be able to find a matching bra.  But some of these sellers are incredibly awesome people.  If you see something super close to want you want, but maybe not in your size or color choice, you can contact the seller directly and ask them about it.  Ask them if they’ll make you a custom-sized pair.  Ask them about how well they’ll fit your bum/hips.  Explain to them that you have this one bra you love but you can’t find a good knicker to match, and if they’d be willing to make a custom size for you.  I know that Knickerocker has taken on a custom-knickers-to-match-a-bra order before, so what have you got to lose?

I hope you find these suggestions helpful!  Again, a huge thanks to A Sophisticated Pair, Braless in Brasil, Curvy Wordy, Fuller Figure Fuller Bust, and By Baby’s Rules for their help with knickers recommendations.  If you have any questions or other recommendations, please let me know!

Clothing Your Curves: Suggestions for Fuller Bums, Part 1

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With this post I confess I’m treading into what are, for me, uncharted waters.  I am (obsessively) familiar with bras and breast-related foundation garments and clothing because my boobs are the primary reason I struggle to find clothes or lingerie that fit.  While I also struggle to find shoes big enough and pants long enough (huge tangent: I found the holy grail of jeans last year, and I went back to the store this week and tried on the exact same brand, style, size, and wash, and the pair in-store is two inches shorter and at least a size tighter than the pair I have at home, and I AM SAD ABOUT IT), I don’t generally have to worry about a garment’s fitting around my rear and hips.  Sometimes I fuss with the fit around my belly, but by and large fit issues Downstairs are height/foot related.  But as the reader requests began coming in asking for advice on knickers and clothes for curvy bottoms, I really had to sit up and take notice, and DANG, Y’ALL.  As hard as it is to get the word out about clothes/lingerie for curvy chests, the general acceptance, understanding, and options for women with rears and hips of varying sizes are wayyyy behind.

Here’s an example.  Remember Bravissimo’s size chart for their Alana bra?

That’s over 80 different sizes, and it doesn’t even include the large number of women who wear smaller than a D-cup or larger than a 40-band.  So many sizes!  It also doesn’t take into account women who don’t find the Alana bra flattering to their breast shape or placement, so they have to seek out a different bra style.  With all that variety Upstairs, it’s really ludicrous to assume that all women will just so happen to wear somewhere between a size 2-12 in jeans, for example, or that they’ll all wear the same cut.  It’s equally ludicrous to assume that all women’s hips and rears come in the same shapes and proportions.  For example, boyshorts are often touted as great solutions and “flatterers” of women with fuller bottoms, thighs, or hips, but that’s like telling women with breasts that they should wear “wrap dresses”.  I have NEVER found a wrap dress that truly worked for me without tugging and pinning and discomfort, and for a long time I thought the problem was me (it’s not you — it’s your bra; it’s not you — it’s your clothes).  So saying “this [blanket style] works for EVERYONE with curvy hips!” is setting us up for disappointment.

Since my understanding of good and varied fit for women’s lower halves is still poor, I reached out to some other lingerie bloggers, completely unprepared for the outpouring of wonderful shopping suggestions, reviews, resources, and empathy.  I’m going to link to them extensively, because their research and reviews have been very thorough and helpful [Administrative note: all these bloggers (and others) now appear in the list of Lingerie Links on the right.  Check them out!].  I’m going to break these suggestions up into parts and start with clothes, jeans first, because as someone in the midst of a jeans hunting ordeal myself, I wish to spare others my pain. Continue reading →

Knickers in a Knot

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I know it’s a little pretentious and anglophilic for an American blog, but we’re gonna go with “knickers” here at Sweet Nothings. “Panties” and “underpants” are just sad, and “brief” and “thong” and such describe specific styles, so “knickers” is going to be our catch-all term for rear-covering undergarments. I touched on some of the different styles available in the Lingerie Dictionary, but today I wanted at least to begin to respond to Rachel’s question from this post, about where to start if you’re unsure about knickers.

Women’s bottoms come in as many different shapes and sizes as their breasts, and we all carry our curves differently. Some women have flatter rears and fuller hips, some women have slim hips and fuller bellies, some women have straight and slender frames that curvy-cut knickers slide right off of. Let’s face it: low-rise bikinis and hipsters and thongs are not going to float everyone’s boat. They don’t always float mine: I feel like I’m constantly tugging and adjusting and rearranging and fidgeting with them throughout the day. Also, real talk: elastic digging into the underside of your belly feels UGH. Lest you think your only alternatives are white or beige granny panties or shapewear, here are some ideas for beautiful matching lingerie sets that accommodate different derrières.  This will probably be the first post of many, as I do more research and learn more about how briefs are cut, shaped, and sized.  If you don’t see something that floats your boat (or your budget) this time around, drop me a line and let me know what you’d like to see!

First thing I HAVE to show you are these: Continue reading →