Lingerie to fit YOUR body

Whether you are trying to find just the right gift for a loved one, or looking for advice on what styles will look best on you, having a basic and realistic view of body shape will go a long way towards maximizing your investment. A little thought about what your attributes or weaknesses are will allow you to look as alluring as you feel. Don't get us wrong; you don't have to be stick-thin and perfectly proportioned to be sexy. Lingerie is the great equalizer. In some ways, buying lingerie is almost self-defeating. If you pick the right style, color and size, no one will even notice the cloth draping your body. So read along, and see suggestions we have to help you make the best purchases. Click on the pictures to see examples of the outfits we suggest for each example For the Woman with: a Bigger Bottom

If the backside is a little large, the best bet is a thong bottom with some width to the back. Having around 1/3 coverage will make things look a little smaller, still show ample cheek and elongate the leg line. Things to avoid: Very skinny g-strings (they accentuate the size) or full coverage "granny panties" (makes the bottom look even wider).

For the Woman with: a Pear Shape

The secret here is to call attention to the bust, and have a solid opaque bottom that just slips over the hips. This will draw attention up, and the flaring A-line shape will slim the butt and hips. Things to avoid: Drawing attention to the middle. Don't wear something with a pattern along the midriff, and avoid panties that cut straight across the thighs. These will cut visually cut the wearer off, and make the legs look shorter and heavier.

For the Woman with: Large Breasts

Wearing a full coverage top will provide support and visually balance the look. What you want is to make the bust look controlled and proportional. Also, this type of top won't leave visible lines in anything you wear over your sexy outfit. A bikini brief will help you look youthful, and not like 'matronly'. Things to avoid: Demi-cups, shelf bras or other styles that accentuate the bust spilling out of the top.

For the Woman with: a Large Tummy

If you have a belly 'pooch', try wearing a babydoll with a closed front and some type of pattern. Add a thong or sexy pair of panties that will visually extend your legs.Things to avoid: Don't wear an open-front babydoll that frames what you are trying to not call attention to. And don't be tempted to buy either the top or bottom too small, as edges digging in really make like you are wearing things that are just too tight.

For the Woman with: a Slim Build Slimmer women want to compliment their frame with something light and airy. Feminine lingerie matches the delicacy of the frame, especially in sheer fabrics. things to avoid; Slim women can wear almost anything, but want to avoid anything that is either too visually heavy or that is too large. Otherwise you look like you are wearing something meant for someone else.

For the Woman with: an Hourglass Figure

Curvy women want to wear something that accentuates the waist, like a bustier. Adding some soft boning and a pretty matching bottom will really make your silhouette rock. Things to avoid; items that are loose fitting can make an hourglass shape look large and shapeless. Stick to fitted items. And point attention to the waist, not above or below.

Style Imposters - Getting the look for less

No doubt there are a lot of women out there who really would love to wear expensive lingerie. It makes them feel good, which makes them look good. But not all of us can just crush our credit cards under mountains of debt to do it. So, what about the rest of us?

Well, the idea is that you can get very similar styles to some very high end items, but spend just a fraction of the price. Will they be exactly the same? No, that isn't likely. Even if an item is vastly over-priced, there is a certain amount of cost that goes in to these that make them so precious. But if you want to get 90% of the way there, for less than 20% of the cost, read on.

One of the biggest reasons some of these brands charge as much as they do is because, SURPRISE, they can!! People line up to buy them, even if only to say "Look, I'm wearing a "Chemise de Snooty".

Another reason they have to charge so much is because they pay huge amounts out in marketing and merchandising. Those ads in the glossy magazines don't come cheap. Or the billboards in Time Square. So they have to recoup that money from somewhere.

Enough about that. What you are no doubt interested in is "How do I find these items?" Well, periodically we will try to show you some items that we think are fairly comparable, one from a high end company and one from a much more reasonably priced line. We won't try to convince you a $5 Ebay special is the same as a designer original. But we will try to provide a reasonably priced alternative and reasonably well made outfit.

Babydoll

LEFT: Dolce and Gabbana Charlize Babydoll $233

RIGHT: Elegant Moments Lace Bodice Babydoll Set $20

Both of these lovely outfits have a stretch lace bodice and sheer body. Both are made from combinations of man-made fibers, including nylon. The D&G piece is the babydoll only, with the matching thong costing an additional $94. The Elegant Moments outfit is a set.

Chemise

LEFT: Cosabella 'Pearl' Babydoll Chemise $125

RIGHT: Fantasy Lingerie Sheer Chemise $31

Lingerie Sets

LEFT Chantelle Intimates 'Caprice' Bra and Tanga Bra $115, Tanga panty $68

RIGHT: Fantasy Lingerie Lace Demi Bralette Set $24

Before I get all kinds of flaming from my readers, let me repeat one more time: you ARE NOT going to get high fashion for low dollars. Yes, there will be a difference in construction quality. Yes, there will be a difference in the feel of the material. And you will be buying online instead of a fancy specialty store.

But look at these up-sides:

• We are talking about something you wear on special occasions, for a special purpose. These clothes do not have to survive long term wear and every day washing.
• All the items here are manufactured using man-made fibers. Just varying degrees of the same processes. So we are not talking about "silk and a sow's ear".
• You get 90% of the style for 10-20% of the price.

Now, if you use a small portion of your savings for a nice bottle of champagne, the differences will become smaller and smaller as the evening carries on............

Thin is no longer "IN"

According to an article on PRNewswire, a recent poll shows 80% of men want curvy voluptuous women, not rail thin stick models. In the last 20 years, fashion models have gone from a size 8 to a size 0 for runway models. Within the same time period, the average American woman has gone from a size 10 to a size 14. Yet, American women, according to an online poll, see the super thin stick models and feel they are unattractive and are unhappy in their average or curvy bodies. There are over 8 million people in this country who are anorexic, bulimic or have eating disorders. Most of them are young women. "Young women look at these magazines showing super thin models and think they should be like them in order to be attractive."Yet contrary to popular belief that skinny is desirable, a recent poll ran showed the truth that men like some meat on a woman!" says Nancy Hayssen author of "101 Sexy Secrets: How to Be Hot, Sexy & Beautiful at ANY Size!" According to this same recent online poll of men ages 18-50 years and older, 80% of men are attracted to women that are curvy and voluptuous such as Jennifer Lopez or Queen Latifah, and an additional 15% are attracted to average bodies.Surprisingly, this leaves only 5% of men that actually find rail thin anorexic looking women like Nicole Ritchie and models we see on the runways as truly beautiful.Even more shocking when asked the question: "Who is the sexiest woman ever?" the winning response was "my wife," beating out historic beauty Marilyn Monroe, who came in second place.The average American woman is 5′4" and wears a size 14. This also happens to be roughly the size Marilyn Monroe, considered one of the most beautiful women celebrities of our time would have been today. Size 14 is considered plus size, therefore, the average American woman is plus size. This is good news for women everywhere since men are really attracted to average curvy women."We’re being lied to everyday. The fashion industry and Hollywood have spread the MYTH that men want skinny anorexic looking women. The truth is–it’s plus size or curvy women that are considered beautiful," says Ms. Hayssen. She now speaks out about the reality of what men really want through the internet and the radio letting the public know what the "real skinny" is.The truth is you don’t have to be skinny to be beautiful…in fact it’s the exact opposite!

You don't have to just sleep in bed....

Now here’s a statistic we’ve got to change:

Fox News reports that according to an unscientific poll, just 10 percent of married women said they usually wear sexy lingerie in bed. More than half prefer a ratty T-shirt or comfortable pajamas, while a third sleep naked. This is the same survey that reports that nearly a third of the married women polled stick to their own side of the marital bed. Another third said they don’t have time for sex with their husbands.

Hmmm–could there be a correlation? Worn-out T-shirt…silk nightgown…no sex…sex. Perhaps we can all start by wearing something other than ratty gym clothes in bed. Maybe we need to proclaim one night a week go-to-bed-hot night and start right here with some silky smooth sleepwear.

Many Styles for Many Moods

If lingerie was only meant for one mood, why in the world would there be so many possible choices? There are so many options because there are so many feelings. But don't forget that sex is not just about sexuality, but also sensuality. It is often said that the most important sexual organ for humans is the brain. The brain is where imagination lives, where passion lives, where pain and pleasure lives. And the brain relies on the senses for input, since it is safely tucked away behind that bony structure we call a skull. So do yourself, and your partner, a favor by choosing your attire to stimulate those senses to the maximum. Vision is an important sense. We receive a lot of our information about the world through our eyes. So what you see has a big impact on how you feel. Visually, you can look sexy, or you could look slutty, or you could look demure, or any number of different ways.

Put some thought in to your look, and you will communicate your desires without saying a word. Follow the links in this article to see examples of each of the types of items described

• Do you want to be seduced? Channel your inner romance novel heroine by wearing a romantic flowing gown.
• Do you want to be caressed? Try showing off your shoulders, arms and legs with a pretty teddy, while keeping the rest of you covered. This invites your partner to stroke the exposed areas.
• Do you want to be attacked? Inspire some debauchery by pulling out your strappy or very revealing outfits.

Vision is not the only sense that can inspire passion. Touch is important, so the materials you choose can have a big impact on your moods. Soft, silky outfits are great for snuggling and cuddling. Lace feels a little rougher, so it inspires more intensity and often comes off a little faster during love-making. Vinyl or leather is usually kept on throughout the session, and has a tactile component that is all its own.

Many experts say that the sense of smell is more primally linked in to your psyche than any of the others. Just think about the last time you were minding your own business and suddenly some scent brought on a very intense memory. Maybe it was the perfume your mother wore, the aftershave your father used, the shampoo your first lover preferred. Or maybe it was just the musky scent of some previous passionate encounter. All these things not only bring back the smells, but you swear that you are back in that time and that place all over again. So take a little time to think about what deep feelings you want to evoke, and coordinate the smells to support the moment.

Hearing and taste are senses that I will leave to your own imagination.