Good for you! You've decided to buy something lovely for your lady! But, how to find the right thing? And in the right size? Not to worry, here's the information you need to find the perfect gift of lingerie.
Types of Lingerie
There's so much to choose from, and much of it has strange names that make no sense to someone who's used to a "boxers or briefs" shopping style. Below are some of the different types of lingerie you'll be running into and descriptions of what they are.
Baby Doll Nightgown
A short nightgown (just to the thighs) with matching panties, baby doll gowns can be sized by bra size or just as "Small", "Medium", "Large", etc. Sometimes these have matching short robes.
Basque
A basque is an updated version of a corset. It takes the place of a bra and a garterbelt, and covers from the bust to the hips. Sometimes it provides a little shaping (making the waist a little smaller), and sometimes it's meant to be seen either peeking out of an unbuttoned blouse or in place of a blouse when wearing a skirt. It all depends on the cut and style. Other terms that are types of basques are the Merry Widow (no straps), a corset (usually has more shaping ability), a corselets (designed for shaping, but maybe a little less than a corset), a torsolette (same as a corselet) and a waist cincher (more of a belt that slims the waist.)
Bustier
If you take a basque and make it only go to the waist (instead of to the hips) you have a bustier. A bustier can be worn under clothing or as "visible" lingerie to take the place of a blouse with a pant suit or with jeans. Madonna brought these back in a big way, but don't think those are the only styles available. Many are elegant and discrete and in no way inappropriate in the boardroom.
Bodystocking/Catsuit
A one-piece garment that covers from bust to the toes, a bodystocking is usually worn under close fitting clothes during the daytime or alone in the boudoir. This type of garment takes the place of all other underwear, so it's perfect under tight or clingy clothing (no panty lines!), and can be very enticing to the man in her life because he knows she may leave it on after she takes off the other clothes she's wearing. If you saw Sigourney Weaver in "Heartbreakers", this is the item she wore as part of her wedding gown than knocked Ray Liotta's eyes out when they got to the honeymoon suite. Bodystockings can be sized by bra size or by height and weight.
Bodysuit
Imagine a bodystocking without long legs and you have a bodysuit. This is a wonderful item for slacks, jeans or a skirt-the "blouse" doesn't ride up. This is "visible" lingerie that works well with a variety of clothing options. As with bodystockings, sizing formats vary for bodysuits.
Bras
OK, you think you know what a bra is, but you probably aren't aware of all the options. There's the cami-bra-it's a bra with a piece of fabric or lace that stretched from one bra cup to the other to look like a camisole. It's worn with suits (where you don't take off the suit jacket) or low cut dresses, and gives the look of another garment underneath what she's wearing. Demi-bras don't cover the top of the breasts, so they're perfect with low cut necklines. Long-line bras cover the bust to the waist, but aren't meant to be seen. These are the workhorse version of basques and bustiers. Natural bras don't have seams and aren't padded. They're designed to closely mimic being bra-less, but they provide support. Push-up bras (OK, this you probably recognize!) give the illusion of having a little more than nature granted. You want cleavage, you get a push-up bra. A sports bra is good for support and comfort while running, working out, etc. Sometimes, ladies wear sports bras for any kind of activity where heat can be an issue (like camping or housekeeping) because they usually are made of cotton and wick away moisture, and they usually don't have much in the way of uncomfortable shaping details. A strapless bra is, well, strapless. A strapless bra can be good for dresses that have unusual straps or neckline details, as well as for dresses that are strapless. And finally, there's the underwire bra which has a stiffener under each bra cup to provide more support.
No matter what the style, you'll need to know the band and cup size (e.g., 38DD).
Camisole
This, like a basque or a long-line bra, also covers from the bust to the hips, but a camisole typically has no bra support and is sized "Small", "Medium", "Large", etc. This can be something that a lady would wear under something scratchy to keep comfortable (kind of like a man wearing a tee shirt under a starchy shirt); or more commonly as "visible" lingerie-either under a sheer overshirt or as an alternative to a tee shirt of blouse. These can be simple or extremely elegant, depending on the style.
Chemise
A chemise is another one of those items that started out as nightwear, but sometimes shows up in the daytime. Basically, a chemise is a short nightgown, extending to the thighs. A nightgown is a chemise that goes to mid-calf or to the ankles. Most usually, when found in lingerie, this will be nightwear; but some are meant as club wear. Chemises typically are sized "Small", "Medium", "Large", etc.
Garterbelt
If you want to see the lady in stockings, then you may need a garterbelt. Some stockings have elastic at the top (a built-in garter), but many of the styles do not. Before you purchase a garterbelt, look at the other items you are interested in. Many bustiers, basques and corsets have garters built in. However, a bra and panty set with a matching garterbelt can be very pretty and enticing. For this, you need an idea of the lady's waist size.
Negligee
A longer lightweight nightgown usually with a matching sheer or lightweight robe, a negligee is a glamorous version of sleepwear. Also known as a peignoir set, these are a good, safe bet for a first gift of lingerie. Typically sizing is easier and there are various options from demure to racy. As it is not meant to be seen out of the home and because it is easier to find a good fit (than with a bra, for example), chances are you'll find something here that she will like and will open the door for discussions about potential future gifts.
Panties
Well, you know what a panty is. But you may not be familiar with all the different types. A bikini comes up to the hip line, not the waist line. Briefs go all the way to the waist. French cut or high-cut is a brief where the leg opening comes up high to the hip. A g-string has very little in front, and just a thin bit of fabric in the back. A thong can have more coverage in the front, but the back is like a g-string. Tap pants are like short-shorts with fluttery legs.
Size
First, you have to know what size to get. Nothing spoils a gift more than realizing that you can't even use it until you get it exchanged for the right size. There are a couple of ways to figure the size. One way is to just ask the lady for her size. But if the gift is a surprise, that's not going to work out. In that case, go snooping through her lingerie drawer. To make keeping track just a little easier, we've got an
easy to use form for you.
For a bra size, look at the labels on the bras she has now. The label will have the size printed on it, usually in bigger numbers and letters than the other information. You'll be looking for a two digit number followed by a letter or set of letters-something like 38C or 42DD. (The numbers refer to how big around she is, so if you are looking at something like "85" chances are you're either looking at the wrong thing, or it's a European bra using centimeters. The letter refers to cup size.)
European Conversions for Bras
The bra size is what you need for a bra (obviously) and some other items like shapewear (also known as girdles, bodysuits and things of that sort) and some gowns.
If you look at her slips and nightwear, you may find "Small", "Medium","Large", etcetera on the labels. Look at several articles and note which size shows up most often.
Panty sizes are on the labels as well, but different manufacturers have different sizing. In general, this is only an issue when you want to buy panties to match a bra.
Waist size is usually easiest to get from a pair of slacks or a skirt she wears. Find the slacks and skirts that don't have elastic, fasten the buttons, zip the zippers and then measure the waistband.
As to weight, make your best guess if you can't catch her on the scale. (And if you do, the correct comment is "You are so tiny! Do you keep rocks in your pockets so the wind won't blow you away?" Do not say anything like "WOW" or even "That's all you weigh? I thought it was more…" If you say anything like that, it's going to take a lot of lingerie gifts to get out of the doghouse!
Style
Let's face it, this is a gift for you as well as for her, but if she doesn't like it then she won't wear it, and you lose, too. So…
What's her temperament like? Is she shy around new people or at work, but very outgoing with you and close friends? If so, she may wear very understated clothing as a rule; but she might like something less severe in her lingerie collection. But if she's always shy and quiet, then you may want to get something demure. At no time should your gift give her the wrong idea about how you think of her. For a more quiet lady, an item in blush pink may seem elegant and sexy while the same item in red or black seems trampy. And how she perceives the item is how she'll think you perceive her! When in doubt, be a little more conservative; and then when she loves what you got her this time, you can get an idea of whether she'd be interested in something a little more risqué.
What colors does she like? Usually her closet can help, but remember that work clothes don't always reflect the colors she'd like to be wearing; so look at the colors she picks out for evenings or casual clothes for home. If she wears vibrant, rich colors, then steer away from the pastels. If she favors quiet colors, then she probably won't like things in bright or deep colors.
If you're wanting to buy her bras, bustiers, corsets and the like that she'll be wearing under her daytime clothes, then look at the colors of the daytime clothes. You won't want to get a rich color if she usually wears light colored clothing-it'll show through so she won't be able to wear it. (There are lots of things in nude, blush and white that won't show through; so pick one of those.)
Last, if it's "visible" lingerie-that is, something like a camisole that she'd wear as a blouse under a suit-then find a color and style that will go with the suits she wears.
If you have any other questions, contact us (toll-free) at 866-352-4494 and our customer service representatives can help you pick out that perfect gift for the lady in your life.
