You may think that panties are panties, but there are an astonishing number of styles, not to mention materials available.
Full Briefs Okay, let's get the least sexy out of the way. Full briefs are those ugly knickers that are cut low on the leg and high on the waist. They're the knicker equivalent of Mom-jeans and if you own a pair, you shouldn't.
Midis / Hipsters Much more acceptable everyday wear are midis, which are cut lower on the waist and a little higher on the leg. They give good coverage of the bum and are therefore great and comfortable for day-in, day-out wear.
Brazilians Brazilians are midis that don't cover the full buttock but instead cut somewhere across the middle of the bum. This can result in some sexy bum cleavage, but, on the downside, can also give you the permanent sensation that your knickers are riding up your arse.
Bikinis Bikinis are midis, but smaller. These are even lower on the waist and are best avoided by those of us with extra curvaceous figures, since there'll be unsightly spillage over the waistband. Bikinis look best on the skinny sisterhood.
Tanga Brief Tanga briefs are like bikinis, but instead of a full seam on the sides, there's a string holding the front and back together. This is ber-unflattering on all but the most boyish of figures as the string will saw into your sides and create great unsightly bulging.
Thongs / G-Strings The itsy-bitsy underwear is loved for its VPL (visible panty line) eliminating quality, but scorned for its questionable comfort levels and especially for visibility when sitting down in low-rise pants. Every girl needs one thong in her arsenal for those outfits that mandate a seam-free derriere.
Boyshorts If you're a girl who likes coverage but rightly hates the full brief, try a little boyshort. Cute, flirty, sexy and comfortable, boyshorts are also arguably as good at avoiding VPLs as thongs. Plus, in my meager experience, men love them, women love them AND they're comfortable. These things rarely coincide, so take advantage when they do!
Shapewear In all shapes and sizes, shapewear is designed with one thing in mind: Firming up those flabby bits and giving you a smooth silhouette. However, they're far from sexy. It's that classic Bridget Jones catch-22 of whether to wear the big knickers that will make you look better in the dress, or the hot ones that will be sexier if you end up in flagrante. Oprah claims only to ever wear Spanx, the shapewear du jour. In a perfect world, none of us would ever need a helping hand, but in reality we do and thankfully there are lots of options out there.
Playing Favourites
I wear all my knickers. Even if I'm just wearing jeans and a tee, it gives me a little thrill to know there's French lace underneath. Nobody else needs to know and perhaps that makes underwear a true medium of self-expression, be it cute, sexy, romantic or kinky. This isn't about looking and feeling good for a man, this is about me, me, me! The fact that it might titillate a sexual partner is just an added bonus.
And although I'm loathe to play favourites when it comes to underwear, I do have one special pair of panties. They're silk, rose-print boyshorts with antique lace trim. Partly I adore them because they were a gift from someone special - someone who didn't question my obsession but loved it as a funny quirk. But I don't wear them often because I want them to last as long as possible. Nevertheless, they do seem to have magical effects when I put them on. And just think: Few will ever know the real source of my power...
