Underneath it all

Tired of her boring underwear, one woman set out to rediscover her lace-covered glory days with a lingerie wardrobe overhaul

My natural inclination is to go black for this, so instead I started with some pink

I used to be the queen of lingerie. I had fistfuls of pretty panties, drawers bursting with bright bustiers and lewd merrywidows. I wore eye-wateringly expensive strappy European designer bras — sometimes as tops — for years. Somewhere along the way, my collection began to dwindle. I started working from home and stopped wearing bras. Low on time, I’d buy my underwear in bulk from budget-friendly chain stores. My boyfriend wasn’t a huge lingerie fan, so there was less motivation to splash out on peignoirs.

Moving into our new house, however, inspired some early spring cleaning. When I got to my unmentionables drawer, I found what remained within quite depressing: ancient pieces from my college days, shapeless second-hand cotton bralettes. I wanted to get excited about underthings again, so I decided to do something about it. It was time to rebuild my lingerie wardrobe — using only chic Canadian brands, because nothing’s hotter than shopping local, baby.

So, let’s get dressed. Or undressed, as it were.

The sweet set

I was on the hunt for that tingle you feel when you’re wearing an elaborate bra and panty set under your regular outfit. My natural inclination is to go black for this, so instead I started with some pink, including a gorgeous sheer polka-dot bra and thong set from Montreal-based brand Sokoloff. Next, I looked into Montreal-based brand Montelle, which has been shilling intimates for over two decades, offering a wide range of sizes in everything from bralettes to push-ups. Its Valentine’s Day collection is full of delicate baby-pink lace pieces and normally I would have chosen the casual bralette and roomy high-waisted panties, but no: this time, I went with the structured balconette bra and (gasp!) bikini panties. As I shimmied into the set, I swooned with nostalgia. It reminded of how I felt in my first decade of lingerie collecting, excited to strap myself into capital-B BRAS, all scalloped lace and cleavage served up high. It felt wonderful to have that passion reignited, to actually care about the first pieces of clothing I put on in the morning again, a small moment of deliberate joy before a long day of drudgery.

The supportive bra

Now, my usual bra MO is either boring loose bralette or tiny useless bralette, so this seemed the perfect time to try out a more structured, full-coverage option. It had been so long since I had regularly worn normal bras that when I tried some different ones on, I kept going to take them off over my head, instead of unhooking them from the back. How had I strayed so far from my dainty bra days? I was ready to re-learn the ways of the hook and eye. I turned to Vancouver-based brand Understance, which offers a wide size range of fullcoverage bras in shades like cream, peach, grey and mauve. I chose a couple of Serious Bras that consisted of so much fabric my boyfriend called them breastplate-esque. The modesty may not have felt very me, but I was determined to experience supporting my tatas for once. Hell, it might even help me stay warm in my very old, very cold house. I ended up going with a cream underwire style with matching high-rise bikini panties that had a generous amount of coverage, but still felt va-va-voom with its lacy cups — and ability to cantilever my bosom aloft to 28-year-old levels.

The sexy set

I was stoked to discover that the current lingerie trends dovetail with my personal eighties-influenced tastes: roughly 95 per cent of indie lingerie brands right now make underwear out of mesh. No longer relegated to sex shops, this eye-popping material is everywhere now. I turned to Montreal-based Mary Young for my mesh moment — her Valentine’s Day collection is all mesh, all the time, so I picked out a fuchsia triangle bra and matching thong. After a long week of work, I had to spend my Saturday cleaning out the basement. You know what makes cleaning out the basement more fun? Wearing sheer lingerie underneath your gross cleaning clothes! Every time I went to the bathroom (or snuck a peek down my own top while sorting out the DVD bin), it was thrilling to see my goods in all their mesh-clad glory. It helped me get in the right mindset for my next adventure: actually leaving the house.

The bodysuit

A major part of my fashion MO has always been wearing underwear as outerwear, whether it’s teddies as tops or bras as separates. Due to being old and tired all the time, I don’t go out as much as I used to, nor do I frequent any establishments where flashing my double-Ds would be somewhat appropriate. But I was fired up from all the lingerie mojo. I yearned for the drama of a full black lace catsuit from Montreal-based blush, but I begrudgingly decided take it down a notch or two. Time for more mesh. Vancouver-based HIRRS specializes in simple yet sexy mesh-forward basics. I chose the see-through bodysuit in black and decided to just … wear it out of the house to go to a friend’s birthday party at a dive bar. Now, I will admit that it was a lot, even for me. Yes, my date asked me to put my coat back on to say hi to her six-year-old, and yes, my boyfriend said it was a “bit much.” But I didn’t care. I felt free. And most of all? I felt like me again.

The comfy lace

You know what else comes with going out to a bar? A hangover! And in times like these, I need a little bit of comfort. LIVØM is an eco-friendly Montreal-based brand that makes cute, basic lace lingerie, all forgiving elastic and perfect for a hungover Sunday or lazy Monday. I slowly pulled on a purple lace racerback bra and high-waist panty and felt just the tiniest bit more ready to leave bed and tackle my to-do list. I realized that I could cross off at least one thing from that list: rebuilding my lingerie wardrobe. Completing the mission came with a revelation: I’ll never be that tautknockered twentysomething with drawers full of unhinged intimates again — but I can get the same zing from a few pieces of lovingly curated lingerie. All I needed was a little more mesh.