Looking what lies beneath

Women, and men, don’t seem to give enough thought while buying brassieres and vests, considering they are the foundation to any great outfit. FARHANA MADAR unhooks the mystery behind this mindset and, eventually the undergarment guide

The biggest fashion faux pas that folks commit — and don’t even know about it — is about what goes underneath. People, especially women, just don’t give their undergarments the same amount of time and importance, as they would say, a crisp pair of well-fitted jeans. It simply comes down to being armed with information about your body and all things lingerie — especially since both women and men invest quite an amount on it. And all good lingerie is worth the cost — we’re talking bras and briefs that are soft, well-structured and of quality fabric.

The low-down

Considering most of our cupboards brim with various kinds of dresses, it is essential to match it with the right undergarment. Women should be mindful of the dress design or the cut, so as to wear underneath what compliments the entire outfit. Jainee Gandhi, body image consultant, personal shopper and a wardrobe strategist, says, “There are various types of bras available — wired/non wired, padded/ non-padded, T-shirt bras, fancy bras, push-up bras …the list is exhaustive. If you wear lot of strappy tops and dresses, I suggest investing in nude and black colour bras in strapless style. For everyday wear, you can opt for a good quality T-shirt bra as they are seamless.”

Gandhi also unravels certain myths about brassieres. “Women believe wired bras cause marks, are uncomfortable and harmful to health in the long run. This is true only if you wear an incorrect size. The other myth is, women feel that padded bras add volume to their chest; padded bras come with three types of padding — soft, medium and heavy. Nonpadded bras are just a piece of cloth; instead, opt for soft to medium padding that will act as barrier between your body and weather.”

She also extends her guidance to the male half as well, who often find themselves puzzled at the thought of selecting their intimates “Men, too, have different types of vest or ganji, as known in India. A good vest will soak the perspiration and not spoil the whites and lighter shirts. In earlier days only white cotton vests were available, but now you can find neutral colours, sleeved or sleeveless vests, body hugging — to give ‘tuckedin’ a cleaner look,” she explains.

According to her, even men have various types of underpants — regular briefs, boxer briefs, boxer shorts and trunks are the more popular ones. “My top tip will be to opt for boxer briefs for formal pants. The diagonal line that appears at the back under the pants due to regular briefs might look a bit awkward, especially for men who are slightly heavier in the lower body,” she says. Another tip is to care for the undergarment. “Never put your lingerie in a washing machine. There are special wash bags for lingerie; use those to machine wash undergarments. I would, however, still suggest hand-washing and airdry it,” ips Gandhi.

Opt wisely

Undergarment can accentuate your assets — all it takes is a bit of guidance, body intuition and information!

Anika Churiwala, a fashion designer and proprietor of the label Aneehka: Pret & Couture, has been catering to stores like Fuel and Aza for the past 16 years. She suggests, “Finding the right lingerie is vital. It’s the foundation to your dress. It’s not hard to find your correct size and fit. It’s about trying different brands, and breaking away from the old styles. A smaller cup size means you can easily wear a semi push-up bra. For medium size, a demi cup works well giving the body a flattering shape. For a fuller chest, daily wear should always be full coverage bra with wide strap bands to give a good hold,” she explains.

Her tip: While trying a bra, make sure you buy one that fits well in the first hook, because the waist elastic will eventually get loose and you will have to move to inside hooks. Also, the bust line should fall between your shoulder and elbow.

The lingerie doctor

Meet Jayashree Gupta, owner and founder of Cazaro Lingerie. She has been fitting women with the right lingerie for about 10 years now. On a fitting appointment with Gupta, women can get her unerring consultation, guidance and lingerie, tailored to their body specifications.

“The biggest mistake women make is accepting what is given to them, even if the bra doesn’t really fit well. Most are shy and/or ignorant about the importance of working with a lingerie expert. Here one size doesn’t fit all. Someone may need 34DD and another of the similar structure may need a 36D. The multi-brand lingerie store I run is possibly the only place in India to get cup sizes from D to K, with proper guidance about right fits,” she boasts.

But this doesn’t explain why lingerie is so expensive? Gupta says, “We women have varying body types, and crafting bras for each type and size is a huge investment. A good quality bra, though more expensive, can last you anywhere between eight months to a year; sometime more, depending on the wash and care.”

Right size matters!

PrettySecrets’ head of product design & development Shruti Behal says, “Right lingerie is not hard to find. In bras, the sizes are tailored to the inch; be it the band or the cup size. Many women are oblivious of the health problems an ill-fitting bra can cause in the long run. We insist that the customer gets fitted at our stores, or simply call our customer care team for proper guidance. Most importantly, women should have fun with different styles, colors and prints when buying lingerie along with focusing on its functional aspect.”