Lingerie Lessons
4 Ways to Feel Empowered: Taking Our Cues from the French
Photos: Lou's Picadilly and Light Sensation
Ask yourself this simple question: Why do we shoot our wads on shoes and purses but balk at spending the same amount on bras? Walk a mile in uncomfortable shoes and your whole body aches. Spend the day in an uncomfortable bra and you’ll long for that moment when you can set your girls free. What’s wrong with this picture?
As American bra-maker Ida Rosenthal once said: “Nature has made women with a bosom, so nature thought it was important. Who am I to argue?” Is anyone arguing with that? It’s time to invest in your breasts and appreciate them for the magnificent gift that they are, whether you’re petit or full-busted. That means investing in quality, because you do get what you pay for. (Some clichés endure because they’re true.) And if you pay as much attention to your breasts as you do to your feet, you’ll be on your way to the following point #2.
Every French woman will tell you that wearing a beautiful and comfortable bra bestows ineffable self-confidence upon its wearer. (It's a mystery of the universe that we're sure quantum physicists will unravel one day.) You have to feel this to understand it - and you have to do it for yourself, not for display or strictly for a special occasion. “Feeling good about what’s underneath my clothes makes me feel beautiful overall,” said one French woman we interviewed on the streets of Paris. “Wearing lingerie I love makes me feel empowered,” said another. Both of them understand this alchemy of lingerie: Beauty + comfort = Personal power.
Some things are irreplaceable, like an experienced bra fitter. Only this High Priestess of savoir-faire can measure your body, analyze how it ebbs and flows, and fit you in a bra that exalts your body. And we do mean exalt: Our bodies change all the time, size is relative, and no two bras are alike. If your body is indeed your temple, then it’s time to treat your breasts like royalty. So get to know your girls, make friends with a bonafide bra fitter, and get fitted on a regular basis.
French women celebrate beauty and color. Say au revoir to the tyranny of nude and beige. See life through rose, fuchsia, indigo, burgundy, orange, or emerald colored glasses. Wear beautiful lingerie every day.
1. Invest in Yourself
Ask yourself this simple question: Why do we shoot our wads on shoes and purses but balk at spending the same amount on bras? Walk a mile in uncomfortable shoes and your whole body aches. Spend the day in an uncomfortable bra and you’ll long for that moment when you can set your girls free. What’s wrong with this picture?
As American bra-maker Ida Rosenthal once said: “Nature has made women with a bosom, so nature thought it was important. Who am I to argue?” Is anyone arguing with that? It’s time to invest in your breasts and appreciate them for the magnificent gift that they are, whether you’re petit or full-busted. That means investing in quality, because you do get what you pay for. (Some clichés endure because they’re true.) And if you pay as much attention to your breasts as you do to your feet, you’ll be on your way to the following point #2.
2. Cultivate Your Personal Power
Every French woman will tell you that wearing a beautiful and comfortable bra bestows ineffable self-confidence upon its wearer. (It's a mystery of the universe that we're sure quantum physicists will unravel one day.) You have to feel this to understand it - and you have to do it for yourself, not for display or strictly for a special occasion. “Feeling good about what’s underneath my clothes makes me feel beautiful overall,” said one French woman we interviewed on the streets of Paris. “Wearing lingerie I love makes me feel empowered,” said another. Both of them understand this alchemy of lingerie: Beauty + comfort = Personal power.
3. Own Your Body
Some things are irreplaceable, like an experienced bra fitter. Only this High Priestess of savoir-faire can measure your body, analyze how it ebbs and flows, and fit you in a bra that exalts your body. And we do mean exalt: Our bodies change all the time, size is relative, and no two bras are alike. If your body is indeed your temple, then it’s time to treat your breasts like royalty. So get to know your girls, make friends with a bonafide bra fitter, and get fitted on a regular basis.
4. Seek Beauty
French women celebrate beauty and color. Say au revoir to the tyranny of nude and beige. See life through rose, fuchsia, indigo, burgundy, orange, or emerald colored glasses. Wear beautiful lingerie every day.
January 07, 2016
