MYNIPPON has recently received comments from readers with regard to our articles on young ladies' and women's fashion selections, a series that was prompted by how some women have been changing their preferences in lingerie.   In particular I will comment on bras, panties, and hosiery. It is my belief that any person's choices on what to wear, or what not to wear, ought to be left up to their own best judgment. I will be happy to include in this article my personal favorites, but I do not wish to be regarded as a fashion critic, nor a "Miss Manners" wanna-be. I hope to be able to provide helpful suggestions for all readers. As always, I would just like to caution the younger readers to seek out an appropriate adult for guidance before accepting my opinions as the final word. I am simply one voice among many you will hear.  (Related:  Passion bra and thong)

What comes to mind first is the fact that we females seem to attract so much interest and attention when we choose to wear or not wear our "intimate" apparel. I prefer to start out by looking on the bright side; we have so many choices of style, color, etc. By comparison, men's underwear (they wouldn't call it "intimate") is limited and much more functional. So as females we might as well enjoy the wide variety so nicely provided by manufacturers. I think all girls get an awareness of this when shopping with older female relatives; and it begins at an early age. Even the most cursory examination of human body types reveals the obvious differences between women and men. There are so many differences in fact, that many become redundant. In my mind female identity as a whole is hyper-redundant. There are boy's names and girl's names, boy's clothes and girl's clothes, men's fashion and women's fashion, and so on, ad infinitum. There seems to be in every known culture a great deal of concern that each individual become aware of her/his identity, and then proceed to behave accordingly. Before reaching adulthood, one's parents assume the responsibility of teaching "proper" behavior. Then, at certain ages we are expected to have acquired a necessary minimum awareness and behave properly on our own. It is no wonder that during adolescence many young women and men will experiment with norms, "push the envelope" somewhat, in order to discover where precise boundaries lie. I don't think that this kind of behavior in teens should be any cause for alarm. All I would say is that if you somehow find yourself in jail for something having to do with what you decided to wear (or not to wear), perhaps you ought to reconsider. Don't laugh, because I'm not trying to be funny.  (Related:  Printed stockings)

I think I have gotten all the preliminaries out of the way, although I mentioned some topics that can be fascinating when discussed in detail. But I do not have unlimited time and space to go on and on, and I ought to get to the "good stuff." 

Let's begin with hosiery. Those of you already familiar with my articles are aware that this is something I really enjoy talking about. Perhaps I've already said enough. I've always preferred nylons with or without garters over pantyhose. In some cases the garters don't seem absolutely necessary, but this will depend on each woman's own legs. I don't mind attracting some attention once in a while adjusting my stockings, whether or not it is necessary. On occasion I'll do it deliberately. Naturally this kind of thing has to be judged as situation-specific.1 It's not the kind of thing I'd do at a job interview. I can only suggest that you try different personal styles in different circumstances, and see what feels and works best for you. Keep in mind that men are going to be undressing you with their eyes no matter what, and you can use this to your advantage if you like. (Beware other women may be doing the same.) Yes, it's a jungle out there. Play the jaguar or the fawn as you see fit. If you don't like nylons and prefer pantyhose, good for you. You won't have to be concerned with panty lines at all. Go ahead and wear the most clingy skirts and dresses you can find. The bottom half of your hourglass will look wonderful. I think pantyhose are fine for women who prefer them and I understand why they do. I'd even go so far as to say that girls ought to wear them first, before nylons with garter belts are tried, to get an idea of the overall "feel." I'm not a mom and I defer to women who are. If I am a mom someday I'd like my daughter to be as comfortable as possible, and hopefully I'd be able to put my preferences aside giving due attention to her feelings. If any of the girls out there reading this feel that their moms don't seem to listen, just present your feelings to mom as gracefully as you can. If you want to try something new, give mom a shot and have well-thought-out reasoning. Saying "…all the other girls are doing it…" may not work. I can remember lots of times when my friends and I would bring a second skirt to school tucked away somewhere in a backpack. Naturally it was much shorter than the one we wore leaving the house. Those were the good old days… but I'm digressing.  (Related article:  Only bad girls wear thongs?)

Now I'd like to relate a short story, one that is completely true, and also one that I enjoy re-telling. On one of my frequent trips to Hawaii, I happened to stop over at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. While there I went into a typical airport bar to smoke. I sat down and ordered a soft drink at the bar. Just after me another woman came in, by herself. She sat down, lit her cigarette and ordered a colorful cocktail. I noticed she was wearing a very sheer white blouse with a black lacy bra underneath. We were about the same size and weight: approximately 5'-5", 109 lbs. To open a conversation I asked her where was she going? As it turned out we were both waiting for the next flight to Honolulu. She asked me if it was my first time visiting Hawaii, and I told her it wasn't. She began to tell me her story. She was going to Hawaii because she had been called to testify at a murder trial. She was going to testify on behalf of a friend who had been the victim of domestic abuse, and had subsequently murdered her husband. We began to talk and when it came time to board the plane we arranged to have our seating assignments changed so that we might sit together. All the while I was thinking about the way she was dressed. The blouse and bra she had on went together very well with matching black mini-, black hosiery and heels. I, on the other hand, was dressed very plainly, as I have found it just isn't comfortable wearing heels and tight fitting clothes when traveling long distances. So as time passed I eventually asked her what she did for a living. She responded that she was a "dancer." The young man in the widow seat next to us suddenly became involved in our conversation, focusing his attention and eyes on my new acquaintance. They seemed to "hit it off," so much so that the flight attendant finally refused (with fitting grace) to serve them any more alcoholic beverages. I awoke them just before the plane landed. We parted ways at the baggage claim. During that visit to Hawaii I often thought about the subtle, and not-so-subtle, impressions we make that can be related to the clothes we wear.  (Related:  Victoria's Secret Biofit bra)

Okay, so let's see some ideas put to work! I'd like to show you just two quick examples of some of the things I've mentioned above, and the type of appearance produced. The casually dressed model I'll call "Carol" and the bit more formally dressed one I'll call "Francine." I think both looks are fine in the proper settings. So let's take a look.

Carol (name changed) is wearing a bra under her top. The straps are showing. This is a light bra for gentle support and shaping. The classic white shows off her natural tan nicely. She's wearing white thong panties under black short-shorts. The overall look is understated, as if she's saying: "Just going out to hang out with friends, be comfortable and relaxed." She's attractive without having to overplay anything. Eye makeup and lipstick are both gently applied. Clean, clear skin with a good tan does the rest. Notice how the hair in pig-tails provides a very young, innocent, "girlish" look for a model in her early twenties. Notice also she's wearing no jewelry, body piercing, or tattoos.  Not even nail polish.  Now I know you might be saying that a young woman as attractive as "Carol" can easily look nice when hardly putting in any effort at all. "Oh yeah, sure," you might think, "it's easy for her!" All I'd suggest is keeping it simple, and follow Carol's example of taking good care of yourself. It doesn't have to be difficult or over-played. 

Our next model will be formal "Francine" (name changed).  She's modeling a skin-tight white mini-dress. Underneath she is wearing no bra or panties, just sheer pantyhose. Again we're dealing with a girl who has good assets to begin with, only she's dressed for  something a bit more sophisticated than "Carol's" hanging out with friends. She's wearing just a bit of jewelry, and a little more makeup for effect. She also looks rather nice in white: white shows off beautifully her tanned skin. Probably the only way to "pull off" this kind of look is just the way "Francine" is doing it. The dress by itself keeps her bust in place so even a strapless bra would be superfluous. Panties aren't essential, so she doesn't consider it a problem not wearing any. The hairstyle is easily combed and sprayed to stay in place. Again the key is just keeping things simple. There's no need for overstatement, so our two models don't do it. They both display a confidence and well-groomed look that men (and women) find attractive. I believe that as a young girl matures, she ought to enjoy herself during the process. Please don't let anyone (myself included) talk you into doing something you don't feel comfortable with. Especially beware of boyfriends who seem to "force" their opinions on you. It won't stop with your wardrobe. 

Sometimes I very much enjoy letting my bra show; I'll choose a delicate lacy bra, with exquisite detail, and wear it under a sheer white top, much like my acquaintance from Sky Harbor Airport, mentioned above. A white bra with a sheer black blouse produces a similar effect. I'll sometimes wear garters as a "tease," making sure my skirt is just short enough to reveal the garter straps when sitting or extending my body to reach something high. I suppose men do a similar kind of "judgment calling" when they decide how tight to wear their jeans or how many shirt buttons to leave undone. The wonderful interplay between attraction and self-identity is as timeless and infinite as the universe. Professional dancers worth their salt have a particularly acute awareness of this. I caution you however: it is a profession for females with "street smarts."

Related articles:  Wife in lingerie      How to buy sheer lingerie?   Show underwear at a theme party   My breast moves

With or without bra style tips      Sheer stocking    Leak proof panties    Kate Hudson in thong

About the author: Akiko Tanaka is a freelance writer. She attended the State University of New York, where she was a double-major, and earned her BA in Anthropology, and another in Russian Language and Literature. Currently she is working towards forming an image design company, to be known as alicia dezine.