Hi Ladies,

Does anyone else have trouble finding comfortable underwear? I have tried just about everything - cotton which is supposed to be good, you name it. These days when I buy bras I take them home, wash them and try them out for the day. I find there is no comfortable bra on the market and I end up dragging out my scissors and chopping out bits and pieces of the elastic, pulling out the wire and generally mutilating my new purchase to gain some degree of use out of the item.

As far as underpants go, I find them equally uncomfortable particularly the elastic around the top of the legs and waist.

does anyone else have this problem and feel they have to mutilate their underwear as soon as they get it back from the shop?

Found this interesting. After just having a hyst in Jan, I was on the hunt for perfect panties to replace all the ones that were ruined with years of flooding.

I'm not sure if you can get these in Australia, but Warners undies are the most comfy for the money. They have a substantial satin like material with a comfy lace top and hemmed leg openings. I buy the hipsters, they stay put, and are literally like not wearing panties at all. No panty lines either.

Have you been fitted for a bra? It sounds like you are not getting the right size or type. You should not be spending a fortune on bras only to have to cut them up. Besides, this might just be a psychological thing, but when everything underneath feels good, and looks good, you feel better.

Hope this helps. Look up Warners on google. Carson's and I believe Kohl's carries them in the US.

Peace and Love,
Brinks

Wow, finally I have found a thread I can get really worked up about.

I HATE underwear.

As far as I can tell, women's undies were created by a particularly sadistic female-hating male who was afraid that the sight, or mere glimmer, of the female anatomy might cause the undoing of the world as we know it.

Men discreetly wear an anti-jiggling undergarment only with a bathing suit. Who decreed that a woman should wear one all the time so that her breasts stay in place like a concrete mold? The wires can gouge like a samurai sword, the molded cups look about as natural as wadded up tissue paper, and the straps are never--I mean never--at the right position. I have had numerous bra interventions. For some reason, when I tell the fitters that I would rather wear an undershirt, their eyes glaze over like a captive at a poetry reading.

And the bottoms! If you wear a Granny-like model, you feel like you are a hundred years old. Boxers show through many types of clothing. And anything in between is so fraught with problems it is not worth the struggle. Panty lines, bulging hips, protruding thighs, bellies that hang far over where they are "supposed" to be, tushies that sag.. I mean really... What is it about the female shape that requires pushing and pulling and bending and "shaping"and re-working until I, at least, am ready to rip off every bit of clothing I have on?

Take a historical look. Women wore corsets, bustles and all manner of contraptions to enhance, hide, and modulate their uniquely feminine traits. Unfortunately, the 60's notwithstanding, we have not evolved much past that point.

OK, I have to go. I have my unmentionables soaking in Woolite. Please let me know when we get to high heels.

You should be a comedy writer!!!! I needed a good laugh today!! And you are SOOO right!!! Thanks!!!


Paula

Thanks Malkacava,
Your post nearly made me pee my Bloomers that I have on.

Paula is right you should have been a Comedy Writer.

Thanks for the laugh.

From Deb

Marcy!!! OMG!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!

Seriously....I think vanity motivates a fair bit of our underwear fetish! I think I am gonna see if Warner's undies are sold in Canada...I love their bras. Being big busted, I am not comfortable having the twins swaying, flopping and jiggling!! Sometimes at home I will wear a sports bra, which is all soft cotton...or a camisole with a built in bra, again all soft cotton and comfy. But in public I like to keep the critters caged. My whole life people have had a hard time lookin me in the eye (I have had the urge to bend my head sideways and dip down to make eye contact!! ) so the last thing I want to do is draw anymore attention to my chest!!! So I am all for the lock n load, cement them in place kinda bra!!!!

Hmmmmm interesting topic here

Funnily enough I have just purchased a new brassiere contraption (over shoulder boulder holder) that has no underwire, was ridiculously expensive, but gives me Marilyn Monroe titties, you know the type, up and out there .

I haven't received it yet as it's on back order as these bras seem to be so popular here and I'm sure she said (professional bra fitting woman) they were an American brand. When I receive it and try it out properly I'll let y'all know how it is and what it is exactly. All I can tell you now is it's a little like a maternity bra in style, not very sexy on the inside, but gives great projection on the outside .....

Trinny and Suzannah will be so proud of me getting these puppies up and out there and as a bonus I have gained a little waist by lifting them off my stomach ......

Watch this space...........

Rox

Oh Man, hilarious!!!

On the bra front, I just grew breasts over the past 10 years, as I was always tiny chested, so lovely underwire bras from Victoria works great for me.

The panties are another thing altogether. Ugh. Do try Warners, they have all kinds and the satin ones are a substantial material so they do a little to hold any "wiggle" you might have.

I'll stay tuned for more interesting convo on this subject. I can only say that I am LIBERATED after bleeding so heavily for so long. The subject of panties is one I enjoy having!

Peace and Love,
Brinks

Malchava: That was HILARIOUS! Gloria Steinham couldn't have said it better. I'm old enough to remember the revolution in the '60's and '70's against bras. What the HECK happened? As a society, we have reverted completely...remember "Let it all hang out?" Personally, I'd be scared not to wear a bra...I'm tiny (5'2") with enormous mammaries (DD) and if I don't wear a bra, bad things happen...trust me on this one...

Now, regarding panties...I wear high cut g-strings...I want the least amount of material possible on my hips and thighs. However, may I rant about thongs for a moment? It's all my daughter wears...and they are appearing in alarming frequency at department stores. I've tried them and it was an emotionally scarring experience. I've spent the better part of 40 years digging my underwear OUT of my fanny...now I'm supposed to deliberately stuff it in there? Is this really....hygenic? To me, it's like flossing your behind!

Women had a brief respite from torture-type clothing during the sexual revolution of the 1960's. With the exception of a small faction of feminists, this respite is OVER. The media expects us to look like Barbie dolls...all molded plastic and no hair anywhere. Oh, how I long for the free-wheeling, Birkenstock-wearing days of my youth.

Now, Malchava, shall I start a thread on high heels, or would you like the honor???

I've just written about this on the chit chat thread. I am totally demoralised after unloading the washing machine to see that my daughter, now home from uni, is wearing undies that are teensy weeny, super duper, all singing all dancing, pretty LITTLE undies and mine are plain, dingy looking objects, that by comparison would catch the wind and sail a ship somewhere. I need comfy knickers that make me feel good, don't look like enormous bloomers and don't scare my hubby either.

Absolutely hysterical!!!!!!!

And about "letting it all hang out?"
Back in the seventies, when we were young and had firm, hard bodies, letting it all hang out was a heck of a lot different!!!
If I let it all hang out NOW, people would be poking their eyes out, and throwing up all over the place!!!!

Even I can't stand to look at myself naked, and try to avoid mirrors completely.

Flossing your behind......




My favorites are hi cut. They hold in the love handles. My fiance' has an underwear fetish and everytime we go to the mall, we go into Victoria's Secret and he buys me 5 pairs each time. They are bikinis and hi-cut g-string. I don't like myself in either one. He wants me to wear them, but I keep putting him off by telling him that I'll start wearing them on our wedding night in June. I'm hoping by then I'll have more nerve.

Now RoundRobin please enlighten me to what you mean by a 'g-string'...... Here is New Zealand a 'g-string' is exactly the same as what you guys call a 'thong' you know aka butt floss, but somehow I don't think this is what you mean LOL. Here, a 'thong' is a 'jandal' which you call a 'flip flop' ??? which would be worn on the feet or used to maybe smack a bum not encase it or floss it .......

No butt floss for this chick, no siree, 20 plus years of haemmorhoids took care of that pleasure , just nice high cut cotton bikini briefs as we call them for this mamma, maybe the ocassional lacey tie on the sides skimpy bit of fluff for my hubbys benefit, if he's a good boy .........

Rox

Rox: What I call a g-string is the triangle of fabric in the front, a big (very Big!) triangle of fabric in the back, and just straps on the sides...and very high cut.

Yeah, there is a bit of confusion between thong underwear and thong sandals.

Motivated by my desire to find a pair of knickers that not only makes me feel good but also looks good I have just bought 3 pairs of what are called 'shorts'. They're pretty and lacy and colourful and definately not those thongy thingys. Having tried them on at home they are oooookay. Definately an improvement but then that's not difficult. I also looked at some higher waisted ones ( I don't mean that I'll need braces to keep them up) but these looked better perhaps I'll try the others next. Well the search continues......................

Very funny Malchcava!

What amazes me about this whole subject is that we are all uncomfortable in our bras and panties, but no matter how much we spend that just never changes. I tend to like high cut panties because I really hate the elastic banding around the top of my leg. I ususally wear Bali bras as well. They tend to be ridculously expensive but what are you going to do?

You all might want to take a look at the Spanx website. I believe they have a new bra that is supposed to be incredibly comfortable. Who knows????

I love my Jockey for Her cotton bikinis. I don't want the band up around my waist, so bikinis are good for me. They are cool and comfortable and come in colors. They aren't expensive - about $20 for 3 pair. Living in Georgia, I need cool, cotton undies in summer. They aren't very thin, tho, so some people might not like them.

WriterMom

this is just a great discussion thread! you are all so awesome!

so marcy, if you are still reading this, what are your favorite underwear selections to wear with those high heels?

ellen

I'm waiting to hear from Marcy, but just wanted to say that you all have hit it EXACTLY right! Here I thought once again that I was alone with this problem. I can't tell you how many bras I've wrecked from yanking and pulling on them. In fact, I got so aggravated with the time-consuming task of trying to find the right bra (select one or two, go in dressing room, try on, they don't fit, get dressed, go back out, select some more, go in dressing room, get undressed, they don't fit--aarrgghh!!--it takes hours and hours!) that I actually tried one of those sports bras finally! It was like wearing a piece of canvas. But it held me in and I felt secure, and nothing to yank really, because they were longer, so I bought four, like a fool! I tried wearing them, but it was suffocating! I got hot and couldn't wait to get the thing off at night. I put up with the sports bras for a few months but knew that in the summer they wouldn't work with lighter clothing and tee-shirts. The thick strap showed around my neck and it looked like some medical corrective device. I found out how to measure myself and tried again. I have two Lilyette bras now, one to wear while one is being laundered. Once again they don't fit, even though I thought I measured correctly. They are too big so I have to overlap the band in the back and pin it with a big safety pin. I give up!

Then there's the issue of high heels. I have never, never found a comfortable pair. It's my opinion that they throw our weight unnaturally on our toes so it's like walking on your toes all day. Ouch! When I was younger, I'd buy miserably uncomfortable shoes and I had to cover my feet with Band-Aids. This took too long in the morning when I had to get to work. But without the Band-Aids, I'd have open sores from rubbing.

Oh boy funny thread. Just yesterday I wanted to scream as I had on one of those pairs of panties that are supposed to be invisible. Yeah they are darn well invisible when they have slide down my arse and are hanging off the top of my thighs! Unbelievable!

Anybody out there go commando besides me?

Never! Though I go without a bra often times when not at work or somewhere important. Jeez though after the incident with the panties around my thighs, I might as well be commando!

OK, I did it. I bought a bra yesterday. Or should I just call it the giant rubber band that it is?

You see, I wanted a new outfit for my granddaughter's first birthday party in NY on Sunday. (Yes we are shlepping from DC to uptown Manhattan for a piece of prefabricated cake. But that is another story altogether...) So I went to my favorite department store where the prices are way too high, but where I always find something good. I put together a skirt, a short sleeve top, and a knit jacket in 20 minutes. Not bad, I congratulated myself. But I could not help noticing that the shredded, pill-laden, droopy bra I was wearing did not look all that terrific under the new top. So, I ventured into hostile territory to look for a new one. OMG, what a mistake.

I was there for another hour and a quarter searching, undressing, trying, re-dressing, searching, undressing, trying... well you get the picture. After two rounds of what for me is sheer torture, I took off my bra, put it into my purse, and continued on my search. At least that way I did not have to take the blasted thing off every time I tried on another bra which, of course, did not fit.

Well, lo and behold, I found EXACTLY ONE model that fit very well and was as comfortable as a giant rubber band can be. It is by Wacoal, a brand I had never heard of before, possibly because it cost slightly less than last month's water and sewer bill. They only had one in my size, so I will have to rinse it out at night and let it shower-curtain-rod dry if I ever feel the need to wear it clean.

The whole experience was so exasperating. There was a large section with Calvin Klein bras that I was drawn to because each model had a big tag that read "Perfect Fit." Now who is the moron--me or the company's marketing manager? The bra is a perfect fit if the bra fits you perfectly. Otherwise, it is a misfit. Like me apparently.

I never did get around to bottoms. I just could not bear (no pun intended) the thought of obsessing over my lower body parts. As for going "commando" I won't say that I do. I mean after all, what federal government agency might be monitoring my meno posts, ready to torture me for national security breaches? But I will not say I don't either. I especially won't say I don't when I wear pants. Are we all on the same page here?

My gripe is simple: Men have to be clean and reasonably well-groomed. Women, on the other hand, are made to feel inadequate if they do not turn themselves inside out and upside down with products, gadgets, gizmos, and all manner of widgets that push, pull, center, raise, lower, color, mask, and reconfigure our natural selves.

Really. How fair is that?

I'm sorry. I was so self-absorbed that I forgot to say how much I appreciate everyone's empathy. At least my breasts, my tush, and my psyche do not feel so alone.

Marcy

Five stars for Jockey! I love them too. Hubby thinks their dull, but when he starts wearing a thong and a push up bra then maybe I will too...or not.

hehehehe! laughing so hard almost pee-d in my panties

I was reading all your posts and remembered something that happened a few years ago. We were on a rv camping holiday in the States a few years ago. I went to use the showers at the campsite and my sister (who came with us) and I were talking about being worried about germs and walking around the showers with bare feet. My husband was just going to take a shower and I asked him if he brought his thongs. Of course, what I was thinking of was flip-flop sandals ( we used to call them thongs years ago).
He had a very shocked look on his face and just about fell over laughing saying...."THONGS...can you see me in thongs?"
He was thinking of thong underwear! When we realized what we were each talking about we all had one heck of a good laugh.

Yup, had me in tears of laughter too!!! Because I have BEEN there!!!! Nothing worse than that feeling of your undies bunched up at the top of your legs! And how does one casually jam their hand WAY down their pants to yank those infernal panties back up into place...only to have them fall back down in an hour anyways!!!

Marcy...I kinda wish I could have been shopping with you!! I bet it would have been as funny watching as it was reading about!! Enjoy the birthday party, and your piece of prefabricated cake !!! Those first birthdays of first grandchildren are special, you will love it!!!

Maxxy....your story was funny!! We used to call flip flops thongs too! My kids would automatically think undies!

sberz...commando, huh? After years of peri irregularity...no way!! Now I am post, perhaps I should rethink it??

The only thongs I know of in Australia are the cheap rubber sandels that you wear on your feet. The only underwear I know that intrudes into the anus is the G-String which consists of a triangular front and a string that slots in between the arse cheeks, leaving the cheeks bear. Gee how uncomfortable and smelly these must get, especially in the summer - couldn't think of anything worse. Good luck to all who wear them, perhaps you can enlighten me as to whether or not they they get stained. I find nothing more irritating than undies that ride up the front or the back. We need some decent designers in the world.

Marcy:

Wacoal is supposed to be an incredible bra. I have never tried them, because you are correct, you almost have to take out a second mortgage on your home to be able to afford one. I would however be willing to do that if my bra was comfortable! Let us know how that bra works out for you.

Shakin'

OK, this is my last post about bras. Promise.

I have now worn the Wacoal bra four times, and it is the closest I have ever come to going without one altogether. Every component part is finely tuned to fit. It was worth every penny (6000 pennies to be exact) I paid for it.

WOW malkachava what a bargain!!! Mine cost 11500 pennies to be exact and I still haven't received it .... It better be worth it when I finally do receive it from back order, they must be popular to be sold out

Rox

I am right there with all of you it is a pain in the butt (no pun) intended to find comfortable underwear. Can you ladies please tell me what style of Wacol you purchased since ther are several different styles? I think I might try this new Spanx one they just came out with. Although it is not too cheap either it is suppose to eliminate back fat and be very comfortable.
It is so enlightening to know that we all go through the same ordeals.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

O.K. ladies. Here's something to make you feel even weirder about your undies. Don't know where I read it, but it seems VPL is a turn-on for men. Yep, Visible Panty Lines. (Just proves they're a bottle short of a six pack.) When I found out men actually look at your butt because of VPL, I decided to try the Hanky Panky undies. They're kinda sorta thongs but not really. Google them. You get no lines under your clothes, zero VPL, plus they are actually comfy, no elastic digging into your skin, no binding. They don't hold you in, but they don't make muffin tops out of your hips, either. For me, the less attention to my butt the better.

As for bras, you women with your big ta-tas can stop bragging now. You want frustration? Try being an A/B in a D cup world. Talk about the glass being half full! I got sick of buying those darn bras with the removable cookies. They take forever to dry and after a while they look a little lumpy, not something you want on your chest. I like to wear some padding up top to balance out the butt at the bottom. Finally found a Felina bra that has enough padding in it that if I fall face forward I'll just bounce right back up. The padding is built in and the cups are completely smooth. Looks great under tee shirts and they are only 3800 pennies! And they are pretty! Time will tell if they hold up under multiple wearings and washings.

I probably could have paid for a boob job by now, with all the money I've spent over the years trying to find "the" bra. I wear a bra because when little boobs deflate and head south it looks like two pan cakes flapping on your chest. With everything else, I sure don't need that.

oh i am with you on this one! & your last 2 sentences were classics! i don't think i've put too much effort in the bra quest, though. but i can say that felina is a good one. of course, i bought my last one of those when i was heavier... then lighter, then back, then forth. so nothing really fits, anyway. i swear i can change pant size & bra size in the same day - which is beyond absurd to me.