Let's Talk Pants

If it's not too personal a question - how IS your knicker drawer looking?

Actually, before we start on the detail what do you call them?

In Lancashire, where I'm from, pants are trousers (like in America) and you wear knickers as underwear. Having lived in Nottingham for most of my adult life I've gone native and now call knickers pants (and trousers are trousers). There are lots of names for pants - bloomers, drawers, apple catchers, undies, briefs, knickers, keks, grundies all of these are ok.... But NEVER panties, that just sounds so sleazy.

I'm writing to you about knickers this week as it's my belief that your underwear can affect how you feel as you go about your day and ultimately, it can be a marker of your self-image. 

If you get the foundations right and your clothes hang better, you'll look and feel the business. There are so many shapes and types of knickers, how do you choose what type you prefer? Does it depend on what you are wearing on top? Thongs, g-strings, boy shorts, Brazilian, high leg, midi, mini, waist whopper armpit warmers.

It's ALWAYS about comfort for me. If your pants are not comfy, digging in or going up your bum or whatever then it can affect your whole day. How can you focus with a wedgie? Always full backside coverage, I like to get my money's worth in the fabric department.

Then there is shapewear, that's another story. There are all kinds of styles of shapewear designed to support and control our areas of insecurity. Belly stoppers that lessen the wobble, padded pants to give you a curvier bum, cycling shorts that hold it all in and smooth It all out. The thing with shapewear is that it doesn't often look very sexy.

So, it can turn into the Bridget Jones dilemma...

You have a hot date; do you wear the big granny pants or the skimpy bit of lace. If you remember she's weighing up her options, thinking that she'll look better with her clothes on with the big pants but wouldn't want her prospective lover to be aware of them. This could also be a confidence situation, the solution? Wear skimpy, sexy pants underneath big pants so you look good in the outfit, then whip big pants off before you get amorous.

Lingerie - everyday wear or for special occasions? Is there a difference between your day to day pants and date pants? Do you feel sexier if you are wearing nice undies? Have you ever refused or avoided intimacy because you are wearing scronky pants?

Apparently, that’s very common. I saw a meme on Facebook once that said something like if she's wearing matching underwear, you are not the one who decided sex was on the cards. Did you have “pulling pants” in your dating days? Do you even bother to wear matching sets now?

The Keith Lemon test If you are pulling on saggy, greying pants each day how do they make you feel? Are you loving how they look and do you feel amazing in them? Twirling admiringly as you look at yourself in the mirror?

Try this test - Imagine if your house was featured on “Through the Keyhole” and Keith Lemon went through your knicker drawer. Would you be ashamed because most of them have seen better days?

If you answered yes to that question, then you need to take action. You have got to love yourself enough to not wear this stuff, even if no one but you is going to see it - think about the message are you sending to yourself each day.

Practical tip

Don't get your knickers in a twist about seeing your undies through your clothes. Did you know that skin tone underwear is best under white if you don't want to show the world what you are wearing?