“Nude is a concept, not a colour,” the luxury designer Christian Louboutin said last year, when the brand extended its nude shoe offering to include chic pointed flats in seven shades of caramels and creams. Why? Because, as the adage goes, there’s nothing more leg-lengthening than a nude shoe. Meghan Markle wears hers with cocktail dresses and leather leggings alike. The Duchess of Cambridge wears hers with, well, everything, single-handedly boosting L K Bennett’s sales, and Anna Wintour, the US editor of Vogue, is rarely seen out of her nude Manolos.

Called Seamfree Air True To You Shades, the line of underwear (and one bralette) includes a thong, bikini, brief, hi-cut brief, and hipster options. Not only does the nude collection comes in five different shades, but they also feel like heaven, due to its light-as-air fabric. Exclusively at Macy’s, you can buy each pair of underwear for $13 each, or three for $33. The bralette is sold separately, at $25.

Thanks to Jockey’s new line and other designers’ commitments, the industry is definitely moving in the right direction — though there’s still a long way to go. For most of childhood, if you picked out a “nude” crayon out of the perfectly organized Crayola box, you’d find a pale, tan color that most people used to color in legs, arms, faces, hands — you name it. Nude had only one option.

Thanks to an awakening of some brands — whether that’s beauty or fashion — the definition of “nude” isn’t tied to just one specific skin tone.

Back in January, shoe brand Kahmune came out with a nude shoe line with 10 different shades. And in 2016, Surratt Beauty introduced the Surreal Real Skin Foundation Wand, which came in a whopping 15 different shades. When 2017 came, Dior added even more shades
to its Diorskin Forever Foundation, making for 24 total shades, including three different shades of almond and a “deepened beige called Praline,” according to The New York Times.

As Louboutin spotted, there are nudes and there are nudes – no two skintones are exactly alike, and will probably change from winter to summer. Generally, the term “nude” is used to describe pinky-beige, a dozen shades lighter than my own mixed-race skin, and
also miles from a match for my colleagues, from the fair-skinned to Asian; the idea of a “universal” nude is no more achievable than a foundation shade that will work on anyone. Thankfully, Louboutin isn’t alone – high street giant ASOS offers their classic court shoes in four skin-tones, and elsewhere, brands are now offering a scale of nude shades in everything from make-up to lingerie.

Beauty experts are searching for the perfect nude, too. Sonia Haria, The Daily Telegraph ’s beauty director, admits to having issues finding make-up to suit the cool, peachy undertones of her Indian skin, but says: “Many beauty brands have become better at
understanding the difference in undertones for darker skin types. They’ve realised it can’t just be an added extra shade thrown onto the end of a range – but there’s still some way to go until that’s a given.”

Years ago, at university, a friend and I could only laugh (and email customer services) when the “nude” shapewear knickers I bought showed up like white cycling shorts against my brown legs. Now? Brands are cottoning on, and catering for a variety of skin tones –
so when it comes to those leg-lengthening shoes, the world’s your oyster. Or berry. Or café au lait.

While we all know how crucial it is to be measured for a bra to be sure you’re wearing the right size, the type you choose is equally important.

Whether you have an hourglass figure or an apple shape, the right choice of bra and pants can really help to streamline your figure and create the perfect silhouette.

Lingerie experts Sparkling Strawberry have put together an infographic revealing the best figure-flattering underwear for you, including bandeau bras if you’re bottom heavy and high cut knickers if you have an athletic figure.

It details the four different body types – apple, pear, banana and hourglass, and the lingerie that’s ideal for each one.

Bodysuits with deep V-necks are the ideal solution for apple shapes, as well as v-cut knickers.

The Loose Women panellists have stripped off for a candid and frank look at their un- airbrushed forms while discussing their very own takes on their figures and flaws on new show Loose Women Body Battles.

Stars of the show, including Katie Price, Coleen Nolan, Janet Street Porter, Andrea McLean, Stacey Solomon, Nadia Sawalha, Linda Robson, Saira Khan and Jane Moore, confidently displayed their physiques to help highlight and accept their body flaws.

The shoot, which was captured by superstar photographer Bryan Adams, who has previously snapped Kate Moss and the Queen, was accompanied by a chat, in which the stunning stars frankly revealed their biggest hang-ups.

In a refreshingly honest shoot, the women are fronting ITV’s new Body Stories show in which they have bravely been thrust on to billboards up and down the country in their barely-there get-ups to help promote body confidence.

With her lengthy career in glamour model, which she launched over two decades ago, Katie, 38, is naturally used to stripping off although she insists she is far from perfect, particularly as the mother to five children.

These will lengthen the gap between the bottom of the bra and the beginning of the knickers.

Wearing bandeau bras will help widen your upper torso if you’re pear shaped, meaning the difference between your upper and lower body will seem less distinct.

Banana shapes should go for longline bras or bralettes, as these extend one or two inches further down the waist than other bra types.

The extra material is not only attractive, but helps to fill out your shape without using a padded bra.

If you have an hourglass figure, add a bit of sexiness to your outfit with a suspender belt that matches your underwear set.

This will keep attention on your tiny waist, creating a classically sexy style.Meanwhile, a plunger bra will tend to suit all figures, while a balconette style will help to make the most of your cleavage. Feeling confident in your lingerie is the most important factor, however, no matter what your shape.

Bodysuits have been a mainstay at trendy women’s retailers from Reformation to Topshop for the past year or so. To back up a little, this is a bodysuit.

It’s like a leotard or a one-piece bathing suit, and you can wear a bodysuit tucked into pants or a skirt, like so.

But why, why would you wear a bodysuit instead of a normal shirt? Because it looks good, mainly, and will cling closer to your body than a normal top. And also because fashion is an endless process of confusing reinvention.

So bodysuits are here to stay, and I’d mostly made peace with that. But then in the past few weeks, I started to notice a troubling trend of more and more bodysuit leg holes peeking out of pants, Cabello-style.

If you’ve ever had a period accident while trying to enjoy a refreshing swim, then these leak proof bathing suits for periods are for you. Not everyone is a tampon kind of person. Personally, I hate tampons, but I wear them while swimming or working out because unlike
pads, they’re discreet and unlikely to fall out, move around into uncomfortable positions, or be a general nuisance to my nether regions while I’m trying to be active. Generally speaking, pads are no friend to ladies who are moving or trying to get wet (not in the dirty way, but in the sense that they are going in the pool or the ocean), but Panty Prop bathing suits and underwear want to change that. The answer, it seems, is not in the pad itself, but the underwear that holds them in place.

Panty Prop is an innovative underwear product that’s designed for people who wear sanitary pads and “have been failed numerous times by the shifting, chafing, discomfort, and embarrassment.” The company considers all leaks, whether from mensuration or urination, something the Panty Prop will cover, providing relief to those who either don’t like wearing tampons or can’t because of “fibroids, cyst, or other medical issues”.

Beach season is almost upon us, so you’re probably getting ready to do some bathing suit shopping, which can pose its share of awkwardness. When you head into that dressing room, you might have that second where you stand there and wonder: Should you wear underwear when trying on swimsuits? Even though it might seem counterintuitive, the answer is a hands-down, resounding yes. Please. Do not drop your panties.

The purpose of trying on clothing in the first place is to make sure the size is right before you buy it, and that means you want to try it on with the most accurate fit possible, so you might be inclined to take off your undies because it’s not like you’re going to wear the suit with anything under it — but don’t. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Leave your underwear on. They might feel a little bunched, but your underwear isn’t going to alter the fit that much, and it’s far more sanitary to leave them on. Being hygienic is worth having to endure the diaper feeling during your try-on sesh. Trust.

Just to reinforce the point, here are a few reasons you absolutely need to wear underwear when trying on swimwear. The person trying it on after will totally thank you for it.

If this is indeed a thing, we’ve got to make some changes. From now on, you’ll have to make sure your upper thighs are perfectly tanned. You’ll have to carefully choose underwear that will allow your leg holes to peek out without also peeking out itself (forget about shapewear), or perhaps you will have to abandon underwear altogether. You will have to add 30 seconds to your bathroom routine to account for the extra time it will take to disrobe, a notoriously difficult process unless you’ve managed to find the rare snap-crotch bodysuit. Before long, barre classes will offer specific moves for toning the tiny swath of muscles a hip slip reveals. This is our reality now. Start tucking, ladies.

Megan Crabbe, better known by her Instagram @bodyposipanda, is certainly no stranger for setting haters and body shamers straight with her bikini photos, dancing videos and her empowering transformation story.

However, because this is the Internet, Crabbe’s empowering snaps in her bathing suit or lingerie have garnered quite a bit of hate – notably, from the clothing police.

The activist’s Instagrams are peppered with comments telling her to “put her clothes back on” or agreeing that while they appreciate Crabbe’s message of body positivity, they would agree with it more if she was fully clothed.

In response, Crabbe posted an Instagram attacking just that. The caption included a series of facts about policing women’s bodies, and she reminded us that respect doesn’t necessarily come dressed in a turtleneck sweater and jeans:”Flesh doesn’t automatically equal sex. Our naked bodies are not shameful. We are just as worthy of respect dressed or undressed and how much skin we show is up to us. Take your casual misogyny and slut shaming elsewhere, and I’ll just be over here celebrating myself however I damn well please.”
Is the fashion industry finally waking up to the fact that humans come in all colours? Two companies have launched new initiatives with the specific aim of representing a broader range of skin tones. London hosiery brand Sheer Chemistry last month released a range of
five new tights colours aimed to suit “women of all shades of brown” in conjunction with the hotel W London.

According to the company’s founder Tahlia Gray, the hosiery will serve those who have been “confined to a cycle of disappointment and exclusion from the fashion and beauty industry”.
This month, London-based hosiery brand Heist Studios launched The Nude Project as part of a broader study on diversity, for which it is asking people to send in photographs of themselves to better understand the full spectrum of skin tones. The submissions will inform a “much larger range of nude tights” that will go on sale next year, and the company will share its findings with the industry in the hope it will encourage brands “to open their product ranges and cater to a more ethnically diverse population”.

“Despite the fact that the hosiery industry is projected to be worth $25.9bn by 2018, there is no fabric-ready nude palette that body-wear brands like Heist can use to develop inclusive product ranges,” explains Heist founder Edzard van der Wyck. “Hosiery is woefully under-representative. General retailers sell roughly one-third of all tights purchased in the UK and they only offer, on average, four shades of nude. This gives us some indication of how poorly the 13 per cent of the UK population that are not ‘white British’, are currently catered for.”

Why anyone would require flesh-coloured tights in 2017 is another matter entirely; I had naively assumed the only woman still obligated to wear a garment that gives one’s legs the eerily smooth artificiality of a prosthetic limb was the Duchess of Cambridge. But it transpires a great many people are excited by the prospect of skin-matched hosiery — especially those lawyers and women who work in the finance sector who remain self- conscious about baring their legs at work. Twelve thousand people had signed up to The Nude Project within three hours of its launch, on July 11, and tens of thousands have engaged with it on social media.
We couldn’t agree more! A woman’s naked body isn’t shameful – it’s biology. It’s beautiful. It also doesn’t mean that it lends itself to ridicule, to comments or to slut- shaming remarks. Crabbe chooses to show her body in whichever way she wants because it’s her body and her rules.

We equate a naked (or nearly naked) woman’s body with sex because that’s what we’re taught to believe. The male gaze, which heavily permeates nearly any form of media or entertainment, teaches us that when a woman gets naked, it’s for a sexual purpose. We need
to un-learn that, and it starts by remembering that if we see a woman’s body and automatically think “sex,” it’s a problem with us and not the woman.

Some call it sexy, others deem it trashy, but exposing your underwear is a long-standing trend. Slackers, skaters, and rap stars of the ’90s sparked plenty of controversy by wearing saggy pants that revealed their plaid-clad bottoms. Noughties girls followed suit, broadcasting their bedazzled G-strings from the tops of hip-hugger jeans. More recently, fashion has favored a little side-boob action (see Bella and Kendall), but the latest way to showcase your delicates is by no means seductive; instead, it feels embarrassingly accidental. Love it or hate it, tucking a tee into your underwear is officially a thing.
No doubt you’re picturing a schoolyard dork with his shirt haphazardly pushed into tighty-whities, but the look is making waves with a more stylish crowd. Take it from Moonlight star and fashion It boy Ashton Sanders, who daringly tucked a graphic tee into his drawers at Raf Simons’s Spring 2018 after-party. Women are in on the public panty display, too. Taylor Tomasi Hill was spotted wearing a Rosie Assoulin T-shirt with a pair of Natasha Zinko jeans (complete with built-in boxers—how convenient!), while further afield, it was seen on the streets of Moscow at Russia Fashion Week Fall 2017, where one style star shoved her windbreaker into a pair of Supreme skivvies.

No matter how you deliver, your body will be changing as much as your ideas about personal hygiene. (Did I brush my teeth today?) It’s not all huge, but if you had a C-section, your scar may worry you. Wondering, “Will I see my C-section scar above my underwear?” You’re
not alone.

In an incredibly informal poll among my friends who’ve had C-sections, all of them worried over their scar, regardless of when the decision was made to have a C-section. If they knew long before they were going to have the procedure, they worried over the type of
incision their doctor would use. If they had an emergency cesarean, they worried over its healing. Most of them also worried whether or not the scar would be visible while they wore a bikini, or if it would show above their panties.
Best of all, getting the look is beyond easy. For a rebellious punk vibe, there’s a distressed Enfants Riches Deprimes tee and a pair of Brooks Brothers boxers to match a Le Kilt plaid skirt. Prefer to go sleeker? Fold a fuchsia Balenciaga tee into Gosha Rubchinskiy boxer briefs and let them pop from chic Loewe cargo pants. Whether you choose boxers or briefs, here are five daring tee-and-underwear pairings to try now.

Orange County and nine other district attorneys’ offices in the state have settled a lawsuit against a Japanese lingerie company that claimed its caffeine-infused underwear could shrink thighs and reduce cellulite.

The lawsuit was filed and settled on Monday, with Wacoal America agreeing to pay $350,000 in civil penalties to the counties, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

A representative with Wacoal America could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit accused Wacoal of making false claims about the effects of its iPant shapewear that were not supported by scientific evidence.

Wacoal claimed its iPant could permanently reduce cellulite and shave inches off of hips and thighs thanks to a “revolutionary” new fabric containing micro-capsules of caffeine, retinol and other ingredients.

The company claimed the caffeine-activated micro-circulation could speed up the breakdown of fat, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Megan Crabbe is certainly no stranger for setting haters and body shamers straight with her bikini photos, dancing videos and her empowering transformation story.

However, because this is the Internet, Crabbe’s empowering snaps in her bathing suit or lingerie have garnered quite a bit of hate – notably, from the clothing police.

The activist’s Instagrams are peppered with comments telling her to “put her clothes back on” or agreeing that while they appreciate Crabbe’s message of body positivity, they would agree with it more if she was fully clothed.

In response, Crabbe posted an Instagram attacking just that. The caption included a series of facts about policing women’s bodies, and she reminded us that respect doesn’t necessarily come dressed in a turtleneck sweater and jeans:”Flesh doesn’t automatically equal sex. Our naked bodies are not shameful. We are just as worthy of respect dressed or undressed and how much skin we show is up to us. Take your casual misogyny and slut shaming elsewhere, and I’ll just be over here celebrating myself however I damn well please.”

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive,
libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

We equate a naked (or nearly naked) woman’s body with sex because that’s what we’re taught to believe. The male gaze, which heavily permeates nearly any form of media or entertainment, teaches us that when a woman gets naked, it’s for a sexual purpose. We need to un-learn that, and it starts by remembering that if we see a woman’s body and automatically think “sex,” it’s a problem with us and not the woman.

The Freeport mayor is throwing his support behind a village cop who moonlights as a lingerie and bathing suit model.

Freeport Police Officer Samantha Sepulveda, a seven-year veteran of the force, also has 119,000 followers on the photo app Instagram, where she posts pictures of herself in bras and underwear.

In a statement Sunday, Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy called Sepulveda a “well-respected” officer.

“Samantha appropriately executes her responsibilities as a law enforcement officer and is well-respected by the community and peers,” Kennedy said. “Many police officers have legal businesses and Officer Sepulveda is entitled to the same opportunity.”

We all know that wearing the same pair of pants two days in a row is a big no-no however, it seems that there are plenty of other mistakes you can make when it comes to knickers.

Experts have revealed the major underwear faux pas that we are all occasionally guilty of committing.

Speaking to Seventeen Octavia Cannon, DO, a board-certified OBGYN (Obstetrics and Gynecology), says that there are six major mistakes women make when it comes to their knicker drawer.

Beach season is almost upon us, so you’re probably getting ready to do some bathing suit shopping, which can pose its share of awkwardness. When you head into that dressing room, you might have that second where you stand there and wonder: Should you wear underwear when trying on swimsuits? Even though it might seem counterintuitive, the answer is a hands-down, resounding yes. Please. Do not drop your panties.

The purpose of trying on clothing in the first place is to make sure the size is right before you buy it, and that means you want to try it on with the most accurate fit possible, so you might be inclined to take off your undies because it’s not like you’re going to wear the suit with anything under it — but don’t. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Leave your underwear on. They might feel a little bunched, but your underwear isn’t going to alter the fit that much, and it’s far more sanitary to leave them on. Being hygienic is worth having to endure the diaper feeling during your try-on sesh. Trust.

Just to reinforce the point, here are a few reasons you absolutely need to wear underwear when trying on swimwear. The person trying it on after will totally thank you for it.

While a floral scented washing powder adds a fresh smell to your underwear but they could cause havoc in your intimate area.

The chemicals used to provide the smell can be irritating to your vagina where your skin is most sensitive.

In order to avoid irritation of painful rashes Dr Cannon recommends using a fragrance free detergent.

There may the odd occasion when it is sorely tempting to fish a pair of pants out of the laundry basket, however Dr Cannon confirms this is a bad idea.

Dirty underwear provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and can put you at risk of infection – even if you do turn them inside out.

Whether you’re someone who hates underwear or you just really hate doing laundry, you might find yourself going commando pretty frequently. While there are definitely some benefits to going underwear-less, there are times where you shouldn’t go commando, as it could end up negatively affecting your vaginal health. As annoying as putting on underwear can be, there’s a reason it exists, which means sometimes it’s necessary.

“There are actually several benefits to ‘going commando,'” says Molly Shields, M.D., an OB/GYN with the Institute for Women’s Health over email. “Not wearing underwear allows the vagina to breathe, which can be beneficial when a woman has a condition such as a yeast infection. The underwear puts an additional layer directly against your vagina, which can create a breeding ground for bacteria, depending on the underwear’s fabric and style. That said, there are a few times when wearing underwear may be a better option than not.”

If you’re someone who likes your lady parts to breathe, by all means, skip those undies. However, if you also want to make sure your nether regions stay nice and healthy, you’ll want to know exactly when it’s time to put them on. Here are seven times you should never go commando.
If you’ve ever had a period accident while trying to enjoy a refreshing swim, then these leak proof bathing suits for periods are for you. Not everyone is a tampon kind of person. Personally, I hate tampons, but I wear them while swimming or working out because unlike
pads, they’re discreet and unlikely to fall out, move around into uncomfortable positions, or be a general nuisance to my nether regions while I’m trying to be active. Generally speaking, pads are no friend to ladies who are moving or trying to get wet (not in the dirty way, but in the sense that they are going in the pool or the ocean), but Panty Prop bathing suits and underwear want to change that. The answer, it seems, is not in the pad itself, but the underwear that holds them in place.

Panty Prop is an innovative underwear product that’s designed for people who wear sanitary pads and “have been failed numerous times by the shifting, chafing, discomfort, and embarrassment.” The company considers all leaks, whether from mensuration or urination,
something the Panty Prop will cover, providing relief to those who either don’t like wearing tampons or can’t because of “fibroids, cyst, or other medical issues”.

At the end of the day, if going commando makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t do it! “Remember, it’s your body,” says Jones. “You call the shots. If it doesn’t quite feel right, go with a nice pair of panties with a cotton crotch. Cotton for absorbency. ”

A lawsuit claims caffeine in women’s underwear does not get rid of cellulite.

The class-action suit roasts Maidenform Brands Inc., which manufactures “shapewear” for women seeking to tame their curves with a fabric that has tiny caffeine capsules embedded in it “to promote fat destruction,” according to the complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal
Court.

New Yorkers Christine Caramore and Michelle Martin said they bought shapewear and did not get the advertised results. A call to Maidenform was not returned.

ver since my very first period, I’ve preferred to use pads over tampons. So when I first started noticing the controversial ads for Thinx plastered all over New York City’s subway system, I felt a surge of hope for my tampon-free lifestyle. “Underwear for women with
periods.” Oh hey, that’s me. But, I wondered: Are they just… stylish diapers? Will I feel like a 19th century woman on the rag? Feeling skeptically optimistic, I decided to put this promising-sounding product to the test.

It turns out suit underwear  come in six styles, each with a level of absorbency measured in tampons (seriously): from hiphuggers (“two tampons’ worth of fluid”) to a thong (half a tampon’s worth). But there is one key point that must be made clear: Thinx doesn’t
claim to replace your feminine hygiene product of choice. The company’s site explains that their super-wicking undies are meant to serve as a backup, although depending on your flow, you may choose to rely solely on Thinx — which is what I bravely attempted to do for 48
hours.

Considering they’re the first item of clothing you slip into every day of your life, underpants are probably the last item in their wardrobes guys put time into researching. However, it’s worth doing so – getting the right pair of underpants in your armoury not
only means you feel better all day long, but also means your clothes will hang better too.

The thing that’s most important when you’re buying pants is to be honest with yourself. This is the layer that sits closest to your skin, so if your underwear doesn’t feel good or doesn’t support you enough, then it’s time to edit.
There are also clear signs that you might be wearing the wrong size altogether. If the leg bands are digging into your thighs, you’re probably wearing a size too small. If your waistband keeps slipping underneath your trousers every time you bend over, you are either
wearing a size too big or the elastic has totally gone (and it’s time to have a throw-out).

The newest style on this list, trunks are a shorter version of the boxer-brief that has grown in popularity with the rise of super-skinny trouser styles over the past five years or so. When it comes to length, these tend to sit from the mid- to upper-thigh. Some may
come with a keyhole fly, but usually this style is flat-fronted – and sometimes includes an extra pouch of fabric at the front for added support and… enhancement.

As this style fits more flush to the skin than boxer-briefs, often with a higher proportion of stretch within the fabric, this style is best worn by guys who are slimmer of thigh – anyone with larger thighs might find that the pant legs will ride up when you walk.
Another advantage for guys with slimmer legs is that their tight fit means suit underwear will not leave a bunch of excess fabric around your thighs, thus making them appear thinner than they are. Look out for a pair that bisects your thigh at its widest point as this will
emphasise that width and make your legs look more muscular.

This style also usually has a lower waistline than its boxer-brief counterpart, meaning that they sit lower on the hips. Especially good if you’ve been putting in the hours on that eight-pack.