The combination of luxurious fabrics and the right fit is what makes lingerie beautiful and fun to wear.

“More women are buying lingerie for themselves,” said Terry Levine, owner of Clair de Lune, a lingerie boutique in Hawthorne Plaza in Overland Park. There’s nothing quite like soft silky sleepwear and undergarments.

And clothing designers unanimously agree that a heart-stopping lingerie set begins with a good fit — and that a great-looking outfit begins with good-fitting foundations. Too many women don’t start there. For example, “about 85 percent of women wear the wrong size bra,” Levine said

The poor-fit epidemic prompted Oprah to do an entire show on the topic. She featured before-and-after footage of women who got advice on buying undergarments.

Among the expert fitters’ tips: Make sure your bra strap is low and level across your back, that straps don’t dig into your shoulders and that you have adequate coverage so your cups don’t runneth over.

“The average woman’s bra size changes three to four times during her life due to weight gain/loss, having kids, hormones, age … yet it is not uncommon for women to continue wearing the same bra size that they wore in their 20s,” Levine said. “A good-fitting bra can make you look younger and thinner without surgery.”

And be careful what you wish for when lingerie-shopping.

“I always feel like women shop for lingerie the same way they shop for a new haircut — wanting a style that goes against their hair’s natural tendencies,” said Peregrine Honig, owner of Birdies in the Crossroads Art District. “People should shop for lingerie to celebrate what they already have, not what they wish they had.”

Honig says women often “become really focused on making their bust look bigger, when what they really need is some lift and separation.”

Once you get the proper fit down through a custom fitting (available at most lingerie shops and high-end department stores), you can focus on the details. This is the time to pick out fun colors, trims and fabrics that work with your wardrobe and lifestyle.

One of the biggest trends in lingerie right now is to wear intimates on the outside instead of hidden under garments. Wearing a corset over a white blouse is one way to show off your beautiful lingerie outside the bedroom.

If you like to show a little bra strap, try a beaded, crocheted or gingham style.

Local designer Danielle Meister creates gorgeous, hand-sewn corsets inspired by French and Italian lingerie. She recently took a trip to Europe, where she “was impressed by French fashion and their timeless, classic designs.”

She came back and got more serious about design in her own collection, which can be found at Birdies. Meister’s line of lingerie is titled the Last Carousel, an allusion to the 1800s French practice of displaying “ladies of the night” on carousels for men to choose from.

At lingerie boutiques across town, shop owners had remarkably similar advice about shopping for intimate apparel:

• Try on everything — with so many styles to choose from, you might be surprised at what is most flattering on your body type.

• Go with what you’re comfortable in. Sexy is what makes you feel good — for one woman it may be black lace; for another, a soft tank and boy shorts. The stores are full of camisole and short sets, simple silk chemises and classic, crisp pajamas.
- Source: Heather Krafft, The Kansas City Star, July 31, 2007