Sexy underwear

The days when a woman would have to have a special reason to have sexy underwear in her wardrobe draws are, thankfully, long behind us.

The explosion of colours, styles and materials which are now available have made the question of should I or should I not redundant. So when it comes to it the question has to be what to buy and how to choose.

Here our Designer Lingerie guide can help you.

The arsenal of the sexily dressed woman is a combination between items designed to be overtly sexy and items which just make you feel good. The approach is definitely top-down. So, here goes:

Bras: You will need at least three in white black and flesh colour tones. If you intend to dress to reveal go for lace as opposed to any other fabric and only consider leather for that very special occasion.

The style you go for very much depends upon your bust size.

Choose a strapless bra, for instance if you have the clothes to go with it and if your bust does not require a lot of support. If you are not sure and budget is an issue choose a bra with ‘invisible straps’.

Similarly with the style: an open cup, push-up bra will help you make that right impression provided you are the right size for it. If you are well endowed you may like to consider a minimiser bra. With a variety of styles available you can choose the degree of control you would like, the colour, cut and price range.

Panties: While the thong may be the obvious choice here it may not always be the best. It really depends on the occasion and what you want to say about yourself. Our detailed thong guide will help you there but the general principles you should follow are similar to those for buying a bra. Have at least three different coloured thongs, co-ordinate them with the bra you have chosen and the kind of clothes you intend to wear. Choose between a string, T-shape, low or high cut according to your body shape and particular needs and don’t forget to explore the alternatives like French lingerie and boy shorts.

Stockings: Colour look and feel are vital when you buy your stockings. Hold ups or the type that really needs a garter belt are really just the beginning of the choices you will have to make. Sheer, opaque or flesh toned, stockings should really do one thing and one thing only: help accentuate your legs and not draw attention away from your clothes. So if you do go for fishnets and 4 inch spiked heels, for example, make sure the rest of your clothes and underwear fit the tone otherwise your sexy look will deteriorate to less than the sum of its parts.

Get it right however (and the mirror and your gut instinct are your best friends here) and you may well need bodyguards when you next go out.