What Does It Feel Like Wearing a Dress

I've always loved gorgeous, sexy underwear. Growing up watching Gossip Girl and Sex and the City, I had the idea that when I was a grown-up, sex-having woman, I'd always stroll around in a matching set of hot lace underwear, with the occasional corset thrown in for good measure.

But thanks to a lacklustre commitment to doing laundry, a lack of drawer space and general lingerie-related laziness, I've never lived up to my fancy pants wearing dreams.

Instead, I tend to stick to one faithful bra, plus whatever knickers are comfy, clean and easily accessible via a quick rummage in my wardrobe.

I sometimes contemplate splurging on some sexy new undies, but then I think 'wait, this money could go on clothes people will see. Or food. Surely those things are more important?'

Ellen Scott

Recently, I've been wondering *cue Carrie Bradshaw monologue* could sexy underwear be worth the effort? Might it actually do more to boost my confidence, self-esteem and general joy than buying another pair of skinny jeans or a massive tub of ice cream?

According to the experts, it might.

Fashion psychologist Dawnn-Karen told me that there are two different types of getting dressed: mood illustration dress - 'wearing sweatpants because you're in a negative mood' - and mood enhancement dress - 'wearing heels when you would like to get out of a mood'.

She says that wearing sexy underwear falls firmly into the mood enhancement camp, boosting our emotional state and allowing us to feel sexy and more confident.

But the only way to find out if that's legit is an experiment.

So, for one week, I committed to wearing a different set of matching sexy underwear every day, to see how it made me feel.

Day One: The laidback family day

Now, if I were ranking scenarios in terms of 'yep, definitely need fancy pants for that', hanging out with my mum would be pretty low on the list. But for this experiment, I didn't just want to see if matching underwear is good for making me feel sexy on dates - I wanted to see how it would make me feel to become a matching underwear person, wearing cute bras and thongs in everyday life.

I picked a white semi-sheer set from Freya because it felt cool, fun and summery, threw a dress on top, and headed out for lunch with my family followed by lounging around at home.

Freya

Hero white bra, £30, and briefs, £13, Freya

And you know what was the most incredible, mind-blowing part of the experience? When I got home, I didn't feel the urge to immediately tear the bra off my back and set my boobs free.

Turns out that actually getting yourself a properly fitting bra instead of making do with the one you got a year ago (that isn't actually your size, but seems to do the job, AKA boob prison) means you'll be a lot more comfortable!

So yes, I did feel happier and more confident - mostly because I wasn't constantly tugging up my bra straps.

Day Two: The Big Meeting

I eternally thank the dress code gods that I'm lucky enough to work in an office where I can wear jeans, heels are not expected and I've never, ever, had to go to a meeting wearing a power suit.

But having a laidback dress code does tend to make me, well, a little too laidback.

I'll usually rock up to my desk wearing an oversized jumper and jeans. But when I slipped on a set of hot pink silky lingerie, my massive knits suddenly didn't feel quite so appropriate.

Freya

Hot House bra, £32, and briefs, £15, Freya

I felt like a confident, feminine grown-up. A proper adult with a job and, more importantly, gorgeous matching underwear that I'd actually be excited to show off.

I put on one of my 'take me seriously, but I'm still young and cool' dresses and went in for a big meeting about branding and advertising with one of my editors and some members of the marketing team. They're fancy types who wear leather jackets and shift dresses, so it was a touch intimidating.

In these kind of scenarios I tend to sit back and let other people do the talking, sending over any queries in an email after-the-fact, mostly because I'm scared my ideas will sound stupid.

But that 'hey, I'm a grown-up' vibe I got from my lingerie carried through to that meeting. I actually spoke up. I wasn't worried about not being taken seriously or that people wouldn't listen. I didn't feel incredibly uncool next to the fancy marketing types - instead I felt cool, calm, confident. It was pretty awesome.

Day Three: The Date

Alright, I am all about wearing underwear for myself, but I also want to show it off. For a date, I picked out the sexiest set of the bunch: a plunging lace bra and matching Brazilian-style briefs from the Freya Fancies collection.

Freya

Freya Fancies Hot Coral bra, £26, and Brazilian briefs, £13, Freya

With a dress on top, this was the day when I felt the hottest and most confident. Finally, I was one of those cool women on TV, who just casually wears the sexiest bits of fabric underneath her clothes like it's NBD.

I strolled around the London Aquarium (yep, that's where I take my dates. Try it. Being surrounded by sharks is very hot), ready to head home and revel in how awesome I felt. I wanted to show off what I was wearing.

I felt powerful. Sexy. Confident.

And he liked the set too, which, you know, is a nice bonus.

Day Four: The Standard Day

Nothing much happened today: just work, commuting and watching Netflix on the sofa. But actually, wearing fancy floral underwear on a day when nothing exciting was happening felt pretty cool.

Gypsy Rose white bra, £30, and briefs, £14, Freya

Putting on something that looked good, for no one else to see and enjoy other than myself, felt like an act of self-care akin to doing a face mask or painting your nails.

Would totally recommend.

Matching also made me feel more put-together. I powered through my to-do list, actually tidied up, and felt super accomplished. For some reason, I wanted to act in a way that lived up to my new matching underwear, girl boss self.

Which makes sense, according to fashion psychologist Dawnn-Karen. Dawnn told me: "We wear clothing as a form of expression. If underwear matches, it's indicative of an orderly mind and life, or a desire to have one. Wearing mismatched underwear can indicate a disorderly chaotic life and mind."

So forget feng shui, basically. The legit way to get your life in order is to wear amazing pants.

Day Five: The Night Out

For a post-work night out, I usually wear a bodycon dress with a push-up bra that - while accomplishing the goal of hoisting up my breasts into an acceptable cleavage arrangement - has a tendency to give me serious boob spillage if it's not precisely positioned.

Freya's Deco Vibe set is seam free so it's totally invisible under T-shirts and bodycon dresses. Which means no bra line or VPL spoilers.

Actually wearing a bra that pushed up my boobs with a smooth, clean line felt glorious. Turns out, having two breasts instead of four has the power to make me feel loads more confident. RIP quattro boob.

Freya

Deco Vibe Candy bra, £36, and Brazilian briefs, £12, Freya

At the pub-meets-boxing-match (don't ask), I kept having to push through crowds of flawlessly dressed women and the occasional ring-side girl wearing fishnets. Usually this would make me feel a little self-conscious. But with the power of pants, I knew I looked good. I felt good. Instead of rearranging and checking my appearance, I just went ahead and enjoyed myself.

Thanks, bra.

So, what did I learn?

I get why a lot of us don't bother faffing around with buying super-fancy underwear. It feels like you're splashing cash on stuff that few people get to see and that gets removed before it's even appreciated.

But a week-long experiment has made me a total convert.

Wearing beautiful, sexy underwear is just one of those little things you get to do just for yourself - no one else. It's an act of empowerment, of self-care, of doing a little thing that makes you feel like your best, sexiest, most confident self.

I wore matching underwear for a week and it made me feel put-together, because apparently just making an effort with the first thing I put on makes me carry that attitude with me through the whole day. It's a reminder that I'm worth the effort, that I deserve to wear something for my own enjoyment, and that I can be a proper adult that wears sexy underwear.

Plus I got to do that cool thing where I take off my dress to reveal a hot lacy bra and knickers underneath. All my dreams of being a rom-com heroine came true. I'll definitely be doing that again.

If you're inspired to try some sexy new underwear, check out Freya's SS17 collection which celebrates bold florals, bright colour and psychedelic prints.

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Source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/style/a9575074/i-wore-sexy-underwear-for-a-week-to-see-if-it-made-me-more-confident/

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