What Lies Beneath
boys and girls talk lingerie
Beneath it all, even in winter when we pile on the layers, every girl begins her day with the basics—or the not-so-basics. Lingerie is a staple in nearly every woman’s wardrobe, whether it be the simple bra and panty or the more elaborate corset and garter belt. At one point or another, every girl must think about her lingerie, and there is a good chance that boys have thought about it, too.
For men, lingerie holds an iconic status that embodies sex appeal. For women, lingerie is often a matter of necessity. What are the differences in how men and women perceive lingerie? Columbia students—both male and female—were interviewed to discover their views on the subject. For the girls looking to please the boys, read on to discover their fantasies. For the boys wondering how a girl’s mind works, the unfiltered essentials are ahead.
Each interview begins with what seems to be the most obvious question: bikini-cut or thong? Of the girls interviewed, each responds that a thong is preferred simply because it solves a common fashion problem: the visible panty line. As Laura Taylor, BC ’10, puts it, “Thongs are a means of survival ... because I hate underwear lines through clothes.”
The boys provide an element of surprise with a general preference for the boy-short. Alex Greer, CC ’08, says his favorite piece of lingerie on a girl is a pair of “boy shorts—you know, those things that go sort of straight across.” The men are proud of their knowledge of lingerie—to have an opinion on the subject was proof of their experience in that department.
When asked what importance men place on lingerie, Greer immediately points out the obvious flaw in this question.
“I would definitely have to be attracted to [a girl] before I could find out what lingerie she wears… it’s not that important.”
Hugh Pollack, CC ’09, points out that once you have a girl in her lingerie, you are at the “point of no return.” Yet, lingerie is still better than commando. It is the last thing to come off before complete exposure. Greer says, “It’s all about the surprise. As you’re undressing, [the clothing] is getting smaller and smaller. I like the challenge.”
The men have high standards for lingerie. Jeffrey Northrop, CC ’08, states over and over again his disdain for Victoria’s Secret’s “trashy” style and cites the expensive lingerie of Kiki de Montparnasse as his favorite. More than one male interviewee mentions a $295 box set of underwear from Kiki de Montparnasse as their favorite piece of lingerie on a girl. Each pair of plain cotton underwear from the set has a saying written on the derriere—they respectively read: “Mange-Moi,” “Baise-Moi,” “Aime-Moi,” “Fesse-Moi,” and “Attache-Moi.” Excuse my French.
Greer explains his dislike for other types of lingerie, saying, “Crazy sparkling shit takes away from the point of lingerie, which is to make a girl look pretty.” Or so he thinks.
The women are much more focused on lingerie’s functional qualities, which never once, understandably, occurred to the boys. A student who would like to remain anonymous, given the private nature of the interview, says, “There are two different kinds of lingerie: the functional every-day comfortable kind and the special kind for special occasions.”
Kendall Barnes, CC ’08, works at a lingerie shop in Denver called Sol. She stresses that comfort is key in determining how well a woman can pull off—as it were—a piece of lingerie and recommends that all women be fitted to determine their correct bra size. “A bra can be beautiful, but if it doesn’t really fit properly, it’s going to make you uncomfortable and that will show.”
Lingerie is often expensive, providing women with another incentive to find pieces that fit well. Barnes says, “The most I ever spent was $300 on a bra and panty set.” She also shops at Victoria’s Secret when she cannot afford the more expensive stuff.
For the women, lingerie is about feeling—as Barnes puts it—“pretty, sexy, and comfortable.” Taylor points out, “I really don’t see the point in spending good money on something like lingerie if it doesn’t fit well and look pretty. When I buy pretty things like my [favorite] red bra, it’s more fun for me to know that it’s there than [it is] for someone else to see.” It is more about self-confidence than impressing the boys.
Each interview ends with two questions. The first: Best lingerie color? And the second: Lacy or plain? The decision is unanimous: black lace is always a classic. The boys seem to also agree that plain is never bad. The girls say they like to experiment with colors such as red, green, and plum. Even if men and women never agree on the subject of lingerie, at least black lace holds common ground.
Girls like to own it, boys like to look at it. Lingerie is the middle layer between complete nakedness and the external appearance we present to the world. It is intimate, suggestive, and, in most cases, necessary. For men, lingerie is a symbol of sex appeal. For women, it is a source of confidence, which, one could argue, creates sex appeal. Regardless, there is no doubt that what lies beneath someone’s exterior is universally important.