Balcony Bras - Their Purpose and the Looks They Go With

The world of bras has become so vast that it can be difficult to keep them all straight, much less their purposes. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the balcony bra, its purpose and when it should be worn.

"Balcony bra" may sound like a strange name. Well, this is probably the case because the phrase is actually a shortened version of the true name - a "balconette bra". Regardless of what you call it, the bra truly does act somewhat like a balcony. It provides significantly more support around the bottom of the breasts, creating a "balcony" of sorts.

This balcony effect also reveals the purpose of the bra. The upward pushing effect creates...well, an upward push. This makes the breasts appear more buxom. You can wear it for this sole effect, but most women amplify the effect by wearing a top that shows a lot of cleavage. The balcony bra is excellent at creating that deep cleavage look that men seem to find so enticing.

At this point, you might be thinking the balcony bra sounds a lot like a half cup bra. You're right. The primary difference is the cut of the bra. The cups are cut in such a way that the material doesn't slide up into the cleavage area. The top of the cup is also cut lower than a half cup bra. This allows you to wear tops that have not only deep cleavage, but show a lot of the width of the chest. Worried about the straps showing? They are attached in a broad set that places them closer to the shoulders than with normal bras.

Many specialty bras are a pain to own for two reasons. One, you can only wear them on certain occasions because they fail to provide the necessary support or comfort for other occasions. For example, most women do not walk around in strapless bras! The second reason ties into the first. Bras are not exactly cheap and that is important these days. Owning bras you can only wear every so often just doesn't make financial sense. Fortunately, the balcony bra does not have these problems. Since it offers massive support from the bottom up, you can wear it with practically any outfit.

If you don't own a balcony bra, you should give them a closer look. A quality balcony bra is versatile and can really create a look that will leave them with the tongues wagging.

A Man's Guide to Buying Sexy Underwear For the Woman in His Life

Although most women will tell you that it's probably not appropriate to buy sexy underwear for a woman when it's only your second or third date, if you have a woman in your life whom you've been involved with for awhile, then you need to learn how to buy her sexy underwear that she'll appreciate.

Buying your woman sexy panties tells her that you think she's important enough, and sensual enough to appreciate that you believe she's desirable and beautiful.

Following is a short but detailed list of how to buy sexy designer underwear for that special woman.

1. Buy her a name brand panty or thong from a reputable online store or a high-end store in the mall. Even if she's not a brand-conscious woman, she will appreciate the effort you've made, and the comfortable fit.

2. To overcome any confusion by shopping in a store at the mall, (there are just too many choices, and too many sales clerks asking if they can help you), you'll find that it's much easier to shop online, and then just have the package mailed to your home or office. (However, this does require some advance planning on your part.)

3. Check to see if the online store has a return policy that is allowed in your state. Some online stores allow returns, but if you live in a state that doesn't allow undergarments to be returned, then your special lady will be unable to return your gift for a different size or color.

4. Pay attention throughout the ordering process to make sure that the item you wish to purchase is available for immediate shipment. You don't want to place your order and then discover that the sensuous panties you wanted to buy are on back order for two months down the road.

5. Allow enough time for your order to be processed, shipped, and for the package to arrive in your hands several days or a week before the day when you plan to give your woman her special gift. If the online retailer has an express shipping option, then you might have to spend a few extra dollars to make sure your gift arrives ahead of time.

6. Women's panties are available in a variety of colors and styles. Choose those that you believe would be most pleasing to her. After all, it's her gift, right?

7. When you're unsure about what size to order for her, you can refer to the website's sizing chart for guidance. If you've really prepared to buy her a gift in advance, then you already know what size she wears, and what her favorite color is, so buying online should go quickly.

8. If you really want to dazzle her on the evening that you give her your gift, create a little gift card that has a rhyming message. It doesn't have to be anything spectacular, but just a short verse or two shows her that you took the time to appeal to her sensitive side.

9. Finally, just know in your heart that you're being selfish for yourself. You're buying her a gift so that she feels good and appreciates you, but you'll benefit when she models her gift for you.

Are You Man Enough to Shop For a Gift in a Women's Lingerie Store?

Many men feel uncomfortable walking through a women's lingerie store, in an attempt to choose a sexy gift for their woman. Most certainly, there are female sales clerks eager to assist, however, unless you know what style of bra, sleepwear, or panties to buy, you will need to look at an assortment of styles and colors.

Does it embarrass you to hold up a thong or a pair of panties while you decide which color might suit your sweetheart's pleasure? Or, maybe you've entered a women's lingerie store, looked around, saw the myriad of choices, and walked out without purchasing anything.

Of course, if you're a man who doesn't embarrass easily, and you enjoy looking at all the sexy and erotic intimate apparel, then you most likely don't have a problem buying sexy lingerie in a store.

Buying panties for a woman is a pleasurable browsing adventure, but you might prefer to shop online in the privacy of your room or office. If that's the case, then you might benefit from a few quick descriptions of panty styles, which will make your online shopping trip much easier.

Thong Panties are sometimes nothing more than a little piece of fabric at the center, and are held together with a string-type appearance at the rear, or a small triangular piece of fabric at the front. Some styles of thongs use stretchable lace, but the most apparent feature of the thong is that the fabric at the rears of the thong almost disappears between the checks of the buttocks (of course, you won't see that when you're holding up the thong, but you can use your imagination if you've never seen a thong before). Besides appearing sexy, thongs give clothing the appearance that the woman isn't wearing any panties at all.

The G-string, T-back, and V-string are versions of the thong. You might also notice that some thongs are referred to as a tanga, which is what they call thongs in Brazil. Don't be discouraged; a tanga or a thong is the same thing.

Bikini panties have more coverage and usually ride low on the hips. Also, bikini panties have a fuller piece of fabric at the sides than a thong.

Another tip for choosing just the right lingerie for your woman is that sometimes online stores group panties by brand names, such as Hanky Panky, Commando, or Cosabella. Each brand can represent several styles of panties. Furthermore, some online stores provide links to the panty styles, such as, thongs, bikinis, boycut, briefs, low-rise, or high-cut panties.

The Full Brief Panties are what some men refer to as "Granny" panties since the fabric covers most of the area from the waist to the crotch. Some men find this sexy, while some women consider the full brief panties practical, especially when they know no one will them, or during that special time of the month.

Boycut Panties are similar to the full brief panties, but they don't extend all the way to the waist. Some boycut panties have patterns, lace, or are made of sheer fabric. This style of panty looks like a tight pair of boy's shorts, and has become quite popular and fashionable during recent years.

High-Cut Panties show more of the thigh, and they look very sexy. Shorter women love this style panty since it makes their legs appear longer. The high-cut panty is also known as a French-cut panty.

Whether you're ordering panties in the United States, Europe, or somewhere else in the world, most International lingerie stores have conversion charts for calculating sizes in various countries. If unsure, you can always find a conversion chart on the Internet.

In summary, if you're man enough to shop in a retail store at the mall, then enjoy your gift-buying adventure. If you're more timid, then head to your favorite online women's lingerie and panty website to check out all the latest styles and colors.

How Old Does a Girl Have to Be Before She Can Wear Thong Panties?

If you're a teenaged girl and you're thinking about buying thong panties, either online or at your favorite store at the mall, you'll want to consider several factors before spending your babysitting money or allowance on such a purchase.

If you're eighteen years old, and you attend college, live in your own apartment, or still live at home, I believe that most adults would advise that you're old enough to decide whether you want to wear thong panties.

If you're eighteen, and you think that your mother may not approve of your underwear choices, I guess the only way she would discover the fact that you wear thongs is by going through your laundry or your panty drawer. If that happens, you're old enough to make your own choices, and you've probably purchased the thongs with your own money; so what can Mom say, really?

If you're a young teenager, then I'm guessing that you don't have a credit card to make thong purchases online, and you might not even have your own money to buy thongs at the mall; so this fact changes things as you look at this topic through your parent's eyes.

Have your parents specifically told you that you can't wear thong underwear? If they have forbidden you to wear thongs, then have they explained their reasoning? You don't want to get into trouble with your parents while you're still living at home, and if they are paying for your clothes and underwear, then you might not have a choice until you're a few years older and earning your own spending money.

However, if you've been raised in a family with religious beliefs that attach specific ideas against wearing underwear that would be viewed as promiscuous or suggestive, then you probably should forget about the idea of wearing thongs as long as you're living at home or being raised with that point of view.

Another point that should be stressed at this stage of the conversation is the fact that when a girl or woman decides to wear thong panties, she most likely has to shave to remove the excess hair that will be exposed while wearing that type of underwear.

Have you already begun shaving your legs and underarms? If so, then you know that once you start shaving, you have to keep up with removing the growth of hair that shows up after two days of not shaving. If you're too young to shave, then you might want to consider not buying thongs at this season of your life. However, if you are already shaving your legs and underarms, then maybe this isn't a big deal for you.

The bottom line is that if you're old enough to earn your own money and you've already shaved your legs and underarms, then you're probably old enough to buy thong panties.

How to Choose a Thong Panty That Fits Your Body the Best

Whether you have a large lingerie collection of thongs, or if you're thinking of buying your first thong panty, you'll want to learn how to choose a thong that fits your body the best so that you get the perfect fit.

Thong panties come in all shapes, designs, and styles, and the purpose is to allow you to choose the type that fits your body the best. First and even before you look at the styles available at your favorite store, you should pay attention to the type of fabric the thong is made of. Some fabrics and thongs look pretty and sexy, but the fabric could chafe the delicate areas of your skin. Choose your fabric wisely.

Of course, you should always launder your undergarments before you wear them for the first time to remove the "sizing" or the fabric's synthetic finish. After washing your panties, they will feel softer to the touch and next to your skin. In addition, if you wear your new panties before washing them, any stains on them will be more difficult to remove later.

You'll want to select a panty fabric that is soft, natural, and breathable to allow the air to circulate between the fabric and your skin. For example, leather panties might look good, but you wouldn't want to wear them for eight hours while you're working.

Nylon, natural cotton, and microfiber are good fabric choices when buying women's underwear. Make sure that any moisture will be able to evaporate, otherwise, chafing can occur, and your skin will feel irritated and raw.

Another important factor to consider when choosing a thong that is perfect for your body type is the crotch area size of the fabric. The fabric on thongs is usually minimal so it doesn't bunch up and show through your clothing. However, when you choose a thong that has a cotton-lined crotch area, make sure that the length of the fabric fits appropriately for your body type.

If the fabric is too narrow, the thong may twist to one side or the other, which would make you want to fidget with the fabric several times during the day. Likewise, if you choose a thong that has stretchable lace, for example, the elasticity will create a more comfortable fit. Furthermore, if the fabric in the crotch area doesn't fit properly, it will drive you crazy if the length is too short, because the material will bind and could rub your skin raw.

When the fabric is soft and breathable, and the thong's fabric in the crotch area covers you and fits comfortably, then you'll know that you have found the brand and style of your favorite thong. Before long, you'll have an ample collection of thongs that you will love to wear and buy again when the old ones wear out.