Wednesday, April 30, 2008

5 secrets every woman should know


When it comes to bras, sleepwear, or even workout gear, there are a lot of myths about what looks good, what feels good, and what men want to see. Now that we've done a little research and talking to women and men alike, it's time to debunk some of these beliefs. Is workout gear allowed to be cute? GapBody answers these questions. Get ready to redefine sexy.

SECRET 1: You can be comfy and sexy at the same time. Catching his attention at bedtime doesn't require itchy lace.

SECRET 2: Loungewear isn't just for at home. These cute styles can even be taken to grab coffee, or to walk the dog.

SECRET 3: Invest in more than just one everyday bra. Add some color to your lingerie drawer and mix up the fabric and styles.

SECRET 4: It's the way a bra makes you feel that's sexy - the more you like wearing it, the sexier it is. And trust us, a guy knows when you're feeling sexy!

SECRET 5:
You're allowed to look cute at the gym.Trade your old college T-shirts and
shorts for a more feminine look. “I love working out in GapBody,” says Nicole Richie.

Click here to shop for sexy lingerie at Glamourie.com


Source: http://fashion.glam.com/articles/features/5_secrets_every_woman_should_know

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

6 more tips to love your body now


Develop a healthy self-image in six easy steps


I'll never be a hard-body type. Before my pregnancy, I often reproached myself for not having the discipline to give up chocolate and whittle my 135-pound frame down to a chic, bikini-worthy 125 pounds. But then I gave birth to Rowan, and my whole perspective—and body—changed. My hips are wider, for instance, but my arms are stronger too. Now I'm thrilled to be back to 135 pounds, and I use every ounce to walk Rowan to daycare, power through my work day, carry him to bed and then cuddle my husband. I'm flaunting my assets a bit more, too. No point drawing attention to my soft, stretch-marked tummy when I can show off a bit of cleavage, right? The only thing that's really changed is the way I feel about myself.

You have the power to love your body, too. "It takes work, so the idea is to make small changes," says Dr. Traci McFarlane, a psychologist at Toronto General Hospital and author of The Overcoming Bulimia Workbook(New Harbinger). Here are six ways to get started:
Do a bit of digging
Even if you love how you look now, you may be still be carrying some baggage from the past. "Our bodies are like a narrative," says Marcia Hutchinson, a Boston-area psychologist and author of 200 Ways to Love the Body You Have(Crossing). "If you were eight-years-old and somebody told you that you had thunder thighs, it's stuck there along with feelings of shame and disgust." Try to pinpoint the time that you began to feel negatively about your body and ask yourself whether those issues are still valid.

Learn to belly dance
Or golf, or do yoga poses. Developing new skills can help you focus on how your body feels and what it can do for you instead of its appearance, says Dr. McFarlane. Try shopping around for a new activity that suits your body or personality, or join a friend to do something out of the ordinary.

Talk back
Whenever your internal body critic pipes up, respond with a positive affirmation that feels right to you, such as, 'I am uniquely beautiful,' or 'I'm a valuable person.' "Affirmations counteract the drip, drip, drip of negative self talk that we do all the time," Hutchinson says.

Picture the real you
Take out some photos of yourself over the years. When you look at them, ask yourself how you felt about your body in each, suggests Dr. Hutchinson. What's the common element in the photos you really like, and how can you play that up now? If you can't find a picture you like, ask your friends and family to point out their favourite photo of you and explain why they like it.

Take a time-out
For one day, take note of the time and energy you spend grooming yourself, criticizing your body or paying attention to how people respond to your looks. Then think of three ways you could use that time better, says Dr. Hutchinson.

Accentuate the positive
Reflect on your favourite features and then work them, baby. Celebrate your strong shoulders by anointing them with shimmer lotion, for example, or treat your sexy, tireless tootsies to a home pedicure.

Source: http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/article.jsp?content=20040504_152827_5656

Why Do Women Love Wearing Lingerie?


There are many theories on why women love to wear lingerie. For women it isn’t about whether or not anyone else will see it, it is for themselves. How women perceive themselves helps their over all self esteem. If you think you look sexy in that camisole then you are sexy. Looking and feeling good is a big part our society today. Many people assume when a woman wears lingerie that is solely for a man’s pleasure. Even though lingerie has been worn for centuries for the pleasure of the opposite sex, it is not the main focus for women these days or in the past. Now it is more of a notion of self-image and feeling attractive for ones self rather than for anybody else. It is about feeling good about the whole you and knowing you are sexy even when you don’t readily show everyone else.

Interestingly enough, marketing approaches have also changed as well these last few years. Their message today not only promotes looking sexy for your partner, they also tell you to feel sexy for you as well and more importantly. Lingerie has always made to be exotic and teasing. Today, women can get just as much pleasure just from wearing it as they can by being viewed in it. In some cases they can get more out of just wearing it for them and not other. Some women are very shy and are not willing to immediately slip into something sexy for some one else’s viewing pleasure. This type of display can make them feel awkward or anxious. Just wearing the sexy lingerie when no one else knows can help spark self-esteem and desire in her self. Now designers are gearing this sexy wear for comfort, movement, and everyday practicality as well as sleek and sexy. Not only does this trend in design say a lot about marketing it says a lot about women in society today.

Back in the day of boned corsets that left women barely able to breathe or move, comfort was not the option. It was implied that proper women did not move all around and had no need to. It was also under the premise that women had no need to be out in the world. Their job was to cater to their husbands, home and families. Comfort was not in the equation. Not to mention that lingerie was not for the common women so it carried prestige and merit. But as the time changed and women became more active in political, economical, and the social realms of the world lingerie has taken a huge change. It is not geared towards the woman her self and the comfort and sexiness she needs. There for lingerie had to become modernized by being less restrictive. There is lingerie and intimate apparel for all occasions that are of great comfort and flexibility for every taste and body type today.

Lingerie designers are finally recognizing that beauty is not some standardized thing. Women are now demanding that designers make sexy and practical lingerie that is realistic and designed for all women, not just the standard. Women want to feel and look beautiful to them. That beauty and appreciation for their own body will permeate their personality and trickle into all areas of their lives. Women are tired and have no use to constantly try to fit into some impossible idealistic box anymore. It is now about being appreciated for the individual you. This has been proven with the burst of lingerie for fuller sized women today. The designs of today are now finally geared to the real size women and she can feel sexy too. So now fuller figured women can also feel and look as sexy too, no matter what their size is.

The wearing of lingerie for a woman can be as much sensual as it sexual. It has to do with self-image. The women today are strong, independent, and vibrant and should be free to explore their own personal sexuality. The shopping for and wearing of lingerie today is such a sensual pleasure for women today. It is not the lingerie that gives a women confidence it is the woman’s self-esteem created by feeling good about her self that gives her an air of confidence, beauty, and sensitivity.


Source: http://www.kissmegoodnight.com/lingerie/