An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality--Journal Analysis

An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality

I have selected the journal article “An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality” by Eden Leone of Bowling Green University.   The title alone was very intriguing for me.  I consider myself to be a very feminine woman; one who is persistent with being comfortable and fabulous at the same time.

This article was and interesting quick read that specifies the subject was divided into seven distinct chapters (Leone).  The names are drawers (panties), corsets and girdles, brassiere (bras), black lingerie meaning, images and advertisements of lingerie, impact of intimate apparel manufacturers and impact of Christian Dior’s 2947 New Look. 

One chapter that has affected me the most is about drawers (panties).  Every woman can relate to drawers.  I remember as I was being chiseled in the woman that I am today, my mother and grandmother always instilled in me that I should always have on a clean pair of panties.  To go even further than that, I should always wear my newest and best “special occasion” panties when I got to see the doctor.  I am not sure why Nannie and ‘nem thought that I would go around with dirty underwear.  I am not sure why it was important for the doctor to know that I put on “special” underwear for him/her, but that is a tradition that I have passed down to my children.  Right or wrong, I’m not sure…it just is. 

Panties, as we now lovingly call them, have drastically evolved.  Some of us love them and wear them every day.  Some of us hate them and go commando.  Regardless of your preference we all are affected and aware of their mark in society.  Instead of us just having one option, we now have several styles to choose from.  First there are briefs, which come to the waist or shortly below; these come in classic, high cut, control and boyshorts.  Then there are bikinis and string bikinis, which are worn at the hip.  Then there are tangas—full rear coverage and reduced to a strip on the side, thongs—similar to tangas, but rear coverage is less and G-strings—a thong with no rear coverage.

Another implication from the chapters listed is the meaning of black lingerie.  While this article was not clear on what the meaning was, it suggested that white is a symbol of purity and black is a symbol of the impure—sensual, if you will.  The belief of the color difference has also evolved.  Black is now seen as sexy however, white is also seen as sexy along with many other colors and hues in between.  It depends on the make of the lingerie; it depends on the material; it depends on the build of the person wearing the lingerie to accentuate their figure.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  You might like a barely there teddy while someone else would like a rayon/cotton blend chemise that hugs in the right places just leaving the imagination of those looking on.

No matter how you put it, An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality, will capture your interest.  It gives you just enough information to grip you and guide you to the place that will encourage you to research the topic further.  To some degree in modern society, women equal sexuality; lingerie equal sexuality, therefore women equal sexuality.

  

References

Leone, E. (2009) An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality.  Journal of Popular Culture, Aug2009, Vol. 42 Issue 4, p792-794, 3p; DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00707_11.x.  Retrieved May 5, 2011, from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=123&sid=bc2c450e-a952-468d-adf1-b1aed63b859a%40sessionmgr112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=pbh&AN=43538758

Panties.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panties.  Retrieved May 5, 2011