Hearts
and love letters: New lingerie is romantic and discreet
FRANKFURT
- In this World Cup football year, footballs are rolling on
and off the field.
The
round leather ball can be seen not only on Germany’s lush
green football pitches, but also rollicking on naked skin thanks
to underwear and lingerie designers. Inspired by the upcoming
championship, they have come out with boxer shorts in football
prints and bras and panties with net inserts. It’s all meant
to make the hearts of football fans beat a little faster.
Overall,
the trend in lingerie this year is tending toward discreet
colours and forms with a hint of romance. The seductive
undergarments require a little bit of self-restraint.
“There’s
a lot being tried with embroidery. The garments aren’t so
opulent, rather more discreet,” said Alexandra von Richthofen,
an underwear expert quoted in the German trade magazine ”Textilwirtschaft.”
Discreet is an important trend for the ladies.
The
embroidery creates “coverage” over body parts that can’t
be seen through on the bras, which are otherwise well ventilated
for the warm half of the year. The decolletage is emphasized
throughout, but it’s not pressed as much as it has been in the
past, von Richthofen said.
“The
push-up bra is no longer as common,” said Anita Mueller,
spokeswoman for the lingerie maker Triumph in Munich.
Multifunctional bras are now in style. They offer women numerous
possibilities with their removable and multi-use straps. They
can be worn to fit the woman’s mood and desire. With four
different varieties - strapless, outerwear, halter neck and
cross-strapped - the Triumph models are like the variable
decolletage bra.
A
change is starting to appear in the design of panties as well.
“The
string is clearly on the decline,” von Richthofen said. The
tendency is moving toward panties and briefs that cover the hips
and are cut wider. The greater amount of material needed for
this design means the price is higher.
“A
panty starts in a higher price class than string underwear,”
said von Richthofen.
The
garments feature small details that give the lingerie a
fashionable touch for spring and summer. The designers at Bruno
Banani in Chemnitz have decorated their Amour line with light
blue and rose-coloured hearts. Silver jewelry and rubies bestow
the Arabesque line with “the discretion of 1,001 nights,”
the collection’s advertising materials say.
Also
featuring removable jewellery are the lingerie designs of Jette
Joop for the Otto catalogue in Hamburg. The seductive lingerie
is colourful in cream blue, mint green and rose.
While
Joop says black dessous are an absolute must, other giants among
fashion designers continue to put their faith in rose tones and
white.
“Coming
right along with that are prevalent skin tones and many shades
of blue, von Richthofen wrote of the colour palette. Prints
remain popular as in the past. One features love letters in a
nostalgic handwriting, for example.
Bold
men also can find fancy underwear designs. Bruno Banani
recommends the line Art for the man who is a child at heart. It
features a large print motif of blue clouds with redbrick houses
and human figures. More mature art lovers are sent toward the
Fresco line featuring abstract faces, snappy squiggles and
geometric patterns in light colours.
Discreet
prints and colours are found on briefs - as an eye-catcher on
the cuff, for example. The cut is similar to that which Cary
Grant wore in the ’40s - no slit up the side seam.
One
of the most important trends in men’s underwear is on the
upper body. “The good ol’ muscle shirt is coming back,”
said von RichthofIn the ’80s pop bands like Depeche Mode and
Duran Duran helped resurrect the classic look. Now British
musician Pete Doherty, former boyfriend of fashion model Kate
Moss, is responsible for the rebirth of the muscle shirt.
There
is one difference, however. In today’s fashion lingo, the
undergarment goes by the name of tank top.
DPA
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