Now that I have introduced myself and the brand through previous blog posts. I think it’s necessary to look into why underwear is so important and the alternative motives women have when making a purchase. So I will be blogging about hygiene, personal fit and shopping styles. However, I thought I would start this short series off with the discussion of how underwear makes women feel and the emotional attachment we have to it.
During research for my MA dissertation, I found that there is a two sided argument to the emotional abilities of underwear, and how it strengthens a woman’s persona. These being inter-psychology; an external personality that we resonate to the outside world and intra-psychology which enhances how we feel about ourselves on an inward level.
So I would like to ask the question, how does your underwear make you feel? If it doesn’t make you feel like you can conquer the world, then I promise you now, you’re not wearing the right lingerie.
The thought of an individuals inter-psychological state being affected by underwear seems undeniable. Inter-psychology is the concept of an identity that you radiate outwardly and display in a public manner. Research has already discovered that underwear has the ability to create emotions within the intimate self, some of which women would exhibit outwardly. It has also been discovered that women are more reactive to vanity and self-consciousness, when considering fashion choices, than their male counterparts (Workman and Lee, 2011). Therefore, purchases have to be well considered in order to represent who the consumer is as an individual. A great example of this is the importance of a nicely fitting bra, and the gravity it has in ensuring a woman feels her best and most confident (Tsaousi and Brewis, 2013). A push up bra has the ability to enhance a woman’s assets which could give her conviction in herself and her confidence, proving that a garment has the ability to create emotions and belief in one’s self. Underwear is worn under clothing and has the potential to allow the wearer to embrace femininity and sexuality (Jantzen et al, 2006).
I think another great example of how underwear resonates outwardly is the idea of wearing a matching set. I know personally, when I put on co-ordinating bra and knickers I feel as if I have my life together. In other words, the choices you make in the morning when putting on your very first item of clothing has the ability to create the climate of your day. Ladies, my best advice would be to put on a matching underwear set or the most beautiful lingerie you own, that makes you feel amazing and go out and own your day. Whether you are spending it doing something incredibly exciting, or it’s just another day at the office, it might turn out to be your most productive one yet.
When considering the underwear market and its intra-psychological powers, it is believed that lingerie allows women the ability to form and experiment with their own distinguishing persona. The concept of being able to control inner emotions and determine one’s own individuality is perhaps why women spend so much money on underwear (Jantzen et al, 2006). Underwear produces opportunities to create sensual experiences for oneself (Jantzen et al, 2006). Which in turn means that a consumer appraises intimate apparel not only by the sense but also by the sentiment of desire (De Klerk and Lubbe, 2008). Which can be identified by a consumer buying beautiful, refined lingerie in an effort to fantasise their own inner sexuality. This is seen as a positive attribute of the purchasing of underwear, due to the correlation between the procurement of sexy fashion lingerie and high self-esteem (Emerald Insight, 2014). Amy-Chinn (2006) also supports this concept by concluding that “even those women who only use cotton underwear and who tell us that they don’t really care about their underwear consumption will have a special set of cotton underwear that they use for special occasions only”. Amy-Chinn (2006) also states that the intimate apparel industry often confuse the inner needs of consumers with the need to please others. Meaning that women are now, more than ever, buying underwear for their own sakes rather than for the pleasure of their partners.
When looking at how your underwear makes you feel on an inward level the best example I can use is the women I work with. I work in a hospital, where all of the women around me wear uniforms. Whether that be a doctor, nurse, paramedic, domestic or receptionist, they are forced to conform. However, inconspicuous purchases, like underwear, perfume and makeup cannot be stripped from their identity. Therefore, by wearing underwear that you love, you can preserve an aspect of your character and individuality.
Talking about the psychology behind how underwear purchases make the wearer feel is an incredibly deep topic, which I have just scraped the surface of. I will be returning to this topic in the near future to delve further I am sure. However, in summary there are some incredible acknowledgements here that pin point the emotions that lingerie is able to construct:
- The choices you make in the morning, when deciding what underwear to put on has the ability to shape your day.
- Underwear creates emotions including confidence and conviction.
- No matter what your preferred underwear style as long as it makes you feel amazing, that’s all that matters.
- Underwear is one of the only items of clothing that cannot be stripped from your identity.
As special as beautiful underwear may feel, there is no day like the present to set yourself up to conquer the world.
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