Underneath It All: A Girl's Guide to Buying, Wearing and Loving Lingerie

First, let me just get right to it. I'm a man and I read this book from cover to cover. I was intrigued at the topic because I hadn't ever seen a 'how-to guide' for lingerie or underwear ever, for man or women. It's a brilliant concept without doubt. Having spent time in the Marine Corps, which when not a war, is a group of men who obsess over their uniforms from the underwear to their white dress gloves. Trust me when I say that I'm no stranger to perfect measurements and I respect them completely. On down days, fellow Marines will bring four Star Generals to come inspect your closet, just because they can, and quaintly call them "Garrison Inspections" making sure everything is perfectly aligned. No kidding. `The trouser cuff should be 1/8 of an inch above the welt of the dress shoe.' That's probably straight from the regs. Second, I've always shopped for my wife since the moment I met her. Clothes, shoes, handbags, etc. It's not that she doesn't have good fashion sense, but I just have more time to do this for her and I also enjoy picking stuff out. She also has a pre-disposition to wear clothes that make her and the world around her, appear to be 1985, for both good and bad. Some people like that kind of thing, but I can actually do without it. Besides, dressing like Molly Ringwald went out of fashion the moment that 'Pretty in Pink' left the theatres. I think the authors of the book might agree as well, seeing that they were much inspired by this time period but also chose to `move on.' I spent years trying to perfect the craft of buying the right handbag or purse, but that was all made moot sometime around 2004 when every woman in America had to own a designer handbag, clutch, what-have-you. Now, you can go to Macy's and Kohl's and see some very beautiful and well-crafted bags for under twenty bucks because no one is buying them anymore except the chic, niche minority who thinks that designer bags are yesterday, or rive-gauche. I, too, like the author states in the beginning, have champagne tastes when it comes to undergarments. There are too many things I cannot stand about standard men's underwear and there is just far too little in the way of choices, thus I'm always thrust into some labour to find something better, or chase down something discontinued. The book has several high points and those are very obvious. Naming and describing each piece of undergarment that is possibly made as with all the variations is the most engrossing. I read a few chapters several times. I now know what a balconette is, or at least think I do. I also know the proper way to put on stockings and garters. Not that I would, but I can at least give advice and watch without looking uncomfortable. Connect the rear straps first, ladies and according to the book, you put on your panties last in case you need to make a potty break. Interesting. Function over form. I would've assumed the opposite. I also never used to like chemise's, but after almost ten year

Underneath it All, a girls guide to buying, wearing and loving lingerie by Jennifer Manuel Carroll & Kathy Schultz is a great little book that helps you to finally figure out your fit and best "fitting" underwear. Most women are walking around wearing the wrong bra size or style to make them comfortable and feel sexy. With this book you can figure out what the best underwear styles are for your particular shape and which styles will be comfortable while showing off your assets! Even if you don't want to have a professional bra fitting, this book has a guide to bra fit flaws and fixes - yay! The book starts with each author telling you their "lingerie" story and thoughts, it goes on to give you the history of lingerie which I glanced through briefly - I was much more interested in finding my style and chapter 2 helped me do that. With a great little quiz asking you about your life and how you live it, you find out if you are sporty, practical, sexy, chic or maybe romantic. Once you have figured this out the authors give you brands that make those specific styles that you might like, I thought this was very helpful. There are great tips and tricks throughout the book and information on every type of underwear and body type you can imagine. I really enjoyed the book and learned more about underwear than I thought I could ever know!

Come now, I have been wearing underwear all of my life and I don't need a book on the subject! Well, if that's your thought, you should think again. This book is actually an excellent introduction to lingerie in all of its forms and uses. The book starts out with a brief (if you'll pardon the pun) history of lingerie, and then has a short quiz to help you determine your lingerie style. The next chapter is quite excellent, an introduction to lingerie - bras and panties and hose and more. Once you've read these chapters, you are still only about a third of the way through the book. It goes on to cover everything from body shape through lingerie problems, getting the best use of your lingerie, and "dressing for sex-cess!" A quick note: the section I found least useful in this book is the final list of lingerie stores. Only certain states are covered, and even then only those found is the largest cities. Admittedly, if you tried to create an exhaustive list of qualities lingerie stores the book would be humongous and out-of-date before it was even finished. Personally, I would have left that section out. But, that's a very minor quibble. I thought that this was a very good book. I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about lingerie, but I still found myself learning things and seeing other things from a new perspective. Right, the Bible it's not, but this is a very good, very interesting book on lingerie, and I highly recommend it! (Review of Underneath It All by Jennifer Manuel Carroll & Kathy Schultz)

Who knew that reading a book on "underwear" would be so much fun? A nicely concise and personably written reference, it is a great overview of what kind of foundation garments are best for several different body types with a list of "must haves" to cover pretty much everything you'll ever need (pun intended!). The underlying message of all this useful advice is that each one of us deserves to wear pretty lingerie every day, and that pretty can also be functional. Finally learn the "right" way to figure out your bra size. You may be surprised at the results! I don't want to give TOO much away (it's a review, after all, not a synopsis), but there are more hints, tips and surprises that beckon the interested to purchase this excellent little gem.

Underneath It All is basically 2 books. One that celebrates woman (I found a definitely felt empowered and feminine reading this book.) and the other very practical tips. This book is clear and easy to read. It is also pretty short. The section on the history of lingerie was kinda boring but as soon as the book started on the advice section I was quickly hooked. It begins with a quiz so you can discover what type of lingerie suite your style/personality: sporty, practical, romantic, chic, or sexy and then advises on which company cater to each style so you have a good staring point. Next it breaks down all that you would want to know about the types of different lingerie, function, form etc. I found the bra section very enlightening. But the best section hands down is the perfect fit for every body type. I always have a problem knowing what is supposed to be good for me. It also has section on useful tips on what a girl needs for her wardrobe be it everyday, or special occasions. So in short, this book was a great resource and I think good for any woman who even has a passing interest will find something useful! Most importantly it answers all the questions I felt too stupid or embarrassed to ask and it was so easy to read! I really learned a lot and am going out to buy some new lingerie to wear immediately!