Olympics aren't the only thing going on in Beijing

Beijing, China recently hosted the first International Triumph Inspiration awards - a global competition that challenged design students from 31 countries and regions to conceptualize a bra and brief/panty showpiece. The winner was Japan's Midori Matsuo with her two-piece ensemble made to look like a crying woman. When asked to comment about what inspired her creation, she said, "When women feel like crying, they tend to hide it. What this kind of delicate feeling and lingerie have in common is that both are only revealed to the 'important person' in a woman's life. I designed my lingerie to look like the face of a crying woman to illustrate this commonality."

Go Green - Buy Wood Underwear!

Here's an interesting story: designer Sophie Young has just released her line of wood underwear. Wood as in made from wood fibers that are extracted and spun into fabric. The other benefits to wearing woodsy lingerie? For one thing, the fabric is supposedly antibacterial and contains more microscopic holes than polyester. That's good, it'll regulate temperature, thus creating a more hygienic atmosphere.

Where to buy? Surf on over to By Nature and start shopping for both men's and women's styles.

Hard Life & Lingerie

The Daily Telegraph (AUS) reported recently about topics which we are all aware - unemployment, stock market, recession, and just the dreary topic of economic downturn. And while these conditions persist, that means women around the world will scrimp, pinch pennies, and basically sacrifice favorite luxuries and indulgences. Hard life, yes?

But no matter how bad it gets, let lingerie shopping be your "comfort shopping." Treat yourself to cute and sexy underwear to compensate for having to forego that expensive designer dress. After all, sexy lingerie is as much a foundation as is your favorite lipstick shade.

In an effort to accomodate our buyers, we have further reduced our prices on select items. So while you still may have to tighten the reins in some areas, you can still splurge and get more bang for your buck with undergarments.

Spring Cleaning - Get those Lingerie Drawers!

Now that spring is finally here, it's time to hunker down and get right into that "spring cleaning" mode that we all dread! One thing that a lot of people forget about is that our lingerie drawers need spring cleaning too. Take an assessment of your lingerie inventory in order to reduce clutter and formulate new lists for spring and summer must-haves.

The Drawer Life of Bras: The expected life cycle of bras varies depending on the person and usage. On average, the life cycle is 6 months. After the 6 months and the elastic memory of the bra starts to deteriorate some and it doesn't give as much as support as it should. This is not to say that you should go on a cleaning rampage and through out all your bras. Just let this serve as note that looks can be deceiving. Just because a bra still looks "new" does not mean that it still supports in the way that it should. More reason for every woman to have multiples of the same bra.

Being Green: Instead of pitching them, consider donating your slightly used bras and undergarments to a women's shelter. The benefits are two-fold: you are purging clutter from your life AND giving to those less fortunate.

Underwear Inventory: I like to have more than a couple weeks' supply in the event that I miss my laundry day. But that's not the only reason to maintain my underwear inventory. As the seasons change, so does our wardrobe. And who wants to wear heavy winter panties under a white summer sundresses? During spring cleaning, take advantage of the new styles and materials of underwear. Wearing a light, sheer, no-show panty bottom makes more sense!