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That wispy summer dress you bought last week is gorgeous, as is the crisp white blouse you plan to wear to work. Light-colored clothes are feminine and pretty, but should come with a warning: "Red-hot lingerie ahead!" Letting your partner see your little teddy is one thing, but when your boss is around, you'd probably prefer to keep your bras and panties to yourself. With a little forethought you can keep your lingerie for your partner's eyes only, even when wearing sheer pinks and baby blues.
Match Your Skin
The idea that you should wear a white bra under a white blouse is a myth: that white bra will show up like a deer in headlights. Rather, choose lingerie that matches your skin tone as closely as possible. If you are fair, choose beige or light pink underwear; if your skin is very dark, go with dark brown. If you are caramel-colored, your bra should be, too. The idea is that anything that can be seen through your clothes should all be one color, with no visible (and distracting) distinctions between your skin and your lingerie.
Beware of Lace and Bows
It's not just the color of your lingerie you should worry about, but also its texture. Light, breezy clothing will show bumps wherever your lingerie has appliques such as lace or bows. Choose bras without seams (often called T-shirt bras for this very reason), and camis and slips with minimal embellishments.
Camis and Slips
To minimize public views of your underthings, wear a camisole, full-slip or half-slip over your lingerie and under your clothes. The outline of a slip is less of a fashion faux-pas than the outline of your bra. As with other lingerie, choose slips and camis that match the color of your skin if you can, but ones that match the clothes will also work, as they can appear to be built-in linings of your dress or blouse.
Contrasting Colors
For a little spice, allow your lingerie to show. A flirty pink dress looks hot with a red full slip underneath it for Valentine's Day. A white blouse with a yellow tank top underneath can coordinate with your favorite yellow handbag. If you are wearing a dress or tank top with spaghetti straps, pair it with a bra that has pretty applique on its straps. The goal with purposefully revealed lingerie is to keep it classy; make sure that your lingerie enhances the overall look of your outfit without making it look like you are simply putting yourself on display.
