Television host Nina Parker admits, “It wasn’t until my 30s when I felt comfortable in lingerie, because I was very self-conscious before then. That’s when I finally embraced my womanhood.”
A lacy little secret
But lingerie? How do undergarments that most people don’t actually see make you feel sexier? Whether she’s running errands in a track suit, lounging in a dress or working the red carpet in her fanciest gown, Parker notes that lingerie always ups her swag. It’s the little secret that no one knows. It can be a lace thong, a leopard-print push-up or a traditional, red balconette bra — you know what’s underneath and suddenly feel like an invincible woman. Nina’s color-du-jour is turquoise and her secret weapon is her love of boy-shorts, though she does go through phases and likes to change it up.
Finding the right fit
“When you’re a curvy woman, Victoria’s Secret doesn’t make lingerie for you, so you wonder why you aren’t allowed to be the same,” asks Nina. She discovered bra fittings and proper lingerie stores when she asked for shopping tips from “a woman whose girls were lifted to the high heavens.”
Getting fitted is key. When you’re busty, it’s a game of trial and error — you might think something fits, until you realize it doesn’t provide the support you actually need. When you finally find something that fits and puts everything where it belongs, and when you’re finally, dare we say, comfortable, that’s when your superwoman powers get triggered. Nina laughs, “That’s when I say, ‘Hold my drink, Ima lift this car by myself.’”
Happy ladies
Nina’s advice is to talk to women who look like their ladies are pleased as punch. Ask questions. And support companies that celebrate you instead of punishing you. And don’t be afraid of your first bra fitting — these women are professionals and will only make your life better. Promise!
Karine Bengualid, [email protected]
