Underwear

[tomlitilia]

If the text reads "she was wearing nothing but underwear," do you picture a woman in bra and panties or just in panties?

 

[paulworcsuk]

Bra and panties

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Is it set in regency period Europe?

 

[SimonDoom]

Bra and panties, probably. If it was just panties, I'd expect use of panties, or knickers from the Brit folk.

 

[StillStunned]

What about thigh-highs? Teddies? Camis? Corsets?

(And for the average dense male: a large sign saying, "Hello, sailor!")

 

[Rob_Royale]

I'll be the devils advocate here and offer, why not just write it correctly? "She was wearing nothing but underwear," is confusing. Is she wearing nothing or underwear?

"She wore only her underwear." Or, "She wore only her bra and panties." That makes the whole question moot.

 

[NancyPan]

If the goal is to titillate, why not be more explicit. I find the word underwear to be particularly boring. Unless you have a specific reason to use it, I’d say always use words that have more “zip” in them. “She wore nothing but the most modest white cotton panties and a plain full cup bra” tells us much more about her (or of course you could choose to make her underwear much racier).

 

[IsabellaEmily]

I would probably, unless context made me think differently, assume that underwear meant just panties.

If she were wearing just her bra I wouldn't say "She's wearing just underwear." I'd say "She's wearing just her bra."

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Or you can raise the temperature.
"She was wearing nothing but a smile."

 

[BBlaketbv]

If the text reads "she was wearing nothing but underwear," do you picture a woman in bra and panties or just in panties?
Bra and panties.

Personally I like to add some details about the underwear. Coverage, colour, patterns. So after saying "she was wearing nothing but underwear" I would add a description of it.
Bras are interesting to me.
If a woman was wearing just panties without the bra I would describe it as topless, or just simply "she was wearing nothing but panties"

In my most recent story I had a rather similar line:
"She was wearing just a plain pair of bra and panties."

 

[AchtungNight]

Sometimes you have to alter or add pieces of clothing for proper plot points. I started Beijing Streakers off with the seven main characters who were streaking completely nude. Then I remembered they would want to conceal their identities. They’re Olympic athletes, so fencer masks. Still shocking, but safer. Then I realized they needed a way to stay mentally organized enough to escape the Chinese army while streaking. Something that would still count as nudity for the reader. Yeah, they could be smart but suspension of disbelief… thank God for smartwatches.

 

[samhasstories]

I would picture bra and panties, but I'd also hope for more descriptive language. Just the fact that the question is being asked calls for that, I think.

 

[SimonDoom]

Also, a tip: unless you have a good reason to do otherwise, write "She wore nothing but underwear" instead of "She was wearing nothing but underwear." Stick with the simple past tense rather than past progressive unless there's a particularly good reason in that scene to do otherwise. It's more consistent, and it's punchier prose.

 

[tomlitilia]

Also, a tip: unless you have a good reason to do otherwise, write "She wore nothing but underwear" instead of "She was wearing nothing but underwear." Stick with the simple past tense rather than past progressive unless there's a particularly good reason in that scene to do otherwise. It's more consistent, and it's punchier prose.

You're probably right. The scene is describing the woman in a photo, and I thought "was wearing" somehow fitted better. But I can't really say why.

 

[Litfan2016]

Longjohns, flap open

 

[MrPixel]

Bra and panties. Done.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

It has been brought to my male attention that some women dislike the term 'panties,' and prefer 'underwear' to refer to the single garment that covers the crotch. I can see as how the term 'panties' could carry a diminutive/cutesy connotation.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I'll join the majority here, but being "in my underwear" means bra and panties.
Although, I feel underwear has a vaguely male connotation.
Men wear underwear, women wear panties.
If someone were to say, "I checked into my hotel room and I found someone's underwear under the bed". I'd assume they meant men's, for example.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Sorry, this one is sort of stuck in my mind right now, probably because of my own lingerie fetish.
As a writer, particularly an erotic writer you really should be more descriptive though. Both these women are "in their underwear" but a better description conveys that they are very different things to the reader.

 

[alohadave]

Sorry, this one is sort of stuck in my mind right now, probably because of my own lingerie fetish.
As a writer, particularly an erotic writer you really should be more descriptive though. Both these women are "in their underwear" but a better description conveys that they are very different things to the reader.

I would call the second set lingerie, not underwear, even if it technically is.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I would call the second set lingerie, not underwear, even if it technically is.

All lingerie is underwear, but not all underwear is lingerie.

 

[slavemelanie]

In some instances lingerie can be outerwear though.

 

[slavemelanie]

underwear is very a vague term. I think most see it as bra and panties for a woman where as a for a man it's boxers or briefs

 

[Kumquatqueen]

As a Brit, the usage of 'underwear' to mean underpants but not bra or anything else always strikes me as very weird, as in "She removed her bra and stood before him in just her underwear."

To me it's everything that isn't meant for public view, so typically bra and pants (UK version) for women, pants for a man, but could also include a petticoat, slip, chemise or old T-shirt, and stockings or tights (US pantyhose).

The word 'panties' repulses me and many Brits, so with that and the 'what are pants?' confusion, I tend to write briefs, boyshorts, boxers, etc.

 

[Euphony]

View attachment 2289360
Is it set in regency period Europe?