Don't Get Your Knickers in a Twist

I opened a recent copy of Reveal magazine yesterday to be confronted by a pert looking bum in a pair of frilly tangerine coloured knickers. The headline ‘Knickers Can Improve Your Mood’ and the subsequent article made me, in the style of Carrie Bradshaw, begin to wonder... just how important underwear is to British women?

I’ll hold my hands up and say that as I read this I happened to be sporting some old, slightly sporty grey kickers with a mismatching pink and green bra. I couldn’t help but tug at the bottom of my skirt when the article revealed that a survey by Always found that 56.3% of us wear sexy underwear in a bid to feel more confident.

I for one am a big fan of decent underwear – quality cuts, soft fabric, matching sets and even clashing colours. I also believe that a decent pair of kinckers really can improve your mood – yesterday I was all over the place, late for work and generally a little down, which I blame on the aforementioned grey pants. As soon as I picked that pair out of my chest of drawers, I just knew my day wouldn't be as good as if I had plumped for the green and pink ruffled pair that matched my bra.

Now I'm not one for matching all the time - I happen to like clashing prints and colours - and what I wear on a day to day basis has nothing to do with what the boyfriend likes, but I do think most of us could do with an underwear overhaul. I recently wrote a post on owning too many clothes for Running in Heels and I think that wardrobe chaos, along with greying undies, can play havoc on your mood.

You may not believe me but I bet if you started every day opening your knicker draw to sets of fresh clean matching underwear you would have a smile on your face before you even sat down for breakfast.

Above: M&S underwear - proof that you don't need ruffles and lace to have great looking underwear

Regardless of your taste or budget, make time for your underwear and your life will be better for it. Get rid of anything with sagging elastic, moth holes or washed out - if you save these for laundry days then at least shell out a few quid on some cheap cotton knickers that fit well - try LaSenza, M&S or Toshop.

For the top draw stuff, and perhaps some Christmas stocking fillers, head to Harvey Nicks in Cabot Circus or Oyster:Me in Clifton, or try St Nicks Market for some handmade cheap frills.

This post shouldn't feel like a lecture, and if you don't think your underwear has any effect on your mood, confidence, sexiness or sass then pay no attention, but tomorrow morning pick your favourite pair. Throw on a matching bra and take solace in this; even if your mood doesn't improve, if you get hit by a bus you'll look fabulous... ; )

Consumed by Clothes

Sometimes I wonder why I write about certain topics and other times I feel like I was born to put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard as is more often the case. My current article for Running in Heels is a mix of the two. I know I'm happy writing about clothes (God knows I have enough) but this time I took on the topic of what to do when you have too many clothes.

Just like the fictional Rebecca Bloomwood of the Shopaholics novels, who is something of a hypocrite when it comes to lectureing others on their finances, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel hypocritical giving advice on how to manage under a mountain of clothes.

Now don't get me wrong, I do try very hard to keep my closet in check but it isn't easy and takes discipline. Especially when my wardrobe isn't big enough to cope with my shopping addiction. I fully believe that even with Carrie Bradshaw's ridiculous wardrobe from the SATC movie I would still struggle to fit in all my bags, shoes and dress. However, one really must practice what one preaches so if you'll excuse me I need to tidy up my chest of drawers...

Why I Heart Anna Piaggi

Anna Piaggi, photographed by David Baily for Another Magazine, courtesy of the V&A

I recently started writing for a fantastic website called Running in Heels and my first article for them was published today. RIH is a pan-European website for women 'with brains as well as style', set up in March 2009. Politics and culture have an equal footing with fashion and beauty and the site is a refreshing alternative to many of its celeb-following, relationship driven competitors. The lovely editor Alice just happened to have a profile of Anna Piaggi that needed writing so I jumped at the chance to wax lyrical about one of Italy's greatest exports.

If you haven't heard of Piaggi then obviously you should check out my profile of her for RIH here but, in brief, she is a whirlwind of colour and enthusiasm that has inspired the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Manolo Blahnik to name but a few, can still rock a front row despite being comfortably into her 80s and has provided visual inspiration to her native Italian Vogue for the last thirty years.

The Running In Heels website

When I first had the epiphany that I wanted to be a journalist, Piaggi was one of the first topics I covered. Her Fashion-ology exhibition at the V&A back in 2006 showed me just what a fashion writer could look like, though I'm sure I've never seen another fashion creative come close to her in terms of style, flare or passion.

The article I wrote was a review of this exhibition, which appeared on a folded piece of A4 around my campus which was our creative alternative to the student newspaper. I still have a copy of it somewhere, where my little review sits in between a crossword and a page of creative writing.

At the time I had only just rediscovered my passion for writing and was attempting to turn it into a degree. I approached local magazines and publications for work experience and ended up becoming the fashion columnist for a magazine that I am still writing for, four years later.

My profile of an Iconic Fashionista...

I still have the exhibition catalogue for Piaggi's exhibition carefully tucked away on a bookshelf as a reminder of my first piece, and my first piece of inspiration as a fashion journalist. Whenever I see a picture of her front row antics I think back to the time I walked up the stairs into her exhibition, loosing my student self in her lavish costumes, treasured furniture and enigmatic magazine spreads.

Piaggi is a true fashion icon and will provide you with inspiration no matter what your vocation so do some research, read her books and just enjoy the visual feasts that she has provided over the last forty years...