There is something very satisfying about a perfectly matching lingerie set, but it isn’t the only way to dress well beneath your clothes. In fact, concentrating on matching every tiny piece can mean overlooking the garment that will make the greatest difference to both your outfit and how you feel in it.
A good girdle gives you the foundation of the look. Once that is in place, the bra, knickers and stockings can come from pieces you already own.
This is why my favourite pieces in our lace lingerie collection are the Power Lace Girdle 089 and Power Lace High Waist Girdle 090. Both are made in black and white, which makes them particularly easy to introduce to an existing lingerie drawer.
Lace That Earns Its Keep
Powerlace is rather clever. Instead of placing decorative lace over a separate control fabric, the lace design is knitted directly into shaping powermesh. It has the appearance of lace lingerie, but the fabric itself provides the support and control.
That makes these girdles genuinely useful foundation garments rather than pieces kept for an occasion that never quite arrives. They smooth the silhouette beneath clothing, hold up stockings securely and still look glamorous when the dress comes off.
Both styles are pull-on girdles made in Nottingham, but they offer different levels of coverage. The Power Lace Girdle 089 reaches the waist and has six metal suspender clips. It is a good choice if you want shaping around the hips and lower tummy without the greater coverage of a high-waist garment.
The Power Lace High Waist Girdle 090 extends further up the tummy for a smoother, more controlled line. Its six suspender straps are adjustable in length, which is useful when changing between different stockings or adjusting where you prefer them to sit on the leg.
When choosing your size, use your actual waist measurement rather than relying solely on the dress size printed on the label. A shaping garment needs to fit closely, but going smaller does not automatically produce a better silhouette.
How to Mix Black Lace
Black is the easiest place to begin because very little in a lingerie drawer will object to it. Wear a black powerlace girdle with a plain black bra for a deliberately put-together look, or combine it with red satin, leopard print, polka dots or another strong colour.
Repeating one small detail is often enough to make mixed lingerie look intentional. A black bra strap, black stocking top or black trim on your knickers will tie everything together without requiring an exact match.
Black lace also works particularly well when you want your foundation wear to feel glamorous but remain practical beneath darker clothing.
How to Mix White Lace
White lace need not be saved for brides or summer. It works beautifully with white, cream, nude and pastel bras, but it can also provide a fresh contrast to pink, pale blue or red.
If several shades of white are involved, don’t worry about matching them perfectly. Different fabrics reflect light differently, so satin, lace and powermesh rarely look identical even when they began with the same colour name. A mixture of white and cream can appear softer and more considered than a set that is almost, but not quite, a match.
Add nude or champagne stockings for a classic look, or use a darker stocking if you want the contrast to be part of the outfit.
Build the Set You’ll Wear
The best lingerie wardrobe is not necessarily the one with the greatest number of complete sets. It is the one in which the pieces work together.
Start with the amount of shaping and coverage you want, choose black or white, then look at the bras and knickers already in your drawer. You may find you own the rest of the set after all; it simply came from several different places.
Explore our Lace Lingerie Collection and discover just how sociable one good girdle can be.