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Top Lingerie Updates for Women 50+

Toss out outdated underwear and bras and stock up on items that flatter your grownup figure

Lois Joy Johnson,

AARP

En español

Published August 17, 2023

options to upgrade lingerie for women fifty plus

Skims Fits Everybody T-Shirt Bodysuit Regular & Plus (left); Harper Wilde Base T-Shirt Bra (middle); Miraclesuit Light Control High-Waist Boyshorts (top right); Bali Comfort Revolution Seamless Cooling High Cut Panty Dfmshc (bottom right)

Nordstrom; Harper Wilde; Bare Necessities; JCPenney

Lingerie drawers and kitchen junk drawers have a lot in common. Both are always crammed with items that women are reluctant to throw away. I get the lingering appeal of jar grippers and mushroom cleaners, but why hold on to old push-up bras, sheer beige pantyhose with snags and itty-bitty thongs not worn since 1999? The answer is a combo of nostalgia, buyer’s guilt and “someday” thinking that turns otherwise practical, mature women into lingerie hoarders. Want a fresh start? I asked Cosabella bra fitter Caroline Peaslee for suggestions and added my own fashion editor/personal shopper tips for all.

1. Toss anything no longer relevant

disorganized women's underwear piled on a floor and in a dresser drawer

George Shelley Productions/Getty Images

Until recently, I had a leftover stash of premenopause 34B bras (though I’m now clearly a 32C!) and bikini panties that would laugh at my grownup curves. “Women often think since no one sees our underwear, it’s a low priority, but actually what goes under your clothes makes them look better,” explains Peaslee. Exactly. Underpinnings make or break the fit of every item you wear. Start by trying on everything you think is a keeper in a full-length mirror. I promise you’ll cringe and immediately head for the trash and donate bags. On the gotta-go list: waist cinchers and corsets (unless you’re Madonna), floss-like thongs, push-up bras from your cleavage-promoting days, static-loving slips and flimsy bralettes you bought during COVID but never wear … and anything else your body rejects or dislikes.

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Cacique Intimates Comfort Bliss Lightly Lined No-Wire Bra in Deep Lagoon; Bare Necessities The Absolute Minimizer in Lagoon; Bali Comfort Revolution Seamless Cooling High Cut Panty Dfmshc in Black

(Left to right) Cacique Intimates Comfort Bliss Lightly Lined No-Wire Bra in Deep Lagoon; Bare Necessities The Absolute Minimizer in Lagoon; Bali Comfort Revolution Seamless Cooling High Cut Panty Dfmshc in Black

Lane Bryant; Bare Necessities; JCPenney

2. Make feel-good fits and fabrics a priority

Rigid molded cups that feel like cardboard, stiff bras that force larger breasts into shape and big scratchy tags are common complaints. So is underwear that rolls down or rides up in a wedgie and leg-elastics that leave marks. If you’re just about ready to go commando, stop right there and try some new women’s “intimates.” They use high-tech stretchy fabrics such as microfiber and feature updates such as wider flat waistbands on panties and broad under-bust bands on bras, light foam cups that mold to your individual shape and convertible or front-adjustable straps that erase discomfort. Try high-cut briefs with no-bind leg openings such as the Bali Comfort Revolution Seamless Cooling High Cut Panty Dfmshc in Black, In the Navy, Sandshell ($13, jcpenney.com) and hardworking seamless bras that support without bulk, including the wireless Cacique Intimates Comfort Bliss Lightly Lined No-Wire Bra in Deep Lagoon, Black, Deep Taupe or Cafe ($45, lanebryant.com) or the gently wired Bare’s The Absolute Minimizer in Lagoon or Coco ($58, barenecessities.com) with soft molded cups and convertible straps.

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Harper Wilde Base T-Shirt Bra in Seaglass; Cosabella Soire Confidence Side Support Bra in Swiss Beet; Vanity Fair Women’s Beauty Back Full Figure Minimizer in Sheer Quartz

(Left to right) Harper Wilde Base T-Shirt Bra in Seaglass; Cosabella Soire Confidence Side Support Bra in Swiss Beet; Vanity Fair Women’s Beauty Back Full Figure Minimizer in Sheer Quartz

Harper Wilde; Cosabella; Target

3. Consider a color revise

Most mature women buy bras and undies in nude or black. They’re practical and simplify what to pair and wear under what. However, if you’re reading this column and noticed some non-neutral hues, that’s because intimates are adding color options. “Nude and black are utilitarian but can get boring,” Peaslee says. “Buy black if you wear a lot of black, but add darker hues like navy to the mix. I find purples and lavenders flatter a wide variety of skin tones, as do blue-gray shades. Soft rosy pinks can work as an alternative to nude under white and light colors.” I agree and suggest you don’t give up on skin-tone shades and black, but do try muted colors such as the Harper Wilde Base T-Shirt Bra in Seaglass or Succulent ($45, harperwilde.com) or Vanity Fair Women’s Beauty Back Full Figure Minimizer in Sheer Quartz ($25, target.com), and deeper shades from fuchsia to chocolate, including the Cosabella Soire Confidence Side Support Bra in Swiss Beet ($100, cosabella.com) under dark colors and prints.

Lively No-Wire Strapless Bra in Jet Black; True & Co True Body Lift Mesh Scoop Neck Convertible Strap Bra in Bluestone; Cuup The Wireless Plunge Bra in Stone; ThirdLove 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra in Sienna; The Glamorise WonderWire Front-Close T-Back Bra in Pink Blush

(Left to right) Lively No-Wire Strapless Bra in Jet Black; True & Co. Body Lift Mesh Scoop Neck Convertible Strap Bra in Bluestone; Cuup The Wireless Plunge Bra in Stone; ThirdLove 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra in Sienna; Glamorise WonderWire Front-Close T-Back Bra in Pink Blush

Lively; True & Co.; Cuup; ThirdLove; Bare Necessities

4. Have three or four bras that work for your lifestyle

Many women want an “everyday” basic bra that’s comfy, works with most of their clothing, is invisible beneath tops and dresses and has an ultra-thin lining to prevent nipple show-through. The ThirdLove 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra ($72, thirdlove.com) with underwire can do all that. When you find a T-shirt style you love, buy two or even three to rotate and launder. Any additional bras should solve other body or wardrobe issues. For example, do you sometimes wear low necklines or unbutton your shirts to a V? A low-front style such as the Cuup The Wireless Plunge Bra ($75, shopcuup.com) or a front closure such as the Glamorise WonderWire Front-Close T-Back Bra ($44, barenecessities.com) is a smart extra. Love the idea of bralettes but not the lack of support? Try the wire-free True & Co. Body Lift Mesh Scoop Neck Convertible Strap Bra ($64, trueandco.com) for serious lift. Wear off-the-shoulder tops for evening? The Lively No-Wire Strapless Bra ($48, wearlively.com) comes in handy. “You can’t ignore the fact that breast shape and size change with age,” Peaslee says. “Don’t be afraid to branch out into different brands, styles and categories, but wearing a sports bra all the time — which many women do — is not the answer.”

Jockey Skimmies No-Chafe Mid- Thigh Slip Short in Light; Miraclesuit Light Control High-Waist Boyshorts in Coffee; Soma Intimates Smoothing Short in Warm Amber

(Left to right) Jockey Skimmies No-Chafe Mid-Thigh Slip Short in Light; Miraclesuit Light Control High-Waist Boyshorts in Coffee; Soma Intimates Smoothing Short in Warm Amber

Macy's; Bare Necessities; Soma

5. Choose body-positive shapers

No one loves wearing shape wear. In fact, as more women decide to “own” their size and shape and opt for relaxed or oversized tops, wider pants and looser jeans, A-line midi skirts and flowing dresses, the dependency on industrial-strength-control underwear is waning. But everyone — even the most body-positive women — can use a little assistance when bloat or a few extra pounds challenge our wardrobe. Treat your shape to a couple of low-dose smoothers such as the Jockey Skimmies No-Chafe Mid-Thigh Slip Short in Light ($20, macys.com), Soma Intimates Smoothing Short ($32, soma.com) or Miraclesuit Light Control High-Waist Boyshorts in Coffee, Black, Stucco, Warm Beige ($27, barenecessities.com) and leave stress behind.

6. Add a bodysuit and new tights

Two of the most useful lingerie items to own now: a black bodysuit and black pantyhose in sheer and fishnet styles. Bodysuits in a stretchy opaque fabric with a full coverage bottom (not a thong!) and snap gusset at the crotch, such as the tank style Good American Scoop Neck Tank Bodysuit in Black ($79, bloomingdales.com), Skims Fits Everybody T-Shirt Bodysuit Regular & Plus in Black ($62, nordstrom.com) and Kimi + Kai Women’s Turtleneck Long Sleeve Bodysuit in Black ($39, macys.com), are the layering piece update to camisoles. Worn under any top or in sleeved versions as stand-alone tops with skirts and pants, they glide over bras and middle to give the torso a smooth look. Pantyhose, which have basically been ignored for the past decade, are also back, especially in sheer black such as the Silkies Women’s Control Top Pantyhose with Run Resistant Light Support Legs in Jet Black ($17 for two pair, amazon.com) or the Stems Micro Fishnet Tights in Black ($33, neimanmarcus.com). If you’re over 50 and have leg pigmentation issues and veins as I do, they are a wardrobe must.

Lois Joy Johnson is a beauty and style editor who focuses on women 50 and older. She was the beauty and style editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and a founding editor of More magazine. She has written three books: The Makeup Wakeup, The Wardrobe Wakeup and The Woman's Wakeup.

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