I’ve been having an underwear revolution around here. After nearly forty years of pretty much wearing the same style of underwear, wear and tear on a certain body part—I’m not even sure what to call the body part, but it’s that crease where the leg joins the body, where all elastic tends to rest, dig, chafe, or gouge, as the case may be—has caused me to begin looking for underwear that comes to rest in a different spot. I’ve been open-minded to all styles, provided they come in natural fibers, trying boy shorts, mini boxers, even a thong (for about 2 ridiculous seconds) but they’ve all been problematic: thick, uncomfortable, bunchy or even more prone to dig.
It seemed silly that I was the only woman in the world ever to have this problem, so I started doing a little Internet research. A place called Staplesonline sold all silk-underwear that looked promising, but their elastic situation was no better, and besides, they were outrageously expensive.
I continued the hunt.
Finally, at a place called The Vermont Country Store I stumbled across some very old-fashioned type underpants with something called a ‘comfort-leg’ band. I ordered a few pair and I think the revolution is over.
A few years ago, as the reality of aging hit me, I’d look at older women and just wonder how you get there. How do you get from age 35 to age 85? Well, now I know. You start by ordering your first pair of comfort-leg underpants from The Vermont Country Store and the next thing you know, you’re on to the support socks, heavy-duty toenail clippers and muumuus & floats. Step by practical step. That’s how you get there, (with a few wildly impractical side-steps into discreet shops for special occasions.)
But I don't mind at all being pragmatic about my underthings. Being pragmatic is apparently a hallmark of my generation, the 13th generation, at least according to William Strauss and Neil Howe. Their book about the history of the American future arrived yesterday and I'm finding it a lot of fun to read--except for the part about a terrible crisis supposedly occurring in the year 2020. They predict widely differentiated sexual roles in will occur here soon (I think it may already be happening and wondered, when the Space Shuttle landed, if I'd live to see another woman as commander), with the masculine being exalted in public life, and the feminine in private, thus setting the stage for a feminist renaissance come mid-21st century.
That ought to be interesting to watch from the comfort of my wide-band underpants.
11:00:20 AM 
|
|
