California Apparel News

As proprietress of Bellefleur Lingerie in Seattle, Jennifer Manuel Carroll had become the advice guru among her friendship circle when it came to matters of intimate dressing. Manuel Carroll decided to put her knowledge to use for the masses and co-authored “Underneath It All,” a how-to guide about lingerie with Kathy Schultz, a Seattle-based writer.

The book is a comprehensive guide that answers all the questions that women have about lingerie but may be too embarrassed to ask. “We demystify all the lingerie terminology,” Manuel Carroll said. “As women, we should know them.”Included in the book is a brief history of women’s innerwear, a dictionary of terms that explains the differences between a balconette bra and a contour bra, a guide that illustrates how to choose innerwear based on body type, bridal lingerie essentials, how to wash and care for delicates, and “Dress for Sex-cess” bedroom tips.

California Apparel News Associate Editor Rhea Cortado recently spoke with Manuel Carroll about her career in lingerie and the highlights of the “Underneath It All” book. How did you come to open Bellefleur? I was in sales at an Internet company. I would shop for lingerie when I was in Europe. In Seattle, there [was] not a lot offered here [in 2002]. The boutiques I found [were] really intimidating and were conservative—lots of creams and white and not into my age range [of 29 at the time]. I’m kind of the younger shop owner, so my inventory reflects that. I would say most customers are in their 20s to 50s Most are in their 30s. What are some of the features in this book unique to other lingerie books? It’s a resource guide, but it’s also fun and written in the spirit of [being] entertaining and educational. There are stories throughout the book, real lingerie stories from friends. We include the person’s name and bra size. We have tips on buying lingerie on the cheap, a shopping guide, a directory of online shops [that] recommends brands from Target to Filene’s Basement. What are the essentials about lingerie that you cover in the book? We discuss the fit based on your body type [such as apple, pear, hourglass, athletic]. We break it down for you so you know what you’re looking for when you’re looking for lingerie. We suggest what kind of lingerie style would work for you: sophisticated, chic romantic, practical, sporty. Based on where you fall, we recommend certain brands to you and certain styles. Let’s say you are a sophisticated, chic girl. Then we would recommend key pieces, really specific brands and also give tips and tricks on each style. Why is it so important for women to have the right-size lingerie for their body type? Key pieces will make them look thinner and feel better and really make their clothing investment work better for them. We’re making their clothing look better by making their undergarments fit right. The right bra can make you 5 to 10 pounds thinner under your clothes. What are some of the most frequent questions you get in your shop that you address in your book? A really common question is how to wear lingerie for my man. A lot of women want to do it, but they don’t feel comfortable doing it. It’s a powerful thing to be wearing lingerie for a man. The fun chapter is “Behind Closed Doors,” and that’s how to dress to “Sex-cess.” We have men put into a few different categories based on what they like. We have a few scenarios on how to wear lingerie in the bedroom.