Getting the low down on underwear

By Agni Amorita

JAKARTA (JP): To look beautiful you can go to any beauty parlor, but to look sexy, you must wear the right lingerie. At least, this credo is held by famous actress Sarah Azhari, whose sex appeal has led to her being dubbed an Indonesian Marilyn Monroe.

"You are what you wear," said Sarah, who always wears sexy dresses in her public performances. To maintain her sexy image, Sarah needs perfect underwear. "So I choose black underwear, because black is sexy," she explained. Her favorite items are black lingerie from Victoria's Secret or Italian-made La Perla items.

"Because they really fit my body," said the actress, whose gorgeous body was exposed in a "naked-like look" cover on the Matra monthly magazine. The cover sparked controversy in the country about the role of pornography in the media. Sarah herself was questioned by the police over the matter.

On the other hand, the case indicates the existence of Indonesian lingerie users, which marks a new trend here. Indonesian women used to only wear under their clothing a bra and panties for every occasion -- both day wear and night fashions. With the development of the fashion industry here, the corset was introduced here, and became famous especially with traditional clothing such as a kebaya (traditional women's blouse or baju kurung (women's long tunic).

Until the beginning of the 1990s, local female underwear was dominated by items sold in skin tone, white and black. "Because a kebaya is usually made from expensive transparent lace, the black or white long corset was accepted as its best partner," said Netty B. Rianto, a former chairwoman of the Indonesian Businesswoman Association. During her time with the association, Netty frequently appeared in national dress.

"But now, it (the chemise) has reduced (in length)," Mrs. Rianto added. "A corset doesn't have to be long or can be changed by a simple camisole or even cute lingerie to be matched with any kebaya."

She also has new colors for her underwear. "And all of those are made-in-Indonesia items, which are already quite expensive," she said. "I can't get a pair for less than Rp 100,000."

According to local lingerie designer Merdi Sihombing, the development of underwear in Indonesia has spread to every level of society. "I used to be known as a designer for celebrities, but lately I have had a lot of nine-to-five customers," he said. To avoid sending the wrong message when wearing underwear, Sihombing advises his customers to match the dress' color with underwear. "Skin tones like light brown used to be highly recommended for underwear, but it is out of date now," claimed Merdi. "Because the trend has also come to underwear."

Merdi's opinion was shared by Helena Haryana, promotion manager at The Lingerie Shop, Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta. "The newest trend are the millennium colors such as silver, metallic gray and bright colors," she explained. Merdi even goes further. "I do not only prepare silver or glittering color corset, but also in animal prints especially cow leather -- which is becoming famous again -- and blue denim corset for the teens." Sihombing showed us his newest collections; most had already been snapped up by his famous singing clientele.

Both Sihombing and Haryana believe in the future of the underwear business in the country. "And like other fashion outlets, The Lingerie Shop is also facing its peak season this month, when people celebrate Christmas and New Year," Suryana added. Although her collections, which are all imported from Italy, are not cheap -- they cost at least Rp 100,000 per piece, Haryana's local customers comprise some 60 percent.

For them, the underwear business is an interesting business. "Because underwear is not only a bra and panties, but also bustiers, bodysuits, and of course, lingerie," explained Ms. Haryana. "It has a bright future," added Sihombing. "A simple example is the kebaya dress which was a stormy trend for the last two years here because the most important thing in wearing a kebaya is the underwear. By wearing a corset which has as its main function the need to strengthen the stomach area, the kebaya dresser will look sexier and more elegant," he said.

Sihombing is very optimist with his business choice. "Because underwear has more personal satisfaction than dresses. Once you feel comfortable with your underwear you don't want to change to another label."