Getting the low down on underwear

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."