bad porn words, literary division

[boxofdelights]

"unshrivel"

This example comes from the wardrobe porn of the J. Peterman catalog. It promises that wearing their camisole is enough to unshrivel a man's somethingorother.

I was looking for images for a friend who had been given the kind of camisole that is not underwear, and wanted suggestions on how to wear it. I came up with uh, be Monica Belluci? and then got distracted by the problem of how to Dress For Success when you're a woman, when "feminine" makes you look powerless but "unfeminine" is worse, when sexifying your look just the right amount increases your power but going one iota over the right amount is a disaster.

So. Do you have any suggestions on how to wear the kind of camisole that is not underwear? Like the one Monica Belluci is wearing in the third photoset here.

Comments

[onyxlynx]

I always liked the way Christine McVie wore camisoles, albeit usually under a jacket.

[cereta]

I dunno, I wear them all the time, just under other shirts - blouses, deep-cut tunics or sweaters, cardigans...I own so many camis, I have cami dickeys.

[kathmandu]

Dress for Success depends on the occupation and region; your friend should observe whether other women in her line of work, ideally a step or two up, wear camisoles and how.

For social wear,

1) Camisole with pretty, lacy or translucent overshirt such as cannot be worn without an under-layer. This is one of the purposes of camisoles.

2) Camisole with cardigan over it, often with just one button fastened at the bustline.

3) Camisole with tailored jacket, as Monica Belluci was wearing hers.

[cimorene]

UNSHRIVEL. Un. Shrivel.

[amaebi]

As workwear? Own the company then do whatever you want.

[em_h]

Heh -- I'm the friend in question, and I'm an Anglican priest, so owning the company is kind of out of the question.

The person who gave it to me says she was thinking of it as something to wear with a vest, but I'd have to be careful of the context to do that. Probably not parish board meetings or hospital visits ...

[boxofdelights]

I know right?!

[boxofdelights]

Thank you!

[boxofdelights]

Thank you! Is a cami dickey a thing to tuck into the neckline of a low-cut shirt?

[boxofdelights]

My friend is our generation, so she'll probably know who Christine McVie is, but it reminds me of the bit from the 2003 Freaky Friday:

Mother (who has just been nonconsensually made over by daughter): I look like Stevie Nicks.
Daughter: Who's he?

[boxofdelights]

Oh, hey, Em, meet Mary Ann, amaebi and amaebi. I think you'd like each other.

There are more comments on the LJ version of this post. I got distracted by thinking about Dress for Success, and then distracted my readers by talking about Dress for Success, but I hope there is something useful here!

[cereta]

Yup. I have lots of faux-wrap stuff, so they're very useful.

[amaebi]

Funnily, I'm ordained in The United Methodist Church!

I bet your contexts are better than mine. :D

Just to be clear: my acerbic tone was about the misogynist nature of workplaces-in-general (amid misogynist USian-culture-in-general), not about decorative camisoles, their wearers or their givers.

[jesse_the_k]

Yes exactly this: the intriguing contrast between tight, soft, maybe lacy and boxy, stiff, crisp is delicious.

UNSHRIVEL is, on the other hand, not a word I'd use to market anything.

[em_h]

I bet your contexts are better than mine.

Hmm, depends what you mean by better, I guess ...

And no worries about tone -- I entirely got what you meant.