Many of my female friends have gotten married recently. These events always involve a variety of events and amongst these events is the Bachelorette Party. The locale of these have varied (from a night out on the town to a spa night in), but they all include one thing: lingerie giving. Why? I’m not sure. Very few have asked for such items (although, they were appreciated), but we give them nonetheless. It’s also not that much of a burden, at least on my part. I just go to Vicky’s (Victoria’s Secret) and look for something fun and pretty. At least, until now. This weekend is SIL-1’s Bachelorette Party. And she’s requested a lingerie shower.
I’ve posted previously about how we’re not particularly close, but I was thrilled that she asked me to be a bridesmaid as I thought it would bring us closer. Unfortunately, not so much. I think with all the wedding excitement and SIL-1 being three hours away, it’s just not really conducive to such things. (Even though I think she could have at least sent me a picture of the shoes I’ll be wearing or respond to my emails with more than one or two words.) While that bit hasn’t really worked out it did present a problem when I was shopping for her for this weekend’s event. As in how does one buy lingerie for someone one hardly knows? On top of that, how does one buy lingerie for the most Conservative Person One Is Personally Acquainted With (obviously, we don’t talk politics)?
She specifically asked for “sexy” lingerie. She said that she wanted something special. So, I went with the easiest way, I asked the sales clerk. I told her I was shopping for my very conservative sister-in-law’s bachelorette party and she wanted something sexy.
I ended up declining the sales clerk’s crotchless underwear suggestion and buying a tasteful babydoll instead.
LOL. I cannot imagine buying crotchless underwear for ANYONE.
Somehow, thankfully, I avoided getting any lingerie any my bachelorette party. Not that lingerie is a bad thing. Just that I find opening it in front of lots of people somewhat awkward. Case in point — receiving lingerie at my bridal shower from my husband’s grandmother, and having to open it in front of everyone. When everyone else was normal and got me, you know, blenders and silverware and whatnot. I was kind of mortified, and upon hearing the story and learning the lingerie was from his grandmother, my husband forbid me from wearing it anyway, lest he get images of his grandmother in his head. Which reminds me that I still need to figure out if I can return it…
OMG! That is too funny.
I am soooo glad my team of girlies respected my request for no showers at all. (My sister was the only actual bridesmaid, but was in the UK until the week before the wedding, so couldn’t do much organising). It is such a foreign concept to me, as a Brit – you throw a party with the sole intention of getting gifts??!! That’s embarrassing to me in itself, but adding sexy lingerie to the mix would have had me running for the hills. Besides which my husband’s two sisters do NOT need to spend their time and money shopping for things that will pleasure their baby brother in such a way – ICK!!
That’s hysterical! I also somehow managed to avoid getting any lingerie. However, one of my friends from college had a lingerie shower. She was very, very conservative, so I just gave her a cute little babydoll and thong set in her favorite color. I learned during one of the shower games that she and her husband-to-be were waiting until their wedding to “share their first kiss”. At that point, I was a little concerned. I started getting seriously worried when other people’s gifts were things like socks and pajama pants. I tried to completely melt into the couch when she opened my gift, held up the thong and said (with big eyes), “I’ve never worn one of THESE before.”
Lingerie seems like a waste. Isn’t the point of it to be sexy and then, um, take it off. So you get maybe 5 mins of use out of them. If it’s something that can be worn to bed than it’s useful. You went with a nice gift although it would have been funny to see the reaction to crotchless underwear . . at least one can keep those on, right?
EtBr: Opening lingerie in front of anybody’s grandparents would be mortifying. And ew(!), from your husband’s grandmother?!?
Cath: I’ve always found bridal showers to be a bit tacky. It just seems so greedy to me. Especially people who have several and invite people to more than one.
Woman Scientist: Hi! I’m glad that you commented. That sounds a bit awkward. SIL-1 has made a big deal about having “saved herself.” And that made the shopping even more awkward.
Jennie: I didn’t think of that! Now, I’m sort-of tempted to buy a pair and tell her about their practicalities. I’m thinking big eyes and red face wouldn’t even begin to cover it for her! š
The way to buy lingerie for someone else is to take it off the rack, remove the hanger, and throw it on the floor. If it falls into an attractive heap, buy it.
This is best done in big department stores where there are few sales people to ask what you’re doing.
Totally awkward. But I’m really anti-b-parties anyway. For such a former party girl, I’m quite a drag.
Too bad she didn’t have one of those gift registries at Victoria’s Secret or somewhere like that! And I thought “showers” were supposed to be given and coordinated by friends – who would hopefully know what the BTB (bride to be) would want (and her *size* in this case).
My extremely-Christian-conservative friend gave me a hot pink thong and sex advice for a wedding present. In a teapot. I was shocked beyond belief.
Though, really, a nice babydoll should also be fine!
Julie R: That is an excellent method and will employ that the next time. Instead of asking the sales clerk with an interesting idea of conservative.
Aunt Becky: I enjoyed my bachelorette party. But it was more of a hey-let’s-all-go-to-a-bar sort of deal than an overly orchestrated event.
Silver Fox: A registry! That would’ve been brilliant.
Jenny F. Scientist: Wow. A teapot? Well, that makes it conservative and practical š
#1: No one bought me anything for my bachelorette party. We just got loaded and played ‘ring toss on a penis’ type games.
#2: The only wedding-related lingerie I received was from my sisters at my bridal shower. Cute stuff, really, and in one year I think I’ve worn each item once or twice. Fairly useless.
#3: Crotchless underwear for your cold SIL! Ha!
#4: Awkward. Have fun. š
Candid Engineer: The only thing people bought me at my bachelorette party were drinks. And I think that’s the only thing that people should buy at those type of events.
Wow- who would suggest that??
I didn’t have a bachelorette party but did get one lingerie item during a co-worker hosted surprise shower. It was 3 sizes too big and awfully ugly- a pink babydoll with lots of pearly beading.
I hope it was a fun time despite the awkwardness!
I always et surprised about all the “showers” that you have here in the States. I am happy to say that where I comefrom (sweden) the bridal shower and wedding shower are nowhere to be seen and the bachelorette party is for “the closest friends of the bride” and usually ends in a nice dinner in the evening with some kind of “personal gifts” to symbolize the friendship between the bride – like a CD with songs from your childhood, or nipple covers to wear under neath the tshirts so that hilarious moment from when you were 21 does not happen again š
I am not sure what I would think if everyone I knew at a party bought me lingere…. it seems both personal and kind of a visual I am not sure I want them to have š
Nice information. I really liked it.
You know I’ve used this site at http://www.DreamDollLingerie.com for sexy lingerie, lingerie, corsets, bustier, costumes, sexy costumes, fantasy lingerie, plus size lingerie, lace lingerie, sexy dresses, and hot lingerie.
I thought they had some nice things.
Ok, usually I’m pretty good about responding to comments, but apparently I missed some.
Albatross: Yeah, I know! Pearly beading? Yucky! It wasn’t too bad. We had fun go-kart racing.
Chall: That sounds like a much better plan than the American showers. It’s really awkward. I mean, a whole party just to watch people to open presents that you bought them? I think nipple covers are a much better plan š
Keith: Well, thanks, I think. Thankfully the shower has passed.