Dressing in the Dark

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Now I'm not saying you've gone out of the house this way, but ladies, you know you can relate to this. For my part I'm really glad panties became more sexy since I was sent off to Girl Scout camp at age 11 with my days of the week 7 pack. I mention Girl Scouts especially because that's what my husband used to call the undies I wore when I was pregnant. My mother sent them to me in a big box tucked among slacks with elastic inserts, mu-mu style shirts, and industrial grade bras that were as much a marvel of engineering as a suspension bridge, and just as big a turn on. I'm thinking of this because my daughter and I recently went on a shopping trip for the quintessential 21st century woman's maternity trousseau. Before you scoff at my use of the word trousseau let me tell you that it is from the French "trousse" meaning bundle. Perfect, right?

Maternity garments have evolved in the last 30 odd years, a not unexpected consequence of the sexual revolution. Women, like men, are out there climbing that corporate ladder, and they expect to be able to go out the door looking stylish and feeling comfortable even when they have a "bun in the oven". Still, feeling sexy while pregnant is a bit of a struggle for most women. For those who work hard for their bodies the bulge of baby fat comes as a shock every time they look in the mirror. My girl discarded item after item that "made her look fat". I puzzle over her criteria for eliminating garments and finally catch her drift. We go home with dozens of things that are not going to make it past her sixth month, but I congratulate her on her wise choices. There will be time for discovery when she is more comfortable with the idea of motherhood.

This weekend we shopped for racks and shelves to organize her purchases. The former housemate has moved out of the Arlington home and she has a room to convert into a closet. While we are in Target we pass the lingerie and she stops to pick out some panties in a larger size than she has ever worn before. They are still adorable little sheer things, but she seems to anticipate the near future when she tell me about a comment from her friend who is further along the pregnancy path. Quote she, "I never thought I'd have panties I would have to fold." Sigh. Reality comes to us all my dear, but I promise on my Girl Scout honor I'll never buy them for you unsolicited and my care packages will never be depressing. Now, if you have a trick for putting those thongs on correctly the first time every time, I would certainly listen to your superior wisdom.