When Tiah Eckhardt and her husband were shopping for a house, its ability to store her massive lingerie collection was high on the list of considerations.
“He was sick of looking at it all of the time, coming home and seeing his house covered in bras and panties,” says the Aussie lingerie model and blogger behind The Daily Knicker. Her collection consists of more than 500 matching sets, 60 corsets and other assorted garters and merrywidows. It currently lives in a special closet her husband built for her.
“He’s got lingerie fatigue,” she tells us. Poor guy.
The Daily Knicker, now in its fourth year, began as a lark. It’s become an authoritative resource on the history of lace and satin. The attendant Instagram account has nearly 50k followers.
We recently asked her for some tips on buying lingerie and what she believes to be its male equivalent. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
The Daily Knicker
InsideHook: What sparked your interest in lingerie?
Tiah Eckhardt: When I was growing up, I did dance and theater and my grandmom raised me on old movies like Showboat, the Ziegfeld Follies. Women in the ‘30s and ‘40s always seemed to be in glitz — beautiful showgirl outfits with stockings and corsets. When I was about 13 my older sister would bring home all sorts of beautiful things she got from her boyfriend and I thought, because I was coming of age, “That’s what a woman is to me.” I stole my first piece of lingerie off of my sister. It was an Yves Saint Laurent suspender belt. I still have it.
IH: What are three things men should consider when gifting lingerie?
TE: The top one is the same one that girls should consider when buying for themselves: make sure you get a good fit. Take a quick peek at her bra and panty size. Notice the brands she has because she probably already likes the fit. Second: don’t buy her something just because you want to see her in it, something that’ll make her feel uncomfortable and not want to wear it. A good way to gauge what she’ll like under is to take note of what she’s wearing over. If she wears a lot of black, go with something black. If she’s more relaxed, or athletic, she might like something softer, or a bra-less set. If she likes colors, she might like a dual-tone silk or lace. And third: always make sure you can return it. Just in case you get it wrong.
The Daily Knicker
IH: How has lingerie changed in recent decades? What trends are you a fan of at the moment?
TE: I like that right now we’re in a point where brands are referencing different historical periods. One brand will do ‘70s and another will do ‘60s. The thing with lingerie is that it’s designed to emulate whatever the most desired body type is at the time. Like cone bras in the ‘50s and ’60s. You can tell a lot about what the ideal body type was [in a given era].
IH: What are some of your favorite companies?
TE: Once you find a brand that fits you, they’ll bring out new designs, but the shape will always fit you. So mine have always been my favorites. Agent Provocateur fits great on me. Fifi Chachnil; they do cute pastels, French-girl stuff, pom poms, sparkly laces. Chantal Thomass is another iconic French brand. I just love [things that are] beautiful, functional and fit well.
The Daily Knicker
IH: Is there a male equivalent of lingerie?
TE: You know what, I think the equivalent for guys is jeans and a tee. It’s functional, it makes your body look really good and it’s timeless. Like a really good watch for a guy is like a good purse for a girl. I think jeans are the lingerie equivalent for men. If you were to ask me what the sexiest thing to see a guy in is, I’d say a wifebeater and jeans. White or black. Nice jeans and a cheap tee shirt.
Main image via Live FAST Magazine
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