In growing older, many things are added to the never ending to-do list in the minds of young women everywhere. Things like trying a new moisturizer, getting that job application done by Friday or going to the grocery store to pick up that seasoning everyone is talking about are all boxes that need to be checked off.

At some point or another, in most young women’s life, comes the internal conversation of lingerie.

Questions of where to purchase lingerie, knowing what will fit, shopping within a budget and how much effort to put into said lingerie race through your mind the minute you step into a store.

Those questions may go unanswered and instead of leaving with a new set you’re satisfied with, you leave with an unhappy bank account, unmet expectations of beauty and strings in places where they should not be.

Since lingerie seems to be becoming less of a societal taboo, shops and stores are starting to carry more of it in their merchandise. Online shops are taking it into stride as well.

Amazon has brands that cater to lingerie specifically and it can serve as a good place to start.

Savage X Fenty by Rihanna and ASOS both have an array of lingerie built for feeling confident and feminine. These two shops are pricier than, say, Amazon, but are still within reason and great for everyday wear.

A topic of conversation that is common today is the one of dressing for the male gaze. This trend specifically re-surged on TikTok as young women showed their transition in style when they started to dress based on how they wanted to look for themselves.

The article “You do act differently when you’re in it: Lingerie and femininity” by Rachel Wood studies all types of women and their relationships with wearing lingerie. The article argues that it builds a sense of assurance and confidence within yourself and your abilities as a woman.

“’You want to look nice when you start to take your clothes off. I think it’s partly about wanting to feel good about yourself as well,’” said a woman interviewed in the article.

An example in popular culture of young women using lingerie to feel confident with themselves is the opening scene of “The Devil Wears Prada.” It depicts glamorous women working at a fashion magazine getting ready for their day. They all wear beautiful lace, colorful and silky lingerie before they put on their clothes.

This differs from the protagonist, Andrea, who wears cotton “granny panties” and appears less confident and less in tune with her body. This can ring true in the everyday lives of women in the workforce as well.

Other movies can depict lingerie categorizing women into two categories. In “The Women,” there is a scene where two ladies are trying on lingerie. One of the women is the wife and the other is the mistress. They use it to set apart the mistress as being sexy and seductive while the wife is dull and boring in an effort to spark romance with her husband.

Popular media like television, movies and music can impact the way cultures think about topics like sexuality and relationships.

Since buying and wearing lingerie is a personal journey, don’t be afraid to experiment along the way. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day either, so it may take some time. There is no magical book to read on all things lingerie, but the most important thing to keep in mind is to pay attention simply to how it makes you feel.