Sexy skivvies aren’t just limited to Valentine’s Day, or to the bedroom, for that matter. More and more, lacy bustiers, silk camis and satin garter belts are finding their way in to day-to-day outfits, adding a touch of feminine je ne sais quoi to pantsuits and party dresses.

“The undergarment is transcending into streetwear; it has been for a while,” says Saxon Wolf, manager of Night Owl Designer Lingerie in Edmonton’s Manulife Place.

“When the economy starts to get bad, I think (people) cocoon a little bit more,” Wolf says. “They stay home a little bit more. But then they want to make their wardrobe go a little bit further, so they might not be buying a top, but they’ll buy a beautiful bustier that’s going to give them lots of advantages for fashion, for shape, for romance.”

The whole thing started with designer John Galliano, who first highlighted garters and corsets last summer in Christian Dior’s Fall 2009 couture collection. A few months later, he was pairing blush-coloured satin teddies under blazers and adding lace to just about everything for Dior’s Spring 2010 ready-to-wear.

Other top designers — Stella McCartney, Chanel — quickly followed suit with their own take on frilly unmentionables.

“It’s something that we’ve definitely seen on the runway since Spring ’09,” says Erin Wahl, director of branded buying for Aritzia, which has embraced the trend in a collection themed “Bedtime Stories.”

“The look is innerwear as your outerwear, so it’s soft, it’s sensual, it’s pretty,” Wahl says. “There’s hints of lace and silk paired with your boyfriend blazer or cardigan, with just touches of lingerie. The look has become so big for us that Aritzia, for the first time ever, is actually carrying lingerie this season at select stores.”

At Edmonton boutique Ginger, buyer Carly Bruce says lace has been all the rage for fall and spring.

“It’s just romantic and it’s a little bit of flair without being over the top,” she says. “And you can layer it — just a little bit of skin showing but not, so it’s kinda sexy.”

At her store, a scoop-neck, low-back, lace bodysuit by Australia’s Metalicus smooths and slims, while adding a bit of edge to blazers and high-waisted pants.

“You could do a black bra and then it’s kinda see-through-y, so it’s kinda sexy and most like wearing lingerie,” she says. “It would look really nice for a dinner, or just something a little bit more classy. It’s a statement piece, for sure.”

There’s also newly arrived lace bandeaus and tank tops from C’est Moi’s spring collection. “They’re good for layering, having that extra bit of pop underneath something,” says Bruce.

Items like satin teddies, meanwhile, are being paired with jeans or leggings and worn as tops. For pieces that are more sheer, conservative tastes will lean toward layering, but Wahl recommends simply owning the look with stylish intimates.

“Just be bold and don’t be afraid. Throw out the traditional rules, and what you think you weren’t supposed to do before, do,” she says. “If you’re wearing a sheer blouse, rather than wear a traditional undershirt or camisole, you might just wear a cute printed bra or lace bra — some sort of bra with interest that you want to show off.”

Those who’d rather not expose too much skin can still achieve the lingerie look by incorporating nudes and blushes into wardrobes, or by simply letting frills peek out from underneath jackets. “I think the lingerie becomes almost an accessory then: the lace, the little details,” says Wolf.

That, she continues, can make women feel gorgeous.

“I think you feel different when you have a beautiful bra and panty set on, or beautiful lingerie on underneath your clothes,” she says. “I think you walk differently.”

jfong@thejournal.canwest.com

Lingerie transforms underwear into outerwear