I’m not one to transform into a sex vixen when she dons some Victoria’s Secret bustier. And my last striptease? Like Flashdance on rewind. Give me some granny panties and a sports bra, however, and I’m a star. Here, some picks for ladies who prefer less traditional underthings to the super-sexy stuff. So, throw one on, take your passion, and make it happen.

Did you know the U.S. exports stuff to Iran? Lots and lots of stuff, in fact. During the time that President Bush has been in office, at least $158 million worth of cigarettes alone were sent there. “Our sanctions are targeted against the regime, not the people,” said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces trade sanctions. Strangely, some of the products that the government doesn’t want the people of Iran to be without include: bull semen ( “The animals we’re working with are genetically superior to those in many parts of the world,” said the company’s marketing manager.); at least $101,000 worth of bras; $175,000 in sculptures; nearly $96,000 worth of cosmetics; $8,900 in perfume; $30,000 in musical instruments and parts; $21,000 in golf carts and/or snowmobiles; and $3,300 in fur clothing. [AP via CNN]

Wonderbra is trying to organize the world’s biggest underwear shoot ever, and let me tell you, there is a lot of competition in this category. They’re looking for 1,000 women in London to photograph in their new line of bras. We smell a bigger version of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. At least with so many models, the people will be so small that airbrushing won’t really be a factor. [MarieClaire.co.uk]

Sports bras aren’t necessarily sexy, but they are necessary. Click the pics for more info!

We didn’t know anything about bras until we got properly fitted. Before that, we had really only ever bought them from places like Kmart, Target, and Filene’s Basement, where no one cares whether you buy the wrong size. And even though we love the lacy bras we bought, we may have been onto something by going for cheap bras (at least for everyday wear). Consumer Reports tested three bras—La Perla Vintage ($127), Victoria’s Secret Ipex Demi ($45), and Gilligan & O’Malley Padded Demi ($11)—and found the $11 bra, available at Target, was the best buy. Not only does it have better cup molding than the Victoria’s Secret bra, but it didn’t pinch or poke and held up better in the wash. [Consumer Reports]

National Geographic takes us back through the history of bras. Did you know that by forgoing wearing corsets during World War I, women freed up enough steel to build two battleships?

I have this dress that I love that I can only wear a nude bra with because it’s made of a light, thin jersey fabric. But I can’t really wear this dress because the top of my nude bra always peeks through. Very irritating. Luckily, I’m not the only woman who’s had this problem, because two separate companies have come up with “bra accessories” which address the issue of bra over-exposure. According to SheFinds.com:

“The Figs Bra, which can be worn as a regular bra, comes with a detachable stretch lace overlay that covers up the patch of skin that low-cut clothes leave bare. The Winkee, which very much resembles a thong, is a triangular piece of fabric that you stick on to your own bra with Winkeedots, single-use sticky circles that hold the Winkee in place.”

I prefer The Figs Bra. It’s prettier. I hate thongs, anywhere. [SheFinds.com]

It’s National Bra Fit Week, remember? Here’s a slideshow of bras that fit the hot sexy mama inside each and every one of you. Click the photos for more info!

Did you watch American Inventor? I didn’t. But apparently there was this genius invention on the show—a completely backless bra. The design is so simple, it’s pretty crazy nobody had thought of it before. But hooray for Elaine Cato, the inventor, because Maidenform thought it was pretty great and they started selling her Breakthrough Backless Bra last week. [Maidenform and Business Wire]