I’ve always been a bit envious of friends who could go sans bra without feeling crazy self-conscious. That level of hippie-esque chest freedom, I figured, has to be awesome.

So, I tried it and going braless is definitively not awesome, if you ask me. That said, being married to a bra shouldn’t keep you from wearing slinky, criss-crossed fashions all summer long.

If you want to pull it off, you’ve got to get creative with your undergarments.

Another reason you bra-less babes should wear a brassiere ... Super-supportive underwear saved the life of a 57-year-old woman in Detroit when it deflected a bullet. A group of men broke into her neighbor’s house, and when she spotted them, one of the men fired a gun at her. Little did he know, she was wearing a formidable underwire bra! Cops said her brassiere “slowed the bullet down,” and even though she was injured, she didn’t die. And all my push-up bra has ever done for me is gotten me leered at. (While “life-saved-by-underwire-bra” is a great story, it’s not as great as the woman whose hair weave took a bullet for her. Now that’s loyalty.) [Reuters]

Every woman’s got ‘em: the panties ruined by Nature’s special, beautiful, magical gift to your ladyparts.  You might be thrilled that Bingo’s tadpoles didn’t penetrate the love glove, but that still doesn’t mean you aren’t pissed your white, lacy Victoria’s Secret thong looks like a Jackson Pollack painting.

Typically, girls wear sexy underwear at all times because, even if we know no one is going to see them, we just feel better about ourselves when we know we look pretty underneath.  But the three to seven days of the month when all we do is cry and eat Cherry Garcia is an exception!  Whether they were formerly-cute panties sneak attacked by Aunt Flo or nasty knickers you bought just to stain, here’s the five types of period panties every woman’s got: 

Lately, we’ve been noticing that guys are losing interest in thong underwear—and we couldn’t be happier. Really, whose butt looks good in those things? So that’s why we’re psyched about practical cotton briefs from Boulder, CO, lingerie store T-Bar. Emblazoned with a Wild West-style logo, these underoos are perfect for riding your stallion. [$18.50, The T-Bar]

We’re giving away five T-Bar underoos and Stingers T-shirts, but you have to work if you want them. The five best commenters for this coming week—from today, Friday, April. 3 through Thursday, April 9—will be awarded with one. So, be as clever, smart, and original as you can! Click HERE to read the official rules.

Just imagine how excited your comic book geek will be when he sees your Wonder Woman boy shorts.  Don’t be surprised if he puts on a cape and starts chasing you around the room! That should make for a frisky good time. [$8, TopShop.com]

The next time you hear, “Houston, we have a problem,” you know it’s not day-old boxer stink.

Koichi Wakata, a Japanese astronaut living aboard the International Space Station for the next three months, is testing J-ware undies made by the Japan Women’s University in Tokyo.  J-ware’s magic undies kill bacteria, absorb water, and dry quickly — which means astronaut’s private parts are way less sweaty than your Earthling dude!

But the best part is the sweat-less skivvies are long-lasting in a way underwear just ... shouldn’t be.  “He can wear his trunks (underwear) more than a week,” an official at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency proudly said of the cosmonaut.  Ummm ... ew.

There are no laundry facilities in zero gravity, obviously, so astronauts need duds they can wear to infinity and beyond.  Man, being an astronaut is cooler than I thought: no need to moonwalk your dirty panties to the hamper. [Reuters]

The great panties debate—thongs, boy shorts, or granny panties—just got a new contender now that Wacoal, a Japanese lingerie company, is selling loincloths for women. Loincloths, called “fundoshi” in Japanese, are traditionally worn by men, but are rare nowadays. Women, however, could bring them back into fashion since they’re more liberating than conventional, body-hugging underwear or thongs. “We wanted young women to have a more sense of freedom and release,” said Tomoka Okamura, merchandise director for Wacoal’s Nanafun loincloths for women. “And as we tried to come up with the ultimate liberation item for women, we thought of a fundoshi.” Wacoal has sold more than 5,000 at a price of around $13 since December. At first, we thought a loincloth for women seemed impractical. After all, women do have a tendency to leak at times. But these actually look more comfortable and freeing than traditional underwear.

For those of us who fantasize about losing weight while sitting around in our underwear, a chemistry company, of all things, may have the answer to our dreams. Japan-based company Teijin has just announced the development of underwear that can burn away body fat. The magic underwear is made of a “Nanofront” fiber that’s said to be 200,000 times more flexible than conventional polyester fibers. Apparently, the fibers are so thin, a strand of hair is 7,500 times thicker. I have no idea how all this equates to a smaller waist, but the company claims that people who have worn the underwear in experiments for “40 consecutive days lowered their body fat by ‘several percent’ and consequently reduced waist size by several centimeters.” Wow, several centimeters! That leaves enough room for a whole extra tic-tac in your daily diet. “All that wearers need to do is let the fabric hug their skin to generate friction resistance when they go about their daily routines.” Sounds kinda dirty. The company hopes to have the fat-burning underwear perfected in time for next year’s spring/summer season. In the meantime, we should probably hold on to our gym memberships. [via CrunchGear]

Peacock feather barrettes are all the rage right now. But because you’re a fabulous girl, we know you want to mix it up a little saucier than just snapping a feathered clip into your locks. These peacock plumage undies come in a blue or green pattern with lace ruffles around the thighs, so it’s up to you to decide what kind of colorful bird you’d like to be underneath your clothes. Undies are supposed to be about strutting and showing off your goods, anyway, right? [$12.99, Modcloth.com]

Since so many ladies will be getting all gussied up in their finest undies tonight as part of a romantic V-Day celebration, we thought we’d take a survey of lingerie stories in different cities across the U.S. to see what the best-selling products have been leading up to tonight. After the jump, check out the high-end getup New Yorkers are putting on, the sweet (and comfy!) nude thong they’re wearing in Philadelphia, and the flirty polka-dot number they like in LA.

Normally I’m skeptical of any messages across your bum (juicy?), but Mary Green’s Seven Ways to Say “I Love You” Silk Boyshorts ($173 for the set at figleaves.com) are just too adorable to ignore.  (It doesn’t hurt that the silkiness of the fabric offsets the boyishness of the boyshorts!) Each day of the week you can tell someone those three little words in Spanish, English, German, Hebrew, Italian, Chinese and French.  Damn, I wish I’d had these panties when I studied abroad in Prague, because I might’ve had more to say to the French dude…and the Italian dude…and…ah, nevermind.

It’s really hard to find sexy underwear that doesn’t pinch, constrict, or ride up your butt. That’s why Hanky Panky thongs are one of the greatest creations ever. They’re oh-so-comfortable and look 100-times sexier than cotton granny panties, since they’re made of stretchy lace. This box of two (one red, one pink) is the perfect Valentine’s Day present for yourself. [$36, Bare Necessities]

We’re giving away Hanky Panky Low Rise Thongs Leopard Heart Box sets from BareNecessities.com, but you have to work if you want two pairs of the most comfortable sexy underwear out there. The three best commenters for this coming week—from today, Friday, Feb. 6, through Thursday, Feb. 12—will win one. So, be as clever, smart, and original as you can! Click HERE to read the official rules.

Emporio Armani reportedly paid David Beckham more than $29 million to appear in their latest men’s underwear campaign. We suspect the fashion house may have digitally enhanced his package. What’s your take?

Who doesn’t have a few pairs of underwear that are a few washes past flattering, or a bra that looks more gray than white? If you want a fresh start this January, you better get a few fresh pairs. And, bonus, cute new undies mean you’ll never have an embarrassing Bridget Jones-moment if you get lucky. Here are a few Frisky staff favorites to make your shopping a little easier…

1. Honeydew Intimates Fine Mesh Boyshorts, $14, Nordstrom.com
2. Victorian Lace Boyshort, $3.80, Forever21.com
3. Ultra Low Lacy Tanga, $14.50, Gap.com

See all the ways to make the most of the last 31 days of 2008 here.

I only think about my underwear in the millisecond when I yank them out of my dresser drawer in the morning. (Thong or no? Is this going to ride up at the gym?) My bra never matches my out-of-season holiday panties or my cotton boy shorts with a French poodle printed on the butt saying, “Ooh la la!” But whenever I’m in a serious relationship, I give painstaking consideration to my unmentionables. I’ve gotten on a plane wearing an elaborate black-and-pink lace getup under a T-shirt and jeans to meet my boyfriend, and shown up at his doorstep wearing nothing underneath a dress.

We’ve seen abstinence-promoting promise rings, bracelets and even sweats. Now, your underwear, specifically your thong, can announce your commitment to abstinence with slogans like, “Earn your right to wear white. Abstain”, “Iron Hymen”,  and “Beat It,” complete with a finger-pointing Jesus.

Granny panties are so hot now for young babes. And unlike their tinier counterparts—bikinis, thongs, and tangas—big ol’ briefs will cover your back instead of riding up it. Styles like boy shorts let us shake our booty freely and bend over without getting a wedgie, upsides everyone can get behind. Since we’re too sexy for dental floss undies, here are some full-on Frisky picks, after the jump…

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]

Apparently, there’s a superstition about female undergarments in Myanmar. The military junta fears any contact with underwear—thongs, bikinis, boy shorts, everything—will unsettle military rulers and cause their downfall. Panties for Peace campaign is urging Canadian women to pick a pair of undies from their drawer, glue a picture or write a message for the junta on them, register them with the organization, and then send them to the Myanmar embassy in Ottawa. Women in Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brazil, and other countries across Europe are doing the same, and while this Canadian campaign was just reported on Sify.com, it seems other Panties for Peace initiatives have been going on elsewhere for at least six months. Wouldn’t it be great if the people who work at the embassy donated all the underwear to women who need it? (Well, as long as it’s all clean.) [Sify.com and Guardian.co.uk]