Hello Girls

Sensuality and lingerie have always gone hand in hand. But who is sexy underwear for? This week, fashion journalists Kate Finnigan (FT, British Vogue, The Gentlewoman) and Emily Cronin (Elle, Telegraph, Grazia) take a look at the fe/male gaze to ask how sexiness has changed and if underwear is ‘empowering’ or something much more profound. Who are the next generation of underwear makers and wearers? And how does body positivity shake up the rule book? “We are essentially saying, screw the male gaze!” – Chelsea Mtada, founder of Nightstand Service  “It used to be that when it came to lingerie, there was only one question that mattered; what does he think?” – Kate Finnigan  “It’s what we were born with, the best we can be is ourselves. That to me is sexy.” – Serena Rees, founder of Agent Provocateur and of Les Girls Les Boys Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellogirls_pod/ Written and presented by Emily Cronin and Kate Finnigan. Produced by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production and music composed by Jade Bailey. Music mix and production by GXL Music. Art direction by James Perrett. Image courtesy of Savage X Fenty. Lead Producer: Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Hello Girls is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you know that a good bra can make you run faster? It begs the question – why do trainers get all the limelight? Asking if sports bras are for everyone or just athletes, underwear obsessives Emily Cronin (FT; Elle) and Kate Finnigan (FT; vogue.com) meet pioneering scientist Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, England rugby superstar Rosie Galligan, and Charly Wright, brand manager for the company who supply the British Army’s female recruits. Plus they conduct the ultimate (completely non-scientific) sports bra test run at the London Marathon.  “If I can’t have a sports bra I will not be playing. For me it’s part of my kit bag.” - Rosie Galligan “It’s an area where once again women’s physical needs have been overlooked, if not disregarded and certainly under-protected.” - Charly Wright “If you wear a good sports bra it can actually improve your heart rate.” - Joanna Wakefield-Scurr Follow Hello Girls on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellogirls_pod/ Send us your underwear disasters and triumphs: [email protected] Whatsapp your voice notes to: 07770 182925 Written and presented by Emily Cronin and Kate Finnigan. Produced by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production and music composed by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Music mix and production by GXL Music. Voice notes from Lauren Stevenson. Image courtesy of Sweaty Betty. Art direction by James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Hello Girls is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you ready to pull on your big girl pants? This week: It’s time to get comfortable! Fashion journalists Emily Cronin (Elle; Grazia) and Kate Finnigan (FT; vogue.com) say no to stringy, flimsy fripperies and ask– why are big knickers the butt of so many jokes? Do they mean the death of sex, or is being snug the new sexy? “The big knickers were emblematic of our sexless relationship… neither of us were putting the effort in.” – Bella Hull “So what if your big knickers aren’t sexy? That doesn’t have to be a priority.” – Kate Finnigan “Big knickers are the thinking woman’s sexy knicker.” – Emily Cronin “There’s a trend emerging of not being too overt in your sexiness.” – Georgia Larsen Follow Hello Girls on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellogirls_pod/ Send us your underwear disasters and triumphs: [email protected] WhatsApp your voice notes to: 07770 182925 Written and presented by Emily Cronin and Kate Finnigan. Produced by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production and music composed by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Music mix and production by GXL Music. Voice notes from anonymous contributions. Art direction by James Perrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Hello Girls is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Because underwear is the foundation of everything. This time: The Corset - from busty Bridgerton to Madonna’s pointy-coned creation, the corset has always raised temperatures. Fashion journalists Emily Cronin (Elle; Grazia) and Kate Finnigan (FT; vogue.com) discover how this controversial piece of clothing has evolved from being the cause of fainting fits and broken ribs to reshaping the body into a work of art. “There were ideas that the corset caused your liver to split in half and crushed your internal organs, some of the accounts are quite crazy.” – Valerie Steele “Corsets are having a resurgence - there’s a global movement with young girls reclaiming their bodies.” – Michaela Stark “Women would buy rubberised ‘Tango’ corsets so they could bend backwards.” – Valerie Steele “Corsetry never goes away, people just keep pushing and evolving it for whatever the current generation needs.” – Emily Cronin Follow Hello Girls on Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellogirls_pod/ Send us your underwear disasters and triumphs: [email protected] Whatsapp your voice notes to: 07770 182925 Written and presented by Emily Cronin and Kate Finnigan. Produced by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production and music composed by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Music mix and production by GXL Music. Voice notes from anonymous contributions. Art direction by James Perrett. Image courtesy of brownsfashion.com. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Hello Girls is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Because underwear is the foundation of everything. This time: Bra Fitting – embarrassing or empowering? Fashion journalists Emily Cronin (Elle, Grazia) and Kate Finnigan (FT, vogue.com) take us into the emotional world of the bra department. Can exposing herself to a stranger in a cubicle mirror convince a woman who hasn’t worn a bra for ten years that the only way is cup?  We hear more of your closet confessions and reveal industry secrets from the best in the bust-lifting business. “A well-fitting bra can make all the difference in the world. It’s also a vulnerable interaction.” – Lucy Milligan “What better way to convince women that they need a new bra, than to tell them their old bra is wrong?” – Kate Finnigan “it makes you very perceptive to what that woman might need from that fitting. She might need a therapist, she might need a friend.” – Lucy Milligan Follow Hello Girls on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellogirls_pod/ Send us your underwear disasters and triumphs: [email protected] Whatsapp your voice notes to: 07770 182925 Written and presented by Emily Cronin and Kate Finnigan. Produced by Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production and music composed by Jade Bailey. Lead Producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Music mix and production by GXL Music. Voice notes from Anna Glowacka of Moon Women's Health, and anonymous contributions. Art direction by James Perrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Hello Girls is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices