Underpants fads come and go.

Thankfully, the era of the thong has passed and the age of granny panties has begun.

Over the past few years, more women have opted to forgo super lacy, skimpy panties and thongs for comfortable, ass-covering underpants. And thankfully, modern full coverage underwear doesn’t look or feel bland. We’ve rounded up 5 pairs of cute granny panties — or what we’re calling sensibly sexy panties — that provide comfort and sex appeal.

1. Astra Hi-Waist Brief

If you’re looking for a pair of briefs that exude pizazz, consider getting this scarlet underwear from Botanica Workshop. The brand is dedicated to creating underthings made from organic and sustainable materials.

This comfortable pair of underwear is made of organic cotton jersey and cotton elastic. The red, high-waisted panties are accentuated with a light pink, petal hue. In addition to being full coverage, these panties also are form-fitting and will conform to your body’s shape after a few wears. Priced at $65.

2. Silverlake Short 2

If you dig underpants that have an androgynous vibe, check out this pair of no-frills briefs from Sloane & Tate. The company makes panties for women’s bodies and curves.

The Silverlake Short looks like menswear. However, the underpants are crafted to fit a woman’s body. And these underpants are made of super-soft fabrics — ultra lightweight Supima cotton and Modal. This pair of shorts is breathable, made of sustainably-sourced materials, and provides full coverage. Priced at $36.

3. Sundae High-Waist Panty

If seduction is on your mind, consider getting a pair of sheer, polka dot briefs from Dottie’s Delights. The lingerie company makes made-to-order, handmade, feminine designs.

This pair of panties comes in a soft pink hue that looks and feels delicate but provides full coverage and support. And this pair is made all the more sexy because of its soft plush scalloped elastic leg and tummy lining. In addition, the 100 percent nylon panties also feature a 100 percent cotton gusset lining. Priced at $50.

4. High-Waisted Brief

This pair of underpants from Nude, an ethical underwear company based in Spain, is perfect for lounging around all day on the couch. The underwear provides full coverage and is free of lines that could cause ripples under clothing. The panty’s edges feature flat elastic trim. Priced at $27.16.

5. Edith Knickers

And Bluestockings Boutique, a lingerie company that believes in ethical manufacturing, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, and sustainability. The business rose the bar on stylish underwear when it created these velvet underpants. This pair of full coverage black velvet panties are made in San Francisco. Priced at $33.

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ColumnComfort food might not have the effect you think it does.

It’s fall, which means it’s the season of comfort food. While in summer months you can happily get away with a tomato and cucumber salad, there’s something about the colder months that kicks your body into “I want something fatty and carby!” mode.

Seriously, you’re craving a dish of macaroni and cheese right now, aren’t you?

But does eating certain foods really make us feel better than others?

A study was recently published in Healthy Psychology titled “The Myth of Comfort Food.” Studying a group of students and assessing their mood levels after watching different sad, scary or anxiety producing films and looking at how different foods affected those mood levels, the researchers concluded that, “although people believe that comfort foods provide them with mood benefits, comfort foods do not provide comfort beyond that of other foods (or no food).”

Which means that your plate of macaroni and cheese isn’t the reason you’re feeling better after you eat it.

“We found no justification for people to choose comfort foods when they are distressed,” the researchers conclude. “Removing an excuse for eating a high-calorie or high-fat food may help people develop and maintain healthier eating habits, and may lead them to focus on other, food-free methods of improving their mood,” concluded the researchers.

That’s an interesting conclusion given the amount of research that goes into looking at why we eat what we eat.

Is it that we crave comfort foods or is it that we’re addicted to certain things like sugar, salt and fat? There is an ongoing debate about whether we should be talking about “food addiction” or “eating addiction.”

“Sitting in the room with clients, you never hear people say, ‘Oh my god, I came home after a hard day and I was just craving broccoli and cauliflower so bad that I had a massive binge on these vegetables,'” Ashley Gearhardt, Ph.D. told the Huffington Post. “That’s part of the reason I think it’s important to recognize that not all food is problematic — it’s a certain class of foods that people seem to struggle with the most.”

But some people don’t agree. A new study holds that “eating addiction” might be better suited to describing our health problems than “food addiction.” As the researchers write, “similar to other behaviors eating can become an addiction in thus predisposed individuals under specific environmental circumstances.”

It’s important to point out that the fact that we’re even having this discussion is indicative of what kind of food culture we currently live in. Whether it’s a food addiction or an eating addiction, the fact that many of us in the Western world overeat is a new phenomena – Your great-great grandmother wasn’t debating on super-sizing her meal, now was she? She was just worried about putting enough food on the table to feed the entire family – and when we look at these studies it’s important to take all factors into account.

Look at our diets today and compare them to 100 years ago. There’s no denying that something has changed, and over the course of the last century we’ve ended up with a very unhealthy relationship to what we eat, both physically and mentally.

Food should be enjoyed. It should bring comfort, in the sense that sitting down to a good meal with friends and spending time talking, laughing and eating makes us feel good. It shouldn’t give us comfort because we come home from work stressed and gorge ourselves on chips in order to mask a more deep-rooted problem.

Any food can be comfort food, even that plate of broccoli. So let’s start rethinking why we’re eating certain foods and how they’re making us feel. We may just end up with a healthier relationship to food in general in the process.

Related on EcoSalon

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This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: jing 

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Put ten women in room to discuss bras, and you’ll get at least ten different opinions (possibly more!) on whether bras are awesome or not. As a bra-hater myself (except for a good sports bra when I’m exercising), I regularly look for blouses that I can skip a bra while wearing, or wear a pretty organic bralette with if I must wear something.

Apparently, Nicki Minaj and I have this one thing in common. Check out her kinda over-the-top (or is it under-the-boob?) jacket on her recent visit to the Ellen show (below).  I don’t know that even I would rock this particular look, but I give her a “you go girl” for sure. I’m loving Nicki Minaj’s no bra thing—what about you? (To see the full version of the cropped-for-standards photo above, check out Nicki’s Twitter stream here.)

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Sweet, romantic organic bralettes: On Trend

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I’ve always been impressed at how much longer my husband’s shoes last than mine. Some pairs he has had for 20 years and has simply re-heeled and polished them to make them last. He even keeps the boxes.

But now that he is on the public transportation circuit – like so many other good green worker bees – it’s important to wear a comfort shoe that doesn’t pinch when you’re running for that bus or train.

The good news is vegan shoes have become much more stylish, from the old boxy Earth Shoe and hippie Birkenstocks of yore to the oxfords and buckle slips-on on the market that emulate many of the swank Italian shoes.

Sure, the vegan varieties have a softer appearance but that’s part of the allure. The greatest advantage is not just the material but the price. Most brands are reasonable (under $200) and are built to last.

Here are a few to take you through fall:

Princeton Vegan Shoes in Brown or Black, $58 at Alternative Outfitters.

The dapper yet durable Brouque wing-tipped from Moo Shoes, $150.

Handsome yet rugged Dennis Shoe from Novacas,  $140.

The Noharm Slip-On, $275 at Togged.

Noharm Lace-Up Ankle Boot, $299 at Togged.

Men’s Baker Brown Vegan Loafer, $55 at Alternative Outfitters.

New Hidalgo Camel Workboot, $68 at Regazzi Vega.

Main Image: Regazzi Vegan

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It’s not preposterous to think your next resource for revamping your home is not ASID but ANFA: The Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture.

It is the mission of this think tank, and others like it, to promote and advance knowledge bridging neuroscience research to how we humans respond to our built environments.

Apparently, so much new information in this area has surfaced in the last two decades, excited architects, designers and scientists are calling it the new Renaissance in physical design.

There are even books being published on the subject, such as Inquiry By Design: Environment Behavior/Neuroscience in Architecture, Interiors, Landscape and Planning by John Zeisel, a consultant to ANFA.

His book covers the new field of neuroscience for design by describing the creative design process, how buildings and spaces work , and observations of behavior in the physical environment. We’ve seem a similar collaborative direction in green design as visionaries from various areas of expertise band together to work towards the common goal of sustainability.

Savvy architects and designers have always considered color, light, scale and layout as room elements that are important to pleasing their clients. But the neuroscience aspect goes much deeper to explore how one’s habitat triggers hormones that add stress, invite calm or stimulate thought. A room can even make one feel loved. It’s all about how you’re wired.

For me, order is the mother of invention. When everything is in its place, I’m happy as a meticulous clam. For others, the more disorganized and cluttered the room, the better. Those with teenage daughters know what I’m talking about. It all boils down to controlling all the little things we put in the cage. Hey, it’s true for hamsters and it’s true for us, as well.

“The premise is to consider how each feature of the architectural environment influences certain brain processes such as those involved in stress, emotion and memory,” Eve Edelstein, Ph.D. explains, in a recent article from Oprah. Edelstein, another consultant to ANFA, is an adjunct professor at the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego.

In terms of tips for influencing happy feelings, these experts point to designing good vantage points in the main gathering rooms, such as the kitchen or great room. Here, the ideal floor plan includes a view of the entryway, a window onto a pretty landscaped yard and a fireplace.

“Being in the kitchen links you to hardwired feelings of comfort – beyond getting food, there’s a sense of protection, warmth, sociability, sharing stories,” says Zeisel. He explains how Alzheimer’s patients need visual clues like pictures and objects to connect them with their lives, and the same clues aid the average homeowner in feeling grounded. These might include family photos or books you’ve read and enjoyed.

Zeisel adds that having a place to feel safe and to gather is especially important after a busy work day when we can feel anxiety, fear and stress brought on by an adrenaline rush. He says it’s good to face into rooms that you create to see what is going on and feel more in control.

“Then oxytocin, the bonding hormone, and serotonin, associated with relaxation and enjoyment, have a greater chance of being released.”

Other features that help: big windows or a balcony for seeing the weather; curvy edges instead of hard ones on counter, furniture and cabinets to feel more content; original art and sculpture to convey a sense of authenticity and trust; privacy via a room of your own away from the noise.

My favorite component, however, is the idea that rearranging one’s decor is actually a healthy habit that keeps your environs from going stale.

My husband compares me to a little hamster re-shuffling its cage when I spend hours rearranging photo collections and switching around pillows. See! I’m just moving energy, sweetie, and doing that neuroarchitecture thing. Brain scientists say it’s good for me. And think of all the money we’re saving on therapy!

Image: Fernanda Mancini

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