Fashion foundation

This autumn, Agent Provocateur's creative director Shotton used unique and exclusive materials from the legendary Parisian lace-maker Sophie Hallette for its Phoenix range of bras, suspenders and panties.

The 125-year-old family-run business specializes in French Leavers lace and developed one with a multicolored spray paint effect, which took two years to produce.

Cheng agrees that fine lingerie has many qualities that stand out from the average bra and panty sets that abound in the mass market.

She enumerates the following luxurious advantages: "First, is the materials. A lace trimming on a Victoria's Secret bra, for example, is not the same as the lace used on a Fleur of England bra. Fine lingerie will have lace made of silk or cotton. You will never find lace made of scratchy nylon on a quality bra.

"Second, everything from the shape of the underwire to the placement of seams or fabric used in the straps or band makes all the difference in giving support and achieving a beautiful silhouette. These details emphasized in fine lingerie are made to accentuate the female form without sacrificing comfort, style or function."

Asian women are generally smaller in both band and cup sizes.

Cheng gives a few pointers and highly recommends the Little Bra Company, which caters to Asian silhouettes. Look for cups that are closer together to create a flattering cleavage. When choosing a push-up bra, the padding needs to be strategically placed at the bottom and side of the cup and not at the top. Thick and full padding on cups creates a gap at the top and doesn't allow them to lie flat. To avoid "back bulge" or fatty layers squeezed over and around the band, finding a bra with a wider band size will prevent this problem.

Although women come in different shapes and sizes, the right bra should enhance and support her natural figure and at the same time look and feel beautiful against bare skin.

"A good bra is like a best friend. She will give you unconditional support, bring out the best in you and will stand the test of time," Cheng says.

Shotton recommends Agent Provocateur's French-inspired Fifi line of pleated tulle, ribbon seams and Chantilly lace, one of their classics, which has been popular for so many years.

"Fifi in black and pink is very iconic. The set (bra, panty and suspenders) is beautiful but there is also a slip which is less risque if you are shy and it is a perfect first purchase," she advises.

Cheng recommends any classic black lace set with suspenders for starters because "you can wear it again and again. Feeling sexy never gets old!"