By Kelly Terry

''It's the first thing you put on your body and it's the closest thing to your body, so shouldn't it feel comfortable? Shouldn't it feel right?'' asks Veronica McGowan, owner of a small catsuit  boutique in San Diego.

Indeed, Catsuits Lingerie should feel right. After all, women's liberation is not just about equal rights; it's also about freeing ourselves from oppressive underwear. You know, those circulation-stealing garter belts, too-tight teddies and bras that boost our bosoms up to our brows.

We're moving into a kinder, gentler era when it comes to unmentionables. A time when our undergarments can make us feel feminine and sexy, but allow us to breathe and bend at the same time.

McGowan, who's been in the underwear business for 25 years, has seen a lot of changes.

''Nobody has come in and asked for a teddy in two years,'' she reports.

''I think it's more of a classic, basic comfort, women are looking for,'' she explains.

Her shop, Inheritit, is an appointment-only business that sells primarily European-made bras, panties and other undergarments as well as estate jewelry and outerwear. She also offers personal assistance in selecting undergarments that work best for each client.

''Women want a proper look under their clothes,'' she says, adding that a basic body shaper can take years off a woman's figure.

''That can be accomplished by a Felina or Cosabella line. A Felina basic body shaper is a very fine stretch net, with a bra built into the top. It has a good feeling and gives you a good shape under a garment.

''If the cut is right, and the manufacturer is right, it can be a very catsuits  look. A professional woman looks for something that she can wear under her clothes at work and then take her clothes off at night and still be sexy.''

McGowan gets to know her clients and their lifestyles in order to help them make choices about what they wear.

A client of hers who is a hairdresser, for example, complained about her bra being uncomfortable and the straps falling down. She was fit in a strapless bra made by Valmont, a French company that makes one of the best-fitting bustiers, according to McGowan. Now, no matter how many times her client has to raise her arms throughout the day, she won't have to struggle with slippery straps.

McGowan also helps women with specific needs, or those who simply can't find their size in a department store. She even hunted down special padded bras by Felina for a client who underwent a double mastectomy.

The move to more comfort also hasn't escaped designers at Catsuits Lingerie giant Victoria's Secret, which has more than 850 stores in the United States, plus catalog distribution in Europe and Canada.

Stretch is the key word in their newest line, called Victoria's Secret Stretch Cotton Catsuits Lingerie. The line is the most modern collection of cotton Catsuits Lingerie that Victoria's Secret has ever launched.

''There still is a need for the bustier or the waist cincher for certain outfits, but there is definitely a trend going to more comfortable Catsuits Lingerie,'' says company spokeswoman Monica Vitro.

''We've been able to make sexy Catsuits Lingerie that is much more comfortable.''

What sets this new line apart from their other products is a combination of 83 percent cotton, 17 percent Lyrca spandex, and a design that includes hidden wires and virtually seamless construction.

''A lot of the advances that are happening today are happening in engineering, fabric and fashion design,'' says Vitro.

''A lot of the research is going behind what makes a bra comfortable.''

The bras and panties come in eight solid colors and three stripes that can be mixed and matched. Shelf camis and crop tops have thin straps and built-in shelf bras so that women can wear them as outer wear if they choose. The Stretch Cotton line also includes dresses, ballet sweaters and other outerwear items.

The company is also expanding its fastest-selling line in its history, Body By Victoria. The microfiber, seamless costume spiderman  line has been expanded to include new colors and styles and a broader range of bra sizes (from AA and DD).

''It's smooth, it's seamless, it's comfortable and it's still sexy,'' assures Vitro.