As a postscript to my question on US english usage. Perhaps I am mishearing it but Americans seem to refer to ladies pants/panties as "underwear" - ie " She has a pair of black underwear " . Is this a common usage?
A general term applying to almost any under clothing worn by each sex. A more descriptive term is then used to differentiate between the articles described...
Any clothing worn as a foundation garment - T-shirt, undershirt, panties (knickers), boxer shorts, briefs, bra, camisole - are referred to as "underwear" in the US. "Underpants" can be used to describe either men's briefs or boxers or ladies' panties. But, yes, "underwear" is a common generic term for ladies lingerie.