I need new drawers, and I’m not sure where to look. I’m the kind that looks for a kind I like and then buys 14 pair and is finished. I don’t have 10 different styles like many girlie-girls do. I like my well-fitting, modestly attractive panties.
When I walk into an intimates department, I usually get overwhelmed and then leave. Right now I have some microfiber Jockey hipsters that work for me, don’t leave panty lines, and fit well.
But I’ve read a lot about how 100% cotton is the way to go for hygiene reasons and I’m considering a switch, but it seems like cotton usually requires elastic which leaves panty lines (for instance, Jockey’s cotton hipsters have elastic leg bands). I really like thongs, but I hear that they’re not a good choice, hygienically, either.
You might try the Bali cotton models. I used to find the Bali bikini panties very comfortable, but they stopped making them.
I dunno if you’re going to find any cotton panties that are totally panty-line-free. Cotton by its nature is a bit more sturdy and less stretchy than manmade fabrics.
If you really don’t want any panty lines, the way to go is more coverage, not less coverage, like waist-high cotton boy-brief models.
The disconnect for me is that jeans (or at least the ones I feel most comfortable in) are the mid-rise kind, and waist high underwear would hang out. I already have a bit of a problem with the hipsters I wear peeking out on deep-bend occasions (which isn’t very sexy hahaha) but the hipster type give stomach coverage which is a more comfortable fit for me than the ones that ride low. I’m a well-proportioned size 14 BTW.
I don’t know, I guess I’m not that picky. Victoria Secret low-rise bikinis. Usually pick up a bunch on sale. They aren’t bikini-line free - I mean if you wear tight, thin pants I guess you might see panty line, but with normal pants and snug jeans they are fine.
I would also suggest boy-shorts, if you want stomach coverage but not Granny Panty action.
I wear these. I think they might have a smidge of spandex in them, but they breathe as well as 100% cotton to me. No panty lines either as they lay pretty flat. I love them and they are pretty much all I’ll wear.
ETA: I just checked, they are 95% cotton, 5% spandex. But, again, they breathe really well.
If you like Jockey, they make a string bikini model you may like. However, I have found most places don’t carry that design. I have only been able to find them at Macy’s locally.
It’s also possible to find some brands which are mostly stretch but have cotton crotches which sort of solves the issues. Of course the Bali ones I have been wearing have been discontinued…never mind.
There can be hygiene issues with thongs, yes. But if you don’t have problems down there (meaning regular UTIs or yeast infections), then wear your thongs until you do. Thongs are certainly not going to kill you, at any rate. If you start getting regular UTIs, then you can chuck the thongs. No reason to do that, unless infections become a problem. Same goes for the fabric. I stick to cotton because I find it’s most comfortable, not for hygiene reasons. If you like some other fabric and you’re not having issues, why change?
Anyway, I will usually hit up Walmart and pick up a couple 4- or 5-packs as needed. I have found that the undies (can’t say panties, I hate that word) at Lane Bryant/Cacique are more comfortable and durable than Walmart undies, though (YMMV, I am plus-size and they don’t sell smaller than a 1x). It just depends whether I feel like making the trip and can afford to spend a little extra. Cacique’s cotton hipsters are my favorite, they’re soft and comfortable and come with a bunch of cute colors/graphics. No lines, either, unless you buy a pair that’s too small of course.
Clueless male here, with a (non-kinky, I think) question about female undies. (Which is why I am reading this thread at all in the first place.)
I bought a pillow-case once, made out of some synthetic material, kinda smooth-looking with a shiny sheen, because I imagined it would be very comfortable. I thought it was the same stuff that women’s panties are commonly made of, but I wasn’t at all sure. Anyway, I thought it was quite uncomfortable against my face. Is that, in fact, what you females wear down there? If so, how is it comfortable at all? (My suspicions in this regard are at least somewhat confirmed by various comments above about the relative comfort of cotton vs. other fabrics, especially synthetics.)
“Smooth-looking with a shiny sheen” can describe anything from some wholly-artificial fabrics to some kinds of silk to all-cotton satin, Senegoid.
I used to have a satin blouse which I absolutely loved. One of its best features was that you “ironed” it by letting it dry on a hanger. Wrinkles, what wrinkles? I’ve recently bought two blouses with a similar look and feel: one is wrinkle-free if hanger-dried, the other one needs to be wrestled into submission by ironing it wet
Ooo these are cute. Will go to VS and check them out.
I’m sure Senegoid will throw up a little in his mouth when I grind this panty thread to a halt with the following: I like the slightly higher waist panties because I have what I fondly call “the 6-inch sub” sitting on my abdomen. Meaning a little fat section that would just stick out if I wore a low-waisted panty. Totally not sexy in my opinion, so I like to cover it whenever I can. It’s just the way I’m made.
Adding to what Nava said, there are a number of different materials that you can get underwear made from. I’ve always worn cotton, which ends up not being dissimilar to men’s underwear, except usually a little thinner.
Xanthous, I understand about being overwhelmed! I had a brand and style I liked and they seem to have discontinued it. (Why Hanes, why?!) I’d recommend going to Victoria Secrets and either browsing or asking for help. At very least they have sales often. They have or had some that have soft non-itchy lace on the bottom that don’t fit tightly and don’t seem to leave panty lines.
(I usually wear boyshorts that look almost exactly like mens’ briefs. But I’m not worried about panty lines).
OK, I’m now to the point where I have so many pairs I just get free ones when my VS coupon comes (every 2-3 months), or during the semi-annual sales.
I use their low cut hiphuggers, from the VS cotton collection (NOT Pink). They have some lace hiphuggers with an elastic band that is nice and not very compressing, and if they show up, at least they’re lace.
But I have briefs, bikinis, low-rise bikinis, low-rise briefs, string bikinis, and now hiphuggers. None of them leave lines if you’re wearing jeans. The lace hiphuggers barely leave a mark if I’m wearing a dress or skirt, ditto for the string bikinis.
There’s also some Body by Victoria that are usually 3 for $30, of a somewhat synthetic material, and no panty lines.
Victoria’s Secret panties are NOT what they used to be, IMHO. I can’t stand them now. I get mine from Soma these days - the cotton ones are very comfortable and good for you, and they have some “vanishing edge” ones that have amazing little “stick to you” bits - it’s a little hard to explain, but you don’t notice them once they’re on and they’re great for panty lines.
Zsofia, from what I’ve seen, VS tends to change their style every couple of years. I’ve been using theirs for the past… em… 7 years? And every couple of years they change something, be it styles offered, elasticity/thickness of the waist band, type of waist band (lace vs no lace), ruffles or not (eek!), etc. Personally, I prefer the waist band they had a couple of years ago versus the ones they offer now, but I like the hiphuggers better than other types, and I’m a somewhat fan of the lace waist bands.
I just checked out the Soma site and found some there that look promising, too, so I think I’m well on my way to finding something that will work for my figure, my jeans, and my, erm, problem areas:D
It seems like the sizing got weird with them, and the unforgiveable - the last time I wore some, they rode up on me. Hells no. Now those are my desperation laundry day panties.
I got some mostly-cotton microfiber-esque string bikinis from Hanes with a similar sort of edging on them. It’s really soft and stretchy, and it feels sort of like a very, very fine-grained version of Vetwrap. Clings a little to your skin like Vetwrap does, too, so they don’t migrate. (Of course, if they’re the right size and cut for you, they shouldn’t migrate anyway, but that’s a whole other discussion.) They’re seriously awesome.
Senegoid, is this the sort of fabric you’re talking about? Panties made of that nylon knit fabric used to be very common, but I don’t know anyone younger than my mom who wears them any more. And if you look around, you’ll find that most of what’s available in that fabric is indeed of the “granny pantie” variety. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen thongs or boy shorts or hipsters or even string bikinis made of that particular fabric. If it was a heavier, satin-weave fabric, then it may well have been the sort of thing that’s more commonly worn.
As for comfort, there are probably multiple things going on that would make undies of a certain fabric a totally different proposition than a pillow case made of the same stuff. For one thing, the skin on your face is a lot more sensitive than the skin on your ass, or at least isn’t nearly so desensitized to the feeling of fabric against it. I mean, unless you’re naked and standing up, there’s pretty much always underwear, or outer clothing, or upholstery, or bedding touching your butt. Unless your drawers are binding or scratching or not breathing at all and making you sweaty, you’re typically not going to notice them very much regardless of cut or fabric. Your face isn’t nearly so desensitized to that feeling, so you’re going to notice the texture more.
Then too, panties that just have another layer of cloth between them and the open air are going to breathe a lot more than a pillowcase that’s mashed between your face and a solid mass like a pillow. You won’t have the same heat and/or moisture buildup than can make skin more sensitive to texture.
