I can’t say I’ve had a ton of experience with fashion, and that goes triple for women’s fashion. Moreover, there are only a few times I can remember this being talked about, and one of those was in high school, so my anectdotal evidence may not be the freshest or most accurate. That said, do people have a problem with panty lines? Just so we’re clear, I’m talking about the lines that show up on a woman’s upper thigh and buttockal region when she’s wearing tight or thin pants while not wearing a thong.
The thing I remember from high school was sitting at a table with a group of girls and having another attractive girl walk by in a skirt with panty lines. The group I was with began disparaging her for said lines. Now I’m well aware that this was just an instance of HS girl pack mentality trying to protect itself or attack or whatever kinds of things that those unfathomable creatures did and do, and had it been just that instance I probably wouldn’t give it a second thought.
However, the few times it’s come up in recent memory it’s always been with a definite negative, fashion no-no attitude. My questions are:
Is this really a bad thing? (please note if you are male or female)
How bad is it? Is there some other fashion faucks pass you can compare it to?
If it is bad, especially if it’s really bad, why is it such a bad thing?
From my perspective, it really wasn’t any kind of big deal. I assume most women wear underwear, and that occasionally you’ll see some evidence of that. In fact, it almost makes it more attractive because you can get an idea of the outline of what she’s wearing down there. It’s like a sexy mystery!
Keep in mind I’m not really talking about huge granny panties, which might show some bunching or some such. I assume that’s as unattractive as when you can see my boxers bunched up around my ass. I don’t let this happen, however, because it’s pretty uncomfortable.
So what’s the deal? Has my perception of this been off, and it’s not a big deal to most other people? Or is this some huge fashion crime that I’m just way too unfashionable to see?
Honestly, I think it depends on the circumstances.
If you can see a woman’s panty lines while she’s wearing a business suit, for instance, that’s just not professional. You see, when you’re conducting business with a woman, you’re not supposed to be thinking about her panties.
Secondly, sometimes the panty line will result in the uber-unfortunate ‘double-butt-cheek’ where the fleshy part of the butt sort of pooks out on either side of the panty elastic creating, IMHO, a rather unattractive look.
I guess I don’t find it as henous as white tights/shoes with a black skirt, but it’s really not great either.
I’m a guy, and I’ve never understood why it’s so bad. Ok, so I can tell you’re wearing underwear…and? Hell, 99% of the time even if they have a thong on I can see the thong line, and I don’t mean the thong poking out above the pants, I mean I can see the line from the tiny little triangle above the butt-crack (ok, sometimes I see it actually going above the pants, but often it’s not.)
What’s so bad about people knowing you have underwear on? In my experience, the only way to avoid a panty line completely is for you to not wear any underwear at all…which I have absolutely no problem with.
I’m not a fan of panty lines. I wore no panties for many years in my youth. Sadly, thongs hadn’t been invented yet and now I wouldn’t be caught dead in one.
It’s distracting and takes away from the line of the clothes. Perhaps it also takes away from the “male fantasy” of seeing that body nekkid in their minds.
Maybe that’s part of what I’m not getting. Unless you’re wearing something that’s supposed to be looked at because it’s really fashionable, it’s just another normal pair of pants or a skirt. It can still look good, but to me it’s just a fitting piece of clothing. The panties are another piece of clothing that “fits,” that’s supposed to be there. I don’t find them any more distracting than I do buttons.
Well-fitting underwear is supposed to hide. No panty lines is the same concept as wearing a bra as close to your flesh tone (and not even a white bra under a white shirt) as possible so that you don’t see “Bra! Look, here’s a bra!” when you look at the woman.
You’re not supposed to see your undergarments under your clothes. That’s why if you’re wearing white pants or a white blouse, you should wear nude-colored underwear or bra.
Same goes for panty lines. It’s tacky and unflattering to see a crease or valley where one’s underwear elastic is pressing into their butt fat. It’s definitely not a flattering look.
This is one of the reasons I don’t wear underwear. No panty lines, no wedgies, less laundry to wash, etc.
Actually, isn’t it slightly more laundry? I’d be washing my pants a lot more often (and maybe my skirts) if I didn’t have a protective layer between my crotch and my clothes.
As often as I shower, and I’m a girl, I find it nearly impossible to prevent a sheer moistness from living in the area between my legs. I often have to wear a pantyliner “just because”. I could never go without underwear! But count me into the camp that doesn’t care unless I’m going to something dressy and I’m wearing a sheer dress or something.
FYI, I’ve found that the well-made, well-fitting, pricier suits have the fabric and the fit to not make panties obvious. Cheaper suits with cheaper/thinner material, or ones that fit too closely in the hips give more of a panty-problem.
I just think it’s kinda tacky. Like ill-fitting bras that ride up in the back, giving women “back fat” bulges that are unnecessary.
Count me with the no-underwear crowd, unless I’m wearing a skirt. And if I do wear a skirt where I might have VPL, I wear my trusty Gap Body thong. The one that is virtually invisible even under thin satin.
You shouldn’t see people’s underwear. Plain and simple.
I read that Janis Joplin asked the band’s opinion on whether she should wear panties under her slacks on stage or not. They all said she should because panty lines were sexy. I agree.
Yeah, same. Not a question of cleanliness–just the fact that I’m usually secreting something. After all, isn’t the vagina technically not supposed to be “clean”–we need all the little bacteria. The good ones, anyway.
I agree that underwear shouldn’t be seen. If you see VPL (Visible Panty Lines) under a skirt, she should be wearing a slip. And if you see them under most pants, the pants are too tight. Clothes that fit and are made of reasonable-quality fabric shouldn’t show panty lines.
The cow-orker who sits next to me is wearing skin-tight white jeans today. Not only do you see the VPL, you also get to see every cellulite dimple. Not an attractive look.
