7 basics of briefs

I have a confession to make; I go weak in the knees for soft, lacy panties especially if they are full black lace (swoon) and have pretty bows and trims. But are they the most practical for everyday wear? I don’t know about you but I can live, breathe and eat lace. Kidding. While I do LOVE lace, there are days when the heat outside demands the more practical cotton, days when I absolutely need a tummy control panty to hide my food bulge and days when I just want to go commando. Here I have tried to put together a list of absolute essential panty types that every girly-girl living in our tropical Indian climate.

But first I want to talk about the critical elements of a panty- you know the hidden stuff like elastic, cut and fabric. I am often surprised by how companies in India sell this basic garment. It’s purely on looks alone; sometimes they will add buzz words like seamless, low cut, thong without really explaining to the customer what it really means. Here and in subsequent posts I will talk about things that matter the most to me.

Example of brushed back elastic

Elastic-  You know the stretchy bit that goes on the waist or around the legs? Before you jump in and buy that pack of 7 for 399, feel this elastic under your fingers. Now imagine this rubbing against your sensitive bits for 8-10 hours. Ideally most good companies use elastics that are brushed back meaning they have a fuzzy texture on the back. This is the good stuff. Elastics come in many width, I recommend broader elastics if comfort is important to you.

Test to see if the fabric is 4 way stretch

Fabric- Panty fabrics should have 4 way stretch, you know, so that they drape over all our skinny and not so skinny bits with equal ease. But most Indian companies don’t make panties in this fabric because a) its expensive b) they don’t care. Look for panties that at least have a two way stretch meaning the fabric stretches in opposite directions horizontally. Most cotton panties are made in cotton+ Lycra (the stretchy stuff); if you feel too shy about tugging and pulling in the store just read the label or the box, it should mention the fabric composition.

Crotch lining –This is the little piece that goes directly under your biscuits. This needs to be 100%cotton.

Cut – Think of where you plan on wearing these. Not every panty is ideal for everyday wear. For example, seamless panties (meaning fully stitch free- ooh the miracles of bonded elastic!) are best worn under tight pants or dresses (no panty lines yayyy!) cotton bikinis or hipsters are better for everyday because they can put up with frequent wash and wear.

More about essential panty styles in the next post!