If your lingerie drawer is looking a little tired these days it might be time for a reboot!  And, while you’re at it how about shaking it up a little and adding a pretty tanga or a lace boy short to your collection.  Wait, a tanga?  And, isn’t a boy short, well, for boys???  Well, no!  Read on for our guide on the different styles for your next panty purchase.

About a hundred years ago the panty had a lot more fabric to it than it does now.  As fashion evolved so did the panty.  Can you imagine wearing knickers under those skinny jeans???  Even though the panty has become a much smaller garment it doesn’t mean the selections are small.  And, thank goodness for that!  Who wants a whole drawer of white cotton underpants?  

And speaking of fabrics, since undergarments sit close to our skin all day natural fabrics are a healthier choice for our skin.  Obviously, cotton is a wonderful natural fabric but did you know that silk is a natural fiber too?  A silk panty is a wonderful way to make yourself feel divine all day and simple hand washing is all that is needed to keep them fresh.

Fabrics aside, the style or cut of a panty you choose can make your clothes look, feel and fit better.  Let’s take a look at the common types of panties and decipher the style code.

High Waist Brief

A high waist brief has a vintage look that has full back coverage. The right pair would rise as high as your natural waist.  With a good fit and the help of one our favorite inventions (thank you DuPont), a little spandex thread, this style of panty will smooth your backside and tummy.  If the brief happens to have some extra control built into the tummy area then goodbye belly bulge.  Don’t go too tight in the waist or leg area or panty lines will ruin a good look.

Coverage: Full

Great for:  Wearing under high waisted pants or shorts, dresses or skirts with an a-line skirt or ones that cinch at your natural waist

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Boy Short

 This style is the sassy sister of a boys brief!  Definitely lower on the front than the high waist brief but still offers more front coverage than a bikini.  The leg openings are not cut high and tend to be lower than the crotch with full side hip coverage.  The lower leg cut can show panty lines so look for the seamless made boy short to avoid this messy look or look for a pair with flat elastics at the leg openings  

Coverage: Full frontal, a bit of cheek

Great for: Comfort, lounging or sleeping in, athletic looks, loose fitting trousers or dresses, wearing under short skirts or dresses for extra coverage

Hipster

The hipster panty is the comfortable middle (wo)man between the boy short and the bikini.  This style sits on the hips and offers coverage for the backside with a waistline lower than a brief and higher than a bikini.  Because the hipster has a higher leg opening, it is less bulky in a coverage sort of way than the boy short.

Coverage: Full frontal and reveals a bit of cheek and hip

Great for: Comfortable for every day, under low rise pants or shorts

Bikini

The sexy sister of the hipster, the bikini naturally fits a women’s bikini line with a low waistband and very high leg openings.  The back has moderate coverage but not as much as a hipster.  

Coverage: Moderate front coverage, reveals more hip and moderate cheek

Great for: Any outfit and any figure

Cheeky

It’s a cheeky bikini! Essentially a bikini with a higher back leg opening that reveals more cheek.  Wider side panels at the hip can make this style look like a boy short but the larger, higher leg openings make this a sexier choice over the boy short.

Coverage: More modest than a thong or tanga but definitely more revealing than a bikini, reveals half cheek

Great for: Any outfit where you do not want panty lines, like leggings or tight dresses.

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Tanga

A European style cut panty that has less coverage than a bikini but more than a thong.  Usually shaped the same in the front and the back, the tanga shows off all of the hip.

Coverage: Moderate to minimal front and back

Great for: Form fitting outfits, transitioning to a thong

 

 

Thong

Considered very sexy, a thong varies in frontal coverage to full or minimal with little to no back coverage so no panty lines to be had.  Usually sits low on the hips. 

Coverage: Moderate to minimal front, barely-there back

Great for: Form fitting outfits, no panty lines, showing off your assets

 

 

G-String

Sexier still is the G-String.  This panty is the most revealing with moderate to minimal frontal coverage and string sides and back.  

Coverage: Moderate to minimal front, barely there back

Great for: Form fitting outfits, when you want to turn up the heat

What’s your favorite panty style?  What style do you dislike the most?  Share with us in the comments section and don’t forget to shop our bra and panty sale this week!