There’s no other garment quite as intimate as your panties. Panties are a daily essential, just like deodorant, socks, and showering, yet have the ability to transform your mood.
Just like our bodies, panties come in all shapes and sizes. There’s a pair to match every feeling and every occasion, and knowing the details of each style can help you to select accordingly.
We all have our comfort zones, and when it comes to underwear, it’s common to latch onto one style. But it’s never too late to explore your options! Whether comfort is your priority, or you simply want to brighten up your lingerie wardrobe, there’s many underwear styles available if you know what you’re looking for. In this blog post, we shine a light on the types of panties you need to know about.
13 Types of Panties You Should Know About
Classic Brief
When it comes to women’s underwear, if it’s comfort you’re after, look no further than classic brief panties. Perhaps the most classic panty, and the most conservative. With full coverage, both front and back, briefs are ultra-snug and comfy for those days where you just want a little security. They’re certainly not the most flattering, but if you’re not dressing to impress, granny panties can be a humble companion.
Wear briefs with loose skirts, slouchy trousers, and sweatpants, when it’s not necessary to avoid visible panty lines. You can buy them in multipacks and they’re usually made from cotton, microfiber, and nylon.
Bikinis
The bikini is an underwear staple. Sitting below the waistline or resting just on the hip, bikini underwear is similar in shape to the classic brief but shows more cheek, offering a nice middle ground on the coverage scale. It has everything you want from a comfortable bottom, without as much coverage as the full brief.
Bikini cut underwear typically works well with any shape behind it and is a go-to for many outfit choices. Think floaty dresses, skirts, and jeans. They’re a versatile buy and easy to find, often sold in packs so you can wear a pair each day of the week.
Boy Shorts
Boy shorts are the lady equivalent to men’s briefs. As you can imagine, they’re one of the comfier options and work great as lounge and sleepwear. Boy shorts are best for lazy afternoons, worn by themselves with a t-shirt or underneath roomy jeans for all-day comfort if you have to leave the house.
Inspired by male boxer briefs, they’re boyish but surprisingly sexy when hugging the female form. They have front and back coverage, and the leg openings are cut short.
Hipster
Hipsters are all about the hips. They stay securely in place, wrapping the hips and sitting just below the waist, making them a great choice for mid to low-rise jeans. In fact, you can wear hipsters with just about any type of bottoms.
Hipsters are easy-going, accentuating the body with little effort. They have low-cut leg holes and fall somewhere between a brief and bikini style.
They’re available in various materials and with various details, like peepholes, ribbons, and lace trims.
Thongs
Love or hate? The charm of thong underwear is its ability to disappear. The high-cut leg holes and thin strip for zero rear coverage make it appear from the outside that you’re not wearing underwear. Wear thong panties with body-hugging dresses, skinny jeans, and any other outfits where you want to erase the panty line altogether. They serve as the panty tool to your best outfits for that ‘no underwear’ aesthetic.
Not only are thongs practical, but they’re also a firm favorite for sexy lingerie. Shop them in all varieties from cotton, spandex, and sporty styles to lace and frills. Buy a pack of seamless for your yoga classes or keep that extra sexy one for special occasions.
Tanga
Tanga briefs are a more modest version of the thong, providing more coverage, but less than the bikini. The material to the front and the back coverage is roughly the same shape and size. A classic cotton tanga is ideal when you want to avoid panty lines showing but find thongs a little too much. They’re not the most common for daily wear, but they are very sexy.
G-String
The most discreet underwear of them all. The G-string offers minimal coverage, even less than the thong, with only a thin string of fabric to the back. String panties might appear uncomfortable, but after slipping into one you’ll soon forget it’s there. That’s because it barely is. However, we don’t recommend wearing your regular underwear.
G-string underwear is a great option if you’re feeling bolder with your lingerie, or if you just can’t bring yourself to not wear any at all. Wear G-strings with clothing that requires the no panty line look.
There’s all kinds available on the market, and as there’s a smaller usage of material, G-strings tend to come in more gentle fabrics like lace, satin, and silk.
Brazilian Briefs
Brazilian briefs have a high cut leg line and rest lowly across the hips. The rear is smaller than a brief, but wide in comparison to a thong, still revealing much of the bum. They often come in colorful patterns and prints or are lace-trimmed. Brazilians are not as comfortable as other types of underwear and can be very uncomfortable if the fit isn’t right, so make sure you check the sizing.
High/French Cut
High-cut panties or French cut panties are a type of underwear similar in appearance to the regular brief, but the waistband sits higher with high-cut legs that reveal the full thigh. You’ll find your legs appear longer!
High/French cuts are great for high-waisted pants and high waist jeans as they have a slight slimming effect on the waist. They tend to stay in place as they reach up over the hip, and are a flattering style as they hug the body.
Control Briefs
Control briefs do just as the name suggests – control. They give you that extra bit of power over how you want your body to look in certain clothes. Like classic briefs, they offer full coverage and the waistband usually reaches the belly button or higher, with some reaching as far as the ribcage.
They work to lift and shape the bum while flattening the stomach for a smooth silhouette. It’s a good idea to have at least one sturdy pair of these in your drawers for those urgent occasions when you just want to slip into something with ease.
Control briefs are a functional option of underwear for women and fall into the category of shapewear lingerie. Another type of shaping panties not to be missed is the butt lifter, which features elastic that lifts and holds the bum to shape your silhouette.
Seamless Panties
Seamless underwear is an all-around winner. Crafted in a unique way to eliminate seams, they’re a suitable solution for all fashion choices as they remove visible panty lines. Most types of panties are available in seamless, giving you a range of options to meet the desired effect.
Seamless panties are possibly the best underwear choice for comfort, as no seams mean they don’t move around, ride up or lump and bump beneath clothes.
If you’re not a lover of the thong, seamless is your next best bet. You can wear full briefs or any other style without visible panty lines spoiling your outfit. The result is absolutely flawless.
Crotchless
Crotchless underwear is part of the naughtier range of panties designed exclusively for the bedroom. These are a good choice when you’re in the right mood, and want to experiment with something more daring. Slipping into something more provocative can give you a great confidence boost.
However, if you leave the bedroom, be mindful of what you wear them under. You don’t want to risk accidentally exposing yourself!
Garter and sheer panties are other types of underwear styles designed for similar purposes and can be found in most lingerie-specific stores, or fancy dress stores.
Maternity
Maternity panties are one of the most practical panties out there, which you beautiful pregnant ladies should all get accustomed to. Made from stretchy fabrics, maternity pants have an elastic waistband which hugs your bump, without being too tight or rubbing. They’re also suitable post-partum as a secure option while your body adjusts.
They come in a range of styles including knickers, shorts, and pants, and all offer full support. You can even find multipacks of disposable maternity panties.
Conclusion
Panties are an intimate part of our daily lives. Think of them as a second skin – another layer of protection and security for your body. For this reason, every care should be taken when selecting the panties to suit your needs, and they should be handpicked to suit a range of circumstances. You can never have too many pairs, and having all types in your drawer means you’ll never be discouraged from wearing any outfit.
It’s all about being comfortable in your skin and opting for the panty that makes you look and feel great. You’ll be confident, calm, and ready to tackle any day with the right undergarments. Good panties will take care of you!
