Panties
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Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, are often made of elastomer. Various materials are used, but are usually chosen to be breathable.
Panties are made of a variety of materials, including cotton, lace, latex, leather, lycra, mesh, nylon, PVC, polyester, rawhide, satin, and silk. Construction typically consists of two pieces (front and rear) that are joined by seams at the crotch and sides; an additional gusset is often in the crotch, with the waistband and leg-openings made from elastomer.
Terminology
[edit]In the United States and Canada, "panties" is a common term to refer to female underwear bottoms.
In the United Kingdom and occasionally in other Commonwealth countries such as Australia,[1][2] New Zealand, and South Africa, panties may be referred to as "knickers", "undies", or simply "underwear". The last two of these are gender-neutral terms and can be used for either male or female styles of underwear bottoms, the American English equivalent being underpants.
In Australia, male underpants are often referred to as "undies",[3] although the word can also refer to panties.
History
[edit]Underwear resembling modern day panties were first invented in the 1920s, when long drawers were shortened to be made less cumbersome, although they were heavily decorated and had to be fastened. The bows used for fastening still remain on some panties as a decoration to this day.[4][5]
Between 1930 and 1947, panties were shortened further and made with cotton instead of linen. By the 1960s, wide-legged panties were used instead of a slip by most women in the west and were often manufactured in vibrant colors and prints.[4]
Around the 1980s and 1990s, various bottom-enhancing panties such as thongs became a common sight and in the 2000s boyshorts and hipster styles were invented as well as more traditional types such as bikinis and briefs. These are the types of panties commonly worn today.[4]
Styles
[edit]Panties are classified into various styles based on criteria such as the amount of rear coverage, width at the sides and height at which they are worn. These categories are not necessarily distinct and usage may vary somewhat among brands:[6]
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Adhesive panties | Adhesive panties are sometimes described as strapless/stick-on panties. They are a form of micro-panties that cover nothing but the genitalia. They are useful when women do not want a panty line to be visible, but still want to maintain basic hygiene. |
| Hipsters | Hipsters are a blend between bikinis and boyshorts. They sit on the hips of the wearer and are worn slightly below the navel. |
| Bikinis | Bikinis, like hipsters, sit at hip level, but the fabric of the side sections is narrower. With the string bikini type, the side sections disappear altogether and the waistband consists of only string-like material. There may be less rear coverage with the bikini style. |
| Boyshorts | Boyshorts cover the hips and are named for their similarity to boxer briefs, a variation on boxer shorts. Some resemble men's briefs, complete with fly and contrast trim. Unlike men's briefs, this style is usually lower cut. Boyshorts often cover most of the buttocks.[7][8] |
| Cheekies | Cheekies can be styled as a hipster, bikini, or boyshort in the front, but in the rear, they are designed to hug the buttocks, and have a seam or ruching to make the fabric sit partially between the cheeks to accentuate the shape. They leave the outer 1/3 to 1/2 of each cheek exposed and often have a lace or scalloped trim. |
Briefs
[edit]Briefs rise to the waist, or just below the navel, and have full coverage in the rear.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Classic briefs | Classic briefs have the waistband sitting very high on the waist. The leg holes are small so the underwear cover as much area between waist and thigh as possible. Sometimes called "granny panties" because they were the standard underpants in previous decades and have a connotation of being worn by older women. |
| Control briefs | Control briefs are designed to offer support while giving a slimmer appearance. This type usually contains a stretch material such as spandex and may extend above the waist. Some have an extra firm panel to flatten the tummy. Some also compress the buttocks, while other control briefs are designed to avoid compression of the buttocks. Others merely lift the buttocks and have holes cut out for maximum fullness of the buttocks. |
| High-cut briefs | High-cut briefs sit higher on the waist, providing more coverage in the midriff region. They are designed with larger leg holes and narrower sides to show off more leg and allow more freedom of movement. |
Thongs
[edit]Thongs provide a moderate to minimal coverage with back coverage that is less than a bikini, and the waistband is reduced to a narrow strip at the sides.[9]
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| G-string | The G-string has a vertical string at the back, which connects the crotch to the waistband, sometimes featuring a triangle of fabric which is sometimes referred to as a whale tail when it peeks out above the waistband of low riding pants. |
| T-front | The T-front is a type of G-string in which the string also reaches the front part. It provides almost no coverage while still maintaining the basic hygienic underwear functions and covering only the genitalia. Usually it is built by strings only, sometimes with more fabric or lace around the waist. |
| Thongs | Thongs have a waistband similar to tangas, but the rear coverage is mostly cut away. The crotch is triangle-shaped, as it narrows to a thin strip toward the back and sits between the buttocks, becoming wider towards the top where it connects to the waistband. Like the G-string, if the back fabric peeks out above the waistband of low riding pants, the result is also called a whale tail. |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Burgdorf, Katherine (12 November 2013). "Say 'NO' to dodgy knickers". The Hoopla. Archived from the original on 2 April 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ "Hole Proof - No Knickers". Bonds underwear, Australia. 1985. Archived from the original on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Translations of Australian English words into American English". Fiona Lake. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ a b c Ulloa-Torres, Gidgette Natasha. "The Invention of Panties in the Victorian Age: A historical Breakdown of The Function of Panties".
- ^ Windham, Daniel; Freshwater, Paige (7 February 2024). "Reason women's underwear has a small decorative bow on the front". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
- ^ Parkinson, Ann (9 September 2011). "Women's Panties". LoveToKnow Lingerie. Archived from the original on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ "boy shorts". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015.
- ^ Riese (22 June 2020). "Boyshorts and Girltrunks 101: Your Queer Underwear Guide". Autostraddle. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017.
- ^ Jennifer Carroll; Kathy Schultz (1 October 2009), Underneath It All, Harlequin, p. 41, ISBN 978-1-4268-4072-2, retrieved 14 September 2013
External links
[edit]
Media related to Women's underpants at Wikimedia Commons
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