Does anyone else question the wisdom of the people who make women’s underwear?

[Indigo Blue]

1) The shape of it is just all wrong. Why was underwear ever designed to barely go over people’s cheeks? Men got boxer briefs first. Finally, they made them for us. Boyshort undies should have been the first logical design. 
 

2) I love those stretchy cheap sport bras they sell on Amazon. However, I never see them with adjustable straps and hook and eye closures AND not so oversized for small books that one has to buy a teen girl version, which rides up all over the books 📚. 😠Because it’s designed for a small girl. So, I found one that ticks all the boxes. For women. With small books. All adjustable.  It’s made by Underoutfit. We’ll see how that goes. Pepper bras are awesome, too, just not as comfy as these stretchy ones. 
 

As far as the undies, I now know that Duluth Trading Company makes boyshorts for women. They are crazy expensive, but Dh has some. They last for SUCH a long time. And he looks good in them, too. 😁 He gets them for Christmas and they wear like iron. 

I’m just so tired of wearing substandard underwear, so I’m trying a pair of the boyshorts from Duluth, too. 
 

 

 

 

[Dmmetler]

I lost a lot of weight last year and needed to replace a lot of my wardrobe. My DH couldn't believe that I spent as much on bras as on everything else put together. But that's what it takes. 

[Wheres Toto]

My main beef is if you need a large band size in a bra, they assume you also need a larger cup size.   It's very very hard to find a 42 A, or even a sports bra that has enough band to not feel constricting but not too much cup.   

I did find underwear I like.  They are from Amazon Pokarla all cotton, full coverage, high waisted https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0862FHBKB/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

I don't like boy shorts.  I want to like boy shorts but I wear liners or pads quite a bit and they don't fit well in boy shorts.  

[Bambam]

I'm very sensitive to latex, so I need all elastic to be covered.
Jockey Elance is the only underwear I've found that is 100% cotton and has covered elastic. 

That pokarla all cotton underwear might work too. 

[SKL]

I discovered boyshorts thanks to one of my kids' requests.

I bought some off Amazon - they were either Hanes or Fruit of the Loom.  I also buy my regular cotton undies from them.  They have all sorts of shapes.  I could never understand the concept of bikini underwear, and let's not even discuss anything with less cloth than those.  😛

[Carol in Cal.]

I like Jockey Elance, too.  

[Melissa in Australia]

I buy granny  style undies. They have great coverage 

[Spryte]

Oof. Timely. 

I’m in the measure/buy/return/re-measure/buy again bra loop. Why does finding the right bra fit take forever?! Ugh. My favorites were discontinued, so starting from scratch. 

[TechWife]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

Oof. Timely. 

I’m in the measure/buy/return/re-measure/buy again bra loop. Why does finding the right bra fit take forever?! Ugh. My favorites were discontinued, so starting from scratch. 

Be wary of the “professional” fitters in department stores. I had one my band to be four inches smaller than I needed. She kept telling me what I was trying on was too big, so I tried one she picked out and it felt like it was cutting me in half! 

[Spryte]

16 minutes ago, TechWife said:

Be wary of the “professional” fitters in department stores. I had one my band to be four inches smaller than I needed. She kept telling me what I was trying on was too big, so I tried one she picked out and it felt like it was cutting me in half! 

Aaack!

[Ginevra]

My dh is a huge fan of Duluth’s boxers and I get him two pair every Christmas. He is very hard on his clothes but they last for years. 
 

I briefly (haha) got into buying Culprit boxers for women because I thought that would really help AFA wedgies and panty lines go. The first couple prints I got were so great, but they got kinda crazy with the “edgy” prints and one was sorta, let’s say, Toys for TeA print. Also, the boxer length didn’t turn out to be as great as I expected because they roll up when I pull jeans up and I have to tuck them back under. But I do still wear some to sleep in or if I’m just kicking around at the house. 

[lewelma]

I use bra extenders.  My rib cage is very large due to all the vaulting in gymnastics I did as a kid, and there is no way a standard bra strap will not cut me in half.  Bra extenders are cheap and have lots of colours, and I've been know to wear two of them so I can extend the strap out by 4 inches. 

[Tree Frog]

1 hour ago, TechWife said:

Be wary of the “professional” fitters in department stores. I had one my band to be four inches smaller than I needed. She kept telling me what I was trying on was too big, so I tried one she picked out and it felt like it was cutting me in half! 

I went to Dillard's to be fit because I need either a racerback or strapless for the dress for dd's wedding. They told me to try on a particular brand and style bra and when they found the right size, that would be my size. So we did that and they brought in other styles of the same brand in that size. None of them fit. It was the strangest "fitting" I've ever had.

On another note, why do stores only carry small band sizes? It seems stores only carry stock up to a 38. I ended up ordering from Amazon. We'll see how that goes.

 

 

[Scarlett]

I think the sizing is wacky.  I accidentally discovered that in something like Hanes (bikini—-I can’t stand it to touch my stomach.)I need an extra large….even though I am not that large of a person.  I wear a 10 in jeans and I am 5’6’” and weigh 150 pounds.  Is that extra large? But at any rate they fit. 
 

Bras are a nightmare for me. I usually accidentally find one that fits.  I hate the full coverage kind……I feel smothered.  Then I get a 38 and it is too big but a 36 cuts me in too.  I keep saying I am going to go to VS and be fitted but who knows if I ever will. 

[Clarita]

Yes, yes I do. How many people really want cheeky underwear. I mean at some point I feel you might as well just go commando at least then you won't have to keep adjusting the stupid underwear.

[Scarlett]

3 minutes ago, Clarita said:

Yes, yes I do. How many people really want cheeky underwear. I mean at some point I feel you might as well just go commando at least then you won't have to keep adjusting the stupid underwear.

Weeeeellllll. I can tell you my favorite pair currently are quite cheeky.  But I much prefer that to soooooo much coverage of my booty and having panty lines.  

[Ausmumof3]

4 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I buy granny  style undies. They have great coverage 

Yep! My lovely old neighbour bought me granny undies as a Christmas gift one year. I didn’t like to throw them out but didn’t wear them forever and a day… until one day in a washing crisis I put them on and my life changed! Granny undies are the best. 

[Bootsie]

Personally, I detest boyshort undies.  They are the most uncomfortable thing I could possible wear.  

I don't understandy why bra manufacturers cannot place bra straps where they don't fall off of the shoulders.  There should be an option between a racerbrack bra and bras that have the straps way on the outside where they fall off my shoulders.   It would just take placing the strap a bit closer to the center in the back so that it didn't fall off the shoulders but didn't show on the back of the neck.  

 

[ktgrok]

10 hours ago, SKL said:

I discovered boyshorts thanks to one of my kids' requests.

I bought some off Amazon - they were either Hanes or Fruit of the Loom.  I also buy my regular cotton undies from them.  They have all sorts of shapes.  I could never understand the concept of bikini underwear, and let's not even discuss anything with less cloth than those.  😛

I guess body shapes are just different - I only wear bikini, which if I buy the right ones cover me fine. But I've never found boyshorts that don't ride up higher and higher on my legs getting all bunched up. SO uncomfortable!

[SKL]

I switch between boyshorts and regular briefs, since the leg elastics had started to bother my skin a couple years ago.  The boyshorts are comfy with shorts and other loose bottoms.  I assume they would bunch up with my stretch jeans.

[Faith-manor]

I don't question their wisdom. I question whether or not they even have a brain to begin with.

Signed, female person who hates all underwear and bras everywhere, and believe they are medieval torture devices.

[HomeAgain]

There are pictures out there of the bra and undies found that originated from the 1400s.  The design is so incredibly similar to today's uncomfortables that it's unnerving.

 

My faves right now come from Sketchers (yes, the shoe company).  Boy shorts, full coverage, seamless, and cheap.  I grew up with seamstresses that didn't understand sensory issues and seemed to have patterns modeled after the 1400s.  The first thing I did as an adult was look for ones that fit properly and were flat.  Every time I find something I like, though, they get discontinued and I have to go on a new hunt all over again.

[elegantlion]

I only wear Warner's Hi-cut , They're nylon but they wear well and smooth out the lumps and bumps. 

Bras are a different story. I don't have a big budget for bras. I tend to buy Hanes brand. 

[Kanin]

18 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Yep! My lovely old neighbour bought me granny undies as a Christmas gift one year. I didn’t like to throw them out but didn’t wear them forever and a day… until one day in a washing crisis I put them on and my life changed! Granny undies are the best. 

Ha! That's great 🙂

I love that your neighbor bought you undies. I've gotten a lot of gifts from my neighbors across the street, but never undies!! 😄

[ShepCarlin]

Always questioning this. However, I just recently started wear a bra from Duluth Trading and I'm pretty happy with it. It is just so, so soft and comfortable. It doesn't give me the shape an underwire does but I am so past that stage of my life. https://www.duluthtrading.com/s/DTC/womens-line-tamer-bonded-bra-mpr-med-80182.html?color=MPR

Underwear is a constant battle. I'd found some I liked at Costco but didn't buy enough of it as they no longer carry it. I just bought a pair of the cooling underwear that Duluth Trading has and I'm still trying to decide if I like it.

[bibiche]

Hanro underwear costs an arm and a leg, but I swear it never wears out. So no worries about it being discontinued since you’ll have it for years.

[MercyA]

The thing that irks me is the shrinking amount of fabric in the front of the underwear, even in briefs. Not everyone has a Brazilian wax, you know? 🙂 

My current favorite underwear are Vanity Fair Radiance 360 Comfort Briefs from Walmart. They add a little smoothing, they don't ride up, they come in nice colors, and they are relatively inexpensive. I suppose they do have a granny underwear fit, but the silky fabric helps them be somewhat flattering. Love the wide waistband too--no narrow or uncovered elastic!

[QueenCat]

I can't stand boyshorts or full briefs. I find them uncomfortable. I found a panty I like that is a cross between a thong & a tanga. Fits perfectly, no panty lines, and nothing uncomfortable happening... 

[Ting Tang]

I’ve never understood thongs. I’ve tried them, but I find them uncomfortable 

[Faith-manor]

Also the monsters that created pantyhose. I have a whole ARRAY of meaningful gestures to those that's!

1st pair I put on today, wore 5 minutes and got a run. Ran back to put on another pair, put my thumb through them without even trying. Dang it! Okay, 1 more pair to put on, and my cousins dog ran up, jumped, and tore a hole in them...almost did that to my dress too, but the dress made it out alive. So I ended up in cocktail dress without hose at a formal wedding. I was a bit mortified thinking it would be quite the faux pas, but then a ton of young women showed up hoseless in cocktail dresses so I had a lot or company. I am NEVER buying another pair of hose again in this lifetime. Done! 

I want to find the a##holes that dreamed up women's hose, exhumed their bodies, build a pyre, burn their bones on it, and offer free margaritas to every woman who joins me.

$30 in hose destroyed in 10 minutes!

[Wheres Toto]

I have been told that pantyhose aren't a thing anymore.   Young people never wear them, but may wear leg "makeup" or self-tanner to make legs look less pasty white.   If something is desired, evidently tights are considered more trendy than pantyhose.  

Fashion is weird but I'm not lamenting the falling out of pantyhose.  

[Teaching3bears]

I am a petite woman. I wear a small or extra-small in regular clothing.  I wear a large or extra-large in underwear. Otherwise it hurts.  
Do most people up their size in underwear?

[Pawz4me]

2 minutes ago, Teaching3bears said:

I am a petite woman. I wear a small or extra-small in regular clothing.  I wear a large or extra-large in underwear. Otherwise it hurts.  
Do most people up their size in underwear?

I am you. It's always befuddled me that I need small everything but large underwear. I've always wondered if other women maybe wear their underwear a lot tighter than I do?

[TechWife]

32 minutes ago, Teaching3bears said:

I am a petite woman. I wear a small or extra-small in regular clothing.  I wear a large or extra-large in underwear. Otherwise it hurts.  
Do most people up their size in underwear?

The only panties I don’t size up are the microfiber 360 panties from Fruit of the Loom. They are very stretchy move with me, so they don’t “dig in.” As a bonus they are also seamless. I just found them a month or so ago. 

[Harriet Vane]

On 3/29/2024 at 3:11 PM, Spryte said:

Oof. Timely. 

I’m in the measure/buy/return/re-measure/buy again bra loop. Why does finding the right bra fit take forever?! Ugh. My favorites were discontinued, so starting from scratch. 

YES. I am right there with ya. 

[Laura Corin]

I have always suspected that underpants work fine for women who fit the stereotype of smallish waist and larger hips, but not people who are straight or apple shaped. I very roughly fit the stereotype and don't have a problem with them. 

[TechWife]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I have always suspected that underpants work fine for women who fit the stereotype of smallish waist and larger hips, but not people who are straight or apple shaped. I very roughly fit the stereotype and don't have a problem with them. 

I fit the stereotype and do have problems - maybe I’m the outlier. 

[KidsHappen]

I have been wearing Ellen Tracey boxer briefs (from either Sam's or Costco) since I finished menopause almost ten years ago. They are super smooth and stretchy and they don't ride up. They are made out of some kind of microfiber. I would prefer cotton but these will do until I find some I like made out of cotton. 

The last time I bought bras I got the Body by VS in the full coverage and I have been pretty happy with those but I lost weight recently and need new bras and of course these are discontinued. Plus it is getting harder to manage bras that close in the back so I have been looking and some that close in the front.

[73349]

.

Edited April 17 by 73349

[Carol in Cal.]

On 3/29/2024 at 4:59 PM, Bootsie said:

Personally, I detest boyshort undies.  They are the most uncomfortable thing I could possible wear.  

I don't understandy why bra manufacturers cannot place bra straps where they don't fall off of the shoulders.  There should be an option between a racerbrack bra and bras that have the straps way on the outside where they fall off my shoulders.   It would just take placing the strap a bit closer to the center in the back so that it didn't fall off the shoulders but didn't show on the back of the neck.  

 

There is a gadget you can buy that hooks your two straps closer together about half way between the neck and the back strap that might help with that.  I’ve seen them in stores but have not tried one.

I wear only strapless bras now.  I buy convertible ones and throw away the shoulder straps.  The silicone strip on the bottom stops them from falling down, and I buy the biggest available circumference and then adjust with bra extenders to a comfortable size.  I hate wearing bras at all, but this is a compromise that I can live with when it’s socially necessary.

Edited April 2 by Carol in Cal.

[Tina]

I was wearing the right size cup, but the band felt tight.  An onine company on bra sizes said to buy one side up in the band and one size down in the cup.  Bought again from the first company but followed the online sizing.  Much better for this busty gal!