Recently there has been a revolution in the women’s lingerie department. More and more women are rejecting the thong in favor of comfortable (and fashionable) boys shorts and hipster panties.
"Wearing bigger pants is definitely more trendy than wearing a thong these days," according to the Daily Mail’s article "So long to the thong as women reject the chav look for big pants," of 4th February 2008.
In the UK, sales of boys shorts for women currently account for 17% of the market. Sales have doubled in the last two years, with more than $126 million spent on bigger pants, compared with $62 million in 2005. In contrast, sales of G-strings in the UK have fallen to their lowest for five years, according to retail analysts TNS. The trend in boys' shorts was first favored by teenagers, but it has now spread to older women too.
Whilst your partner may not view Bridget Jones-type underwear as coming anywhere close to the sexiness of a thong, women are putting comfort and their health first. Boys' shorts have the ability to make you feel cheeky and naughty rather than the overt sexiness of the G-string, and there is something cute and innocent about a woman wearing men’s style underwear; it somehow works!
Owner of her own women's underwear company and supermodel Elle Macpherson says “G-strings are uncomfortable. Girls want real knickers now.”
The Advantages of Boys Shorts and Big Knickers
- Their popularity is largely due not only to their comfort but for their ability to conceal visible panty line (VPL), which was previously the domain of the G-string.
- Whilst boys' shorts and big panties are not the sexiest items of lingerie, they are definitely a more flattering undergarment for your body shape than a cheesecutter thong. When wearing a close fitting outfit, they provide more support and hold in the bottom.
- No more embarrassing moments when your thong peeps over the top of your jeans or trousers. This look is branded “disgusting” by UK TV’s "What Not to Wear " fashion guru Trinny Woodall, and we are now seeing a backlash towards the thong.
- A much wider range of boys shorts is now available in the market, compared to previous years. Women now have a better choice of styles and cuts. There is also more and more eco-friendly underwear available.
- Bigger panties are much healthier to wear than a thong. Gynaecologist Dr Thomas Gent, from the Daily Mail’s article "Wearing a thong can make you ill” (11 June 2006) says “G-strings can abrade and injure the sensitive skin around the genital area, especially if they are too tight or made of badly stitched material.”
- Skimpy G-strings can cause soreness and irritation. Big knickers hug the bottom and as they cover it completely, do not rub. In the words of UK fashion advisers Trinny and Susannah, from their website of the same name “The G-string is the number one enemy of the saggy arse. Offering absolutely no support, it enhances and encourages gravity to pull down those butt cheeks even further.”
- The growing trend in boys' shorts is also reflected in many of this year's swimwear collections.
From Big Panties to Body Shapers
On the subject of big panties, one step on from boys shorts is the new trend in body shapers (magic knickers). These modern-day corsets are finding favor with even the youngest of celebrities such as Sienna Miller or Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh. Whatever label you want to give them, the sale of “control lingerie” or “figure forming underwear” like US brands Spanx or Miraclesuit has seen a dramatic rise in the last two years, according to "Shaping Up is a Cinch," from the Daily Mail, 5th November 2007.
Initially popular with post pregnancy celebrity mums such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Tom Cruise’s young wife, Katie Holmes, Denise Fraser of UK online retailer Figleaves says, "In the past shapewear was something your mother wore but now there is no longer that barrier."
The wonders of magic knickers are extolled by fashion expert and celebrity dresser Jonathan Kirkby, who says: "The underwear manages to pull everything in on women, whatever shape or size they are.”
Surprisingly, it seems that the most overtly sexy bra and pant sets are not necessarily want men want, according to a Daily Mail article. Even a waist and tummy support ensemble outstripped a black lacy teddy and stockings, according to the Mail's research.
So if you are looking for more comfortable and healthier underwear which still eliminates visible panty line but also holds in your butt, switch your allegiance to boys' shorts. If recent women's lingerie sales are anything to go by, then 2008 is the year that the bottom will fall out of the thong market!
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