The Great Debate: Thongs Vs. Full-Coverage Undies
The thong is dead. At least according to a new trend piece in The New York Times. Grannie panties, full-coverage underwear, boy shorts, and briefs are all the rage these days — sales have reportedly grown 17 percent in the past year — while G-strings and skimpy lingerie are so 1999 (the year Sisqo released the infamous “Thong Song”). But numbers aren’t everything and the thong still has its loyalists. Britt Aboutaleb, a forever fan of the thong, and Lauren Tuck, an underwear fan, go head-to-head in the undergarment debate that will define an entire generation.
Britt Aboutaleb: In defense of the thong.
I love lacy thongs and I love cotton boy-shorts. Anything in the middle, no thank you. An article in the New York Times heralds the return of full-bottomed bottoms. “Perhaps motivated by the same kind of contrarianism that helped elevate Birkenstocks and fanny packs, young women are embracing “granny panties” — and not just for laundry day,” writes Hayley Phelan.
When I first learned about thongs, I was probably grossed out. But then I put on a pair of Hanky Pankys, probably my freshman year of college when I worked at a tiny boutique in Boston, and that was it. They are crazy comfortable, invisible under (almost) everything, and they last forever. VPL, aka visible panty line, ruins everything. Just the other day I saw a former reality TV star jogging in pink leggings and was blinded by the bumps of the lace on her underwear I could see popping through the spandex. Don’t even get me started on evening dresses through which I can see your underwear. Anyway, thongs are great. Find the one you think is comfortable—and buy in bulk. (And if you really don’t want to, just go commando.)
Boy shorts are my real love — if I could stop wearing pants forever and only wear cotton hipster boy shorts from the Gap, I would be so happy. But full-bottomed underwear that doesn’t extend into boy-shorts rides up. It never sits flat against your bottom, instead bunching together into something in need of constant tugging. And the only thing worse than VPL is tugging at your undergarments all day long.
Lauren Tuck: All about the underwear.
I recently went on a multi-country vacation and didn’t pack enough underwear. By my last leg in London, I was down to one pair, with a few days left on my itinerary, and no access to a washing machine. So I went to Marks & Spencer, basically England’s version of Target, to buy some. My friend, a native, was buying packs of full underwear. While all the dirty undergarments — and the rest of my collection left in my closet across the pond — were all thongs, mostly lacy Hanky Pankys (I picked up a preference for the lingerie brand in high school when all my friends were wearing them and continued to wear the same style for nearly a decade), I followed her lead and bought undies for the first time since middle school. Just like as a teenager, peer pressure influenced my shopping choices, and I tried something new instead of sticking with my standby. And I’ve never been so happy to be an easily impressionable person.
Since that fateful day a few months ago, I’ve created a collection of full-coverage undies, while my skimpy lingerie has been relegated to the back of a drawer, only taken out for special occasions when an outfit calls for it (and even then, I’ll prefer to go commando). But it’s interesting — and somewhat surprising — that others have, at the same exact time, had a similar shift in preference. According to The New York Times, thong sales have decreased seven percent over the past year. Maybe it’s Kendall Jenner in her Calvin Kleins or Lena Dunham’s Instagram feed that have influenced the masses. It could also be the rise in shapewear, a decidedly ugly undergarment that definitely doesn’t have a man in mind, that’s become de rigueur for every woman. But my motivation’s strictly personal, not trend-based. I used to play a game of risk every time I put on a short dress or skirt and wear a thong, hoping I didn’t pull an Anne Hathaway or Britney Spears exiting the back of a car. These days, when I’m wearing semi-inappropriately short hemlines, everything’s safe and secure. I exit Ubers like I’m Princess Grace of Monaco (not Mia Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia).
This shift in predilection doesn’t mean my lingerie isn’t sexy anymore. In fact, I think that it’s more so. It means I’m just as confident not showing excessive amounts of skin. Underwear, I’ve also come to realize, isn’t for men. It’s for me. They’re fundamental. I still care about VPL — for fashion’s sake — but my comfort now comes first. Many might argue that regular undies rides up (ahem, Ms. Aboutaleb), but there’s so much innovation in fabric for down there. My favorites are seamless stretch (Uniqlo’s are amazing), they’re so smooth that they practically offer the same benefits of a thong. It’s the best of both worlds!
Whose side are you on? Vote in the poll below!
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