Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with underwear

Basic Black Underwear

mai — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:51:14 -0800

Basic black women's underwear. . . it shouldn't be this difficult to find, should it? I am in search of women's bikini panties. Black, no other colors. Cotton, maybe with a bit of stretchy stuff added, but none of this weird micromodal fabric because it makes me sweaty. The catch is that I'd like them to cost less than $5 a pair. And no silly brand names or logos on the waistband.

All my searching at local stores and googling has turned up stuff that is too lacy, thong-y, covered in logos, expensive, or is the wrong colors. If you know where to find what I'm looking for, please share.

Simple bra alternatives?

bubukaba — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:46:37 -0800

Are there any alternatives to bras? Bonus points for historical or non-American bosom support solutions. I've worn regular bras in sizes 36D and 34DD to moderate success, but lately I've been going without because, for the most part, I find it more comfortable. (I do usually wear a tight-fitting tank top under my shirts).

But I know it looks a little funny, and there are times when I wish I had just a little bit of extra support.

I'm not looking for a sports bra (I'd prefer to avoid uniboob). Ideally, I'd like to find something simple (wrapping a piece of cloth around my chest in some particular way, perhaps?) and inexpensive.

Boxer briefs/trunks that don't bag?

middleclasstool — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:44:42 -0800

Underwear recommendations (men), please. I prefer to wear boxer briefs or trunks, but I have yet to find a brand that stays snug fitting and doesn't go all baggy after a few hours of wear. Is there such a thing as a brand that stays snug all day?

I'd prefer not to pay designer prices, if I can, though I'm aware you've got to pay for quality.

Help me properly package my package. Thanks!

Pants!

teraspawn — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:11:34 -0800

Where can I find plain black or white girl boxers? (UK or online) I'm looking for a similar style to this but a little longer in the leg and without prints or supposedly "cheeky" slogans. I've managed to find some pairs in Primark in the boy's section that were the right type, a long time ago, but since then all the tight boxers I see have that penis-holding crotch bulge which I'm fairly sure wouldn't suit me. So I'm looking for plain black or white close-fitting boxers designed for poorly-endowed men, prepubescent boys or entirely uncheeky women in either a UK shop or from online, preferably at a low price but I don't mind awfully :)

Kinky dog with panty fetish seeks edible clothing

Saxon Kane — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:15:34 -0800

Why does my dog eat women's underwear and shoes? I have an almost 6-yr old female boxer. Originally, my ex-wife got her when we were separated. When we got back together the dog moved in with her, and it was almost 1 year old, and long since fixed. The dog took to me as her daddy, and when I got divorced, I kept the dog.

When I was married to my ex, my dog would sometimes eat her shoes, underwear, and even bras. Some of this was no doubt just puppy excitement, as she chewed up a lot of stuff, including some of my clothes. But now she only eats women's clothing -- whenever I have a woman over, if she takes off her shoes or underwear and leaves them where my dog can get them, the clothing gets eaten.

So, why? Is it a jealousy/territory thing? A female bonding thing? A female pheremone thing? What?

Help her find her underwear.

Forktine — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:24:29 -0800

Do you recognize the underwear seen at 1:20 in this video, and secondly, recommendations for interesting artisanal lingerie? (Asking on behalf of Ms Forktine; video link basically SFW as long as your work is cool with improv people in un-sexy underwear on the subway.)

At about 1:20 in the video, there is a brief (pun unintended) shot of a woman wearing dark, striped knickers with some white detailing on either side in front, and some sort of X or bowtie in the center. Ms Forktine was looking over my shoulder, and said "I want those!"

First, does anyone recognize the specific brand/model the woman in the video is wearing?

Second, and more generally, can anyone recommend any specific artisanal or small-scale lingerie designers who sell online? There are so many on Google and Etsy that it is overwhelming trying to sort through them; what I'm hoping for here is suggestions from happy customers, friends-of-a-friend, or other ways to cull the possibilities. Every-day or special-occasion; cost is not the primary factor; plus-sizing not needed; she is open to anything from corsets to knickers to chemises to whatever, as long as it is better quality and/or more interesting than what you find at the mall.

Comfortable, moderately sexy bra?

lemonade — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:19:51 -0800

What is your most comfortable, yet still moderately sexy bra? When I get home from work, I ditch my Victoria Secret underwire for a sports bra. But...not the sexiest--my 36B turns into a small flat monoboob. I'd like a comfortable bra for lounging on evenings and weekends--it doesn't have to give as much lift as an underwire, but a bit of nipple coverage for running errands and going to the movies is required.

Boxers, briefs or what?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:49:29 -0800

What sort of men's underwear is socially acceptable (or perhaps even fashionable) for people in their 20s? What's to avoid? Bonus points if it can be had cheaply. I know little knowledge of underwear fashion trends, and don't see enough half-naked men to know if I'm making a fashion faux pas.

Anonymous because I'd find it awkward for people to know I care about this.

Help me look normal under my clothes.

santojulieta — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:42:42 -0800

I need a variety of good undergarments for a variety of SFW occasions. Where do I get good underoos in Chicago? I need a few different undergarments for some upcoming occasions and I'd like to buy better than Target or Victoria Secret underwear.

1. I need a proper bra fitting so I can get some well fitting bras. I have only one single style that I think works well, so I'd like someone who knows what they're talking about to suggest other options or sizes to make the best of my bust.

2. I have engagement photos coming up rather quickly, and I'd like to find some sort of something to make me look less bumpy and more smooth under regular clothing in the tummy area.

3. I will also be getting married and will need some sort of underthing for my dress to hold me in and secure my bustline.

Do you have any special places in Chicago that I can do this? I'm looking for real stores rather than virtual stores, though I'm not opposed to ordering online once I find something I like.

Also, I'm a fairly normalish size. I wear 18s in pants, and a 36D/38C in bra.

Are you hiding your valuables in your crotch?

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:56:49 -0800

What are the "pockets" on the inside of women's panties for? In some of my panties (similar to these) there is this pocket-like thing inside the crotch area that opens from the front (not like a fly on men's briefs which opens to the outside world; it only opens to the inside). It's like there is a dual layer of fabric in the crotch area that is not sewed down in the front. My best guess is that it's for a sanitary pad or a vibrator, but it seems too small for a pad, and odd that a major brand would sell something specifically for a vibrator. That seems like something you'd buy at a sex shop. Hanes brand panties don't have these in my experience, and the cotton Jockeys mostly don't either. (these definitely don't). If it's functional, why don't all panties have them? I feel horribly naive asking this, but not knowing is driving me crazy.

Where, oh where, is the plus-size travel underwear?

whitelight — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:44:33 -0800

Where can I find travel bras made for large ladies with large bosoms? I'm a 44DD and all of the travel underwear sites like ExOfficio seem to only have bras for more slender/less stacked folks. My current bra is a poly/cotton blend (sports bra style, no underwire) that sucks up sweat like a sponge and takes forever to dry if I try the "wash it in the sink" trick while traveling. I'm looking for something similar that dries quickly after an impromptu washing and is more moisture wicking than moisture retaining. Surely there's something out there?

How can a dangly man scull comfortably?

kittyprecious — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:40:26 -0800

Please help me solve a problem with the, er, anatomical logistics of men's rowing. Thanks to years of long-distance running and cycling, I have thighs like ham hocks...which is great, but I recently decided that it would be nice to balance things out and work on having some upper-body strength too.

I just joined a rowing class and it's good so far, except somehow the combination of the rowing motion and having meaty legs means my man parts keep wandering down into uncomfortable (and squeeze-prone) places--which to say the least is rather distracting. I don't really know my coaches well enough yet to ask them about this, especially not in front of my (co-rec) classmates.

To address the obvious: I already wear briefs. (I mean, I'm a runner; testicular support is very important.) Do experienced rowers have some trick for keeping things up out of the way?

undies for under my dress

chickaboo — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:00:16 -0800

What is the correct underwear to wear with this dress? I don't plan to wear a bra, but the spanx I would normally wear are too long. I don't think pantylines would show given the laser cut layers of fabric but maybe they would?
And for the record, the dress I bought is cobalt blue, I would not wear lavender.
I want to wear a yellow wrap with it, and silver shoes. too many brights?

Nice pants, for a girl

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:47:21 -0800

Los Angeles nice underwear for Valentines day? I want to get my girlfriend some nice silk panties for Valentine's Day. You still call 'em panties, right?

So, I need two things—suggestions for the most comfortable brands/styles of silk underwear, and suggestions on where to buy 'em in LA. I don't need bras, just panties. And while a little style is nice, I'm mostly interested in her saying "Damn, these feel fantastic."

What to do with all these panties?

exceptinsects — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:32:24 -0800

What to do with all these panties? Okay, so I have recently been on a quest for better underwear that actually fits and doesn't fall off my rather narrow hips. And hooray, I found it at last, but in the meantime I've acquired a whole bunch of underwear that I don't like.
It's been worn, but isn't worn out, and I don't like to give it to Goodwill or similar since I don't think anyone would want to buy someone's old underwear.
Any ideas what I could do with it? Craft project? There are about 20 pairs in varying colors, either all-cotton or mostly cotton with spandex.

What gives with the strap on the foot?

snsranch — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:18:26 -0800

I was hanging out with a U.S. Navy officer. I noticed that he had something unknown to me on his feet... The strap was about 1/2 inch wide in a figure 8 shape. The first loop went around his foot, under the arch and over the top. The second loop, connected to the first was around the ankle. The top of that was up under the pant leg so it wasn't obvious what is was for.

He was wearing standard Navy Khakis. So it wasn't one of things for the blousing effect. Also the strap looked like elastic material like the stuff on underwear bands, but black.

Mormon underwear? Strap down for a side-arm? He's a bad-ass so ya never know. This is a silly question, but I just couldn't ask him about it.

underwear?

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 08:34:18 -0800

Where can I find cute/sexy underwear online that will not cost half of my paycheck? Victoria's Secret 5/$25 underwear was a good deal before it stopped being cute. Victoria's Secret bras were also a good deal before they 1. made all of their normal bras have tons of padding and 2. stopped making their specialty bras for a wide range of sizes.

I want to pay under $10 for panties and under $45 for (good quality and comfortable) bras, what do you suggest?

Do men get bored of seeing sexy underwear on their girlfriend all... the... time?

trampesque — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:50:39 -0800

Do men get bored of seeing sexy underwear on their girlfriend all... the... time? I've been with my boyfriend for nearly 4 months, and I am a big, big fan of very sexy underwear. Stockings, hold-ups, different styles of knickers (different colours, shapes, fabrics, see-through, not see-through - though always very very classy: the term 'crotchless' makes me cringe) and my boyfriend absolutely loves it.

He does comment on it a lot, once to say "its basically off the scale how sexy you look right now". So I'm guessing it's working very well. (I'm not being vain at all here, just giving an indication of how much he does like it.)

I was just wondering, if he sees it all the time, is he going to tire of it so that I somehow have to crank it up a notch? (And I don't really know how one would do that without, say, passing on underwear altogether.) Or do men just never tire of seeing their girlfriends in a variety of sexy lingerie?

Oh, as a sidenote, I do really enjoy wearing it, it's definitely not all for him. Most of it I've had for years and wear it just for myself. So to calm it down a little would actually be pretty boring for me. But I was wondering if maybe I should calm it down occasionally so that it's extra pleasing for him when I do break out the really hot stuff.

What's the best way for a fellow to secure his privates while swiming?

FortyT-wo — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 17:25:01 -0800

My fiancee has a varicocele which has caused one of his testicles to be quite long (about 5 inches). He'd like to take up swimming, and we're looking for a way he can wear swimming gear without worrying about falling out. Bonus points for underwear help! We've thought of speedos under swimtrunks, but I worry he'll just fall out of the speedos. Is that a valid concern? Swim trunks don't come far enough down his leg that he'd feel comfortable wearing them alone. He could perhaps find shorts that are just very long, but would just feel more comfortable if his stuff was at no risk of exposure.

Would bike shorts would work well in the water? How about a jock strap? He's never worn one, and we're assuming that it effectively straps your jock. Both of these would be under normal swimshorts, of course. Any other suggestions very welcome.

He also has problems with underwear. Briefs are uncomfortable for him, boxers lend no support, though he ends up wearing them quite a bit. He's got boxer-briefs, but even the ones that come down to mid-thigh lose their elasticity rather quickly, and he ends up just hanging down the side of them anyways, causing a visible long bulge in his pants. Anybody had really good experience with a brand of shorts that keeps your boys in their home?

It feels kinda weird doing either, actually.

travosaurus — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:09:34 -0800

Long johns: Are you supposed to wear them accompanying underwear, or as underwear?

Why don't guys get fancy underwear?

Coolcan2 — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 06:23:07 -0800

Why don't guys get fancy underwear?

Are vermin eating my underwear?

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:41:28 -0800

Mysterious holes are appearing in my dirty underwear where there are, ahem, juices. This is probably not lunch-safe. I have noticed holes appearing in my dirty underwear exactly where my girl-juices dry (I'm a fairly juicy girl). These holes are very specific--if the stains dry on the inner layer around the crotch (women's underwear typically has two layers of cloth in the crotch region), the holes will only be in the inner layer where the protein stains used to be, not the outer layer.

What could be causing this? Am I so acidic that I'm eating holes in my underwear? Or (and this is seriously gross) are bugs/mice supplementing their protein intake? I consider the latter because we do have cockroach/bug/mice problems, and there appears to be direct correlation between the appearance of holes and whether the underwear is on the floor and how long it's been sitting there.

Why is the opening at the front of men's briefs still there if it's rarely used?

Plutor — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 06:02:16 -0800

UnderpantsFilter: What is the opening at the front of briefs (and boxer breifs) for? Okay, I know what it's for, but does anyone actually use it? It seems far more trouble to manipulate than pulling the front of your pants down four inches. If no one uses it, why is it still there? It seems to add extra fabric and stitching that cost-reductionism would have eliminated long ago. Is it simple industry momentum? Does it add something to the comfort I don't see?

The Greatest Underwears Ever?

o2b — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 14:24:33 -0800

Guys: Please name for me your favorite brand of skivvies. J.Crew was my preferred supplier of undershorts (knit boxers -- soft, snug, yet supple... mmmm) but they seem to have discontinued them.

Hopefully the hive mind that is ours will know of the Greatest Underwears Ever, and I can buy a hundred pairs and be done with it.

Selling used undies?

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 22:26:51 -0800

Selling used, ahem, clothing online. I met a woman who sold used underthings on the good ol' web and made a killing. What are the laws regarding this, and how does one go about selling? Legitimate, trustworthy sites? Tips? Warnings?

I realize that it's probably better to sell plasma or lemonade, but to hear that an attractive woman can make $200+ on a pair of $5 Wal-mart undies is just too attractive a thought to dismiss on the grounds of perversion.