How do you granny panty? I think I'm missing something here...

April 25, 2018 5:37 PM

So I have bought some of the original fit underpants from here (links to size guide + text = safe for work). Do all granny panties roll down or have I not yet tried the right size?

I would love it if they would indeed, stay up and cover my bit of post-baby belly pooch. I am between sizes - my waist is a M, my hips are a L.

The medium does not reach the apex of my belly (I'm tall? It's really poochy?) and it folds down. It is snug in the hips/legs.

I'm now wearing the XL I had bought for my sister, and they reach up over my belly button and...roll down. They are (too?) loose around the waist, but they are comfy-loose in the hip/leg.

I have a few pairs of L in the hipster cut and they fit okay, but I have a fair bit of booty and they barely cover my crack (hence the original fit).

Should I try the original cut in a L? A different brand entirely? Do any granny-panty styles stay up, or is rolling down just what they do? Is it my body shape? Do I give up and make peace with hipsters forever? Help.

I started buying this brand before I got pregnant; this was the first underwear I ever had that was cut generously enough in the rear that it didn't ride up. I cannot believe how much latent energy I'd been wasting until that point being vaguely uncomfortable all the time. I really just want underwear that covers my body (don't ride up my bum, covers my whole crack, and ideally some belly).

posted by jrobin276 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

The waistband on those looks pretty thick; if it is, that might be what’s doing it. I wear cheap granny panties that have a very thin elastic band at the waist, and they stay up well. (Mine are from Primark and M&S, but most inexpensive uncool undies that come in multipacks are similar.)
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:05 PM on April 25, 2018 [5 favorites]

I'd try the L, I'd also vaguely press my longterm fav, the victoria's secret high leg brief. I do not look like a vicky's model. the panties cover my broad posterior, my crack is safely guarded, they come up to almost my belly button, more or less, don't ride up, don't roll down, cover my hip bones, but just barely, and just slowly eventually die of being, well, underwear. they're like....the grownup equivalent of kids underwear. they're great.
posted by annabear at 7:29 PM on April 25, 2018 [2 favorites]

I had this same problem and have posted about it in the past. The solution for me was to buy men's boxer briefs. They cover everything, don't give wedgies, and don't roll down, either. Even the most generously cut women's underpants did at least one of the three, often more.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:41 PM on April 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

The Nellie full briefs from Dear Kate are the only ones I own that never ever roll down at the tummy. They're designed to be worn during your period, but they aren't hefty -- the fabric feels like thin swimsuit material, and they don't squish your stomach. I pull them on, and they stay exactly where they are all day; no riding up your crack, no rolling down.
posted by vickyverky at 1:13 AM on April 26, 2018

This is almost certainly about the way this brand's fit and sizing doesn't match up with your body shape. Every brand of commercial clothing is designed and sized based on an "average" body shape (see block and fit model) which most definitively does NOT work for everyone. Because you describe yourself as crossing two sizes (M waist and L hips), I can tell you that you do not fit into the "average" body shape that this brand is designed for, and so you will have fit issues like the one you describe.

The hipster style doesn't reach all the way up to your waist, so you can get an ok fit just by fitting your hips. However, this brand's "average" has less of a booty than you do (aka: even though your hip measurement and leg measurements may match their average, what's happening between the hip and leg lines does not match up), so even that is not perfect.

The granny panty style covers your body in the exact spot where it's changing from one size to another. Because it goes all the way from your waist (M) to your hips (L), if you get something that fits your hips, it will be too loose around your waist; if you get something that fits your waist, it will be too tight at the hips.

There are a few different ways to deal with this issue.
1. You could seek out a brand or a style that bases its sizing on an "average" shaped more like you. Unfortunately, I have no brand recommendations. On the style front, boyshorts might be somewhat better for a full booty, but they still don't have the belly coverage you want. Granny panties made out of a very stretchy material (like these, for instance) might fit better because the stretch makes up for the sizing discrepancy (downside is that they are far less breathable).
2. You could continue to buy granny panties from this brand, but modify them to fit you better. Buy them to fit your largest measurement (your hips), then put them on and "pinch out" the excess fabric at the waist. Use some safety pins to secure those excess fabric folds and see how it feels -- make sure it's neither too tight nor too loose, and that it stays in plays when you walk, sit, move. Once you're happy with the fit, sew those folds in place permanantly. You can do it with a few hand-stitches -- no need for a sewing machine.
3. If you know how to sew, you could sew your own to fit your own measurements. I highly recommend these patterns as starting points (pics may be NSFW): Scrundlewear and Bunzies.

Option 3 is AWESOME (it's super-amazing to have underwear that fits exactly the way you like), but Option 2 is an easy place to start. All you need is some safety pins, needle and thread, a mirror, and about 15 minutes to experiment.

TL;DR: this is not a problem with your body, it's a problem with the way commercial sizing fails to accommodate or even acknowledge the actual range in both size and shape of human bodies. Good luck in your search!
posted by ourobouros at 10:04 AM on April 26, 2018 [2 favorites]

It could be that you need even grannier panties? I have a long torso. The following granny panties reach far enough up my belly that they haven't rolled. YMMV.

Bali undies
Victoria's Secret High-waist Bikini Panty in cotton (unfortunately not listed on their website right now, but I keep checking back in case they bring it back)
The Gap -- no specific recommendations because their offerings always change, but I have found some good high rise options here in the past. I might buy some of these now, because they look good!
posted by purple_bird at 11:42 AM on April 26, 2018

I have this problem when the waistband isn't wide enough, or when it's either too loose or too tight. The briefs that solve this problem for me are Rago High Waist Light (513) or Panty Brief Light (style 511).

Don't be scared by the word "shaping," as long as you stay with the ones that are labelled as "light." There's no boning and they're not compressing like spanx. The panty just has a little stretch in it, so it doesn't feel too small when I size for my waist, and it comes all the way up to my natural waist. It also gives a little support to my belly, which is more comfortable to me than non-stretch high waisted underwear.

I'm wearing 513 right now (TMI) and have been happily walking around my office in a pencil dress all morning.
posted by assenav at 9:14 AM on April 27, 2018