I Rebuilt My Entire Underwear Collection—Here Are the Pairs I'm Buying

underwear-essentials-291074-1610565187112-main

(Image credit: @emanuellek_)

It's sad to admit, but I truly neglected my underwear collection all 2021. With loungewear firmly dominating last year, all of my fancy dresses and pants were sort of shoved to the back of the closet, and intricate lingerie didn't feel like much of a priority. But as we all know, good underwear is the workhorse of any wardrobe, and I'm looking to redeem myself here in 2022.

In the spirit of January's unofficial motto of "new year, new me," I decided to do a full-on purge of my lingerie drawer, and rebuild my collection from scratch. Fortunately, revamping was as simple as clicking over to Amazon, Nordstrom, and Target for a quick browse. If you're like me, you have different underwear for different occasions: thongs and seamless styles to avoid visible panty lines, pretty lingerie to feel fancy, and cotton or full-coverage briefs for when comfort reigns supreme. Below, I've put together a list of all of the pairs I'm buying now to replace my undies of yesteryear. Cheers to new underwear, and happy purging! 

Cotton

Airy, breathable cotton is the foundation of any good underwear collection. No, it's not the most glamourous or cutting-edge material, but when you're lounging in bed or on your couch during a cozy night in, comfort trumps all. I like grabbing packs of multiples from Amazon because they're basic and not fussy, but should you want something a bit fancier, Skims and Everlane have options that feel a tad more luxe.

Pretty

There's a time and place for form over function, and that's where pretty panties come in. Never underestimate the power of aesthetically pleasing underwear; others may not see them, but it sure does make you feel good. I'm currently obsessed with Baserange's sheer checkered ones and these lacy yet comfortable boy shorts from Hanky Panky. 

Thong

What they say about thongs is really true: You either love them, or you hate them. Even if they're not your first choice, I'd say it's practical to have a few pairs on hand should your outfit demand a nearly invisible panty line. For the reluctant, choose soft materials that feel light to the touch. It will make wearing them a way more pleasant experience. I'm a fan of Cosabella for nice-looking thongs as well as Commando and Nubian Skin for flesh-tone thongs that blend in underneath sheer bottoms or dresses.

Seamless

Visible panty lines are one of my biggest pet peeves. They can make even the most sophisticated outfit look cheap. For this reason, I've heavily embraced seamless underwear. I love a good stitch-free silhouette because it's pretty much guaranteed to look undetectable, but Baserange's seamed stretch bamboo briefs are also inconspicuous and feel heavenly. 

Full Coverage

I will gladly be that person to shout their love of granny panties from the mountaintops. They've endured a bad reputation, but the granny panties of today are so much different than the ones your mom may be used to. For one, some now come in more seamless designs as well as smooth, silky fabrics for ultimate comfort. 

This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Next up: 5 Cool Emerging Trends I Found at H&M, Zara, and Mango

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.