Why I’m Done Trading Comfort For ‘Sexiness’ With My Underwear

As a child of the 2000s, I believed that one day I’d wake up in a Jenna Rink-worthy apartment. Just like the Suddenly 30 protagonist, I’d have a glamorous job, a view of the city, designer clothes in my wardrobe and a drawer full of “grown-up” underwear. 

Then, as a teenager in the Victoria’s Secret-obsessed 2010s, extra money made from my fast food job would be spent buying the three-for-$30 pairs of “sexy” synthetic, bikini-style underwear. 

For some reason, underwear felt like the first bastion of womanhood. Sure, no one was seeing the strings of lace apart from me — but maybe that’s what made it exciting? 

Gone were the supermarket pastel packet undies with the tiny bows on the front. Now, I was on a solo mission, perusing the high street stores, deciding which kind of woman I wanted to become.

All I knew at fourteen was that women wore “sexy” underwear. Pairs that pulled, that sucked you in, that went… upwards.

I also knew that Bridget Jones’ billowing (but comfy-looking) underwear were not something to aspire to. 

But, after a decade of choosing my undergarments for the male gaze, I’m done with uncomfortable underwear. And it appears that other women are too. 

While whale tails (i.e. wearing your g-string above your trousers as an accessory) and low-rise jeans have been on the rise over the past few years, underwear brands have begun to market for comfort and empowerment, rather than the male gaze.

Australian brand, Boody, is one of them. After realising that many women put up with uncomfortable underwear on account of societal pressures or the “no visible panty line” sentiment, it’s now on a mission to deliver underwear for women that don’t compromise on comfort. 

The styles are made from bamboo fibres which, according to one study, have antimicrobial properties, moisture-wicking capabilities and are highly breathable and soft.

And, while your mind may wander to oversized underwear when you hear "comfort", the brand has a number of styles including hipster and Brazilian bikinis, boyleg briefs and, even g-strings.

I’ve found myself consistently reaching for Boody's comfy styles over the synthetic lace atrocities I’ve collected throughout the years. 

This is because I’m tired of the raw, red marks left on my skin at the end of the day, like some sort of sick trophy for completing another day of womanhood under the patriarchy. Or the painful vaginal thrush that can come from wearing tight, synthetic underwear. 

Of course, the whole point of feminism is for women to be able to make their own choices. If you want to wear a red lace g-string every day, that’s your prerogative. 

But personally, wearing those types of underwear on special occasions such as date night or when wearing a tight-fitting dress makes it all the more special.

Despite what 2000s movies will tell you, your choice in underwear doesn't mean you've failed at being an adult woman, or, heaven forbid "given up".

Being comfortable in your day-to-day frees up your mind to hold so much more than the male gaze.