View source for Panties

{{Short description|Women's underwear}}
{{Redirect|Knickers|the style of trousers|Knickerbockers (clothing)}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
[[File:Model in white lingerie at Western Canada Fashion Week 2016 Spring - Edmonton (cropped).jpg|thumb|A model in white panties]]
{{undergarment}}
[[Image:Panties styles - en.svg|thumb|300px|Various styles of panties (thong and G-string: back view).]]
'''Panties''' are, typically, women's [[form-fitting]] [[underpant]]s. Typical components include an elastic [[Waistline (clothing)|waistband]], a crotch panel to cover the [[genital|genitalia]] (usually lined with absorbent material such as [[cotton]]), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, are often made of [[elastomer]]. Various materials are used, but are usually chosen to be breathable.

Panties are made of a variety of materials, including [[cotton]], [[lace]], [[latex]], [[leather]], [[lycra]], [[mesh]], [[nylon]], [[PVC]], [[polyester]], [[rawhide (textile)|rawhide]], [[satin]], and [[silk]]. Construction typically consists of two pieces (front and rear) that are joined by [[seam (sewing)|seam]]s at the crotch and sides; an additional [[gusset]] is often in the crotch, with the waistband and leg-openings made from elastomer.

==Terminology==
In the United States and Canada, "panties" is a common term to refer to female underwear bottoms--though they are worn by many men.

In the United Kingdom and occasionally in other [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries such as Australia,<ref>{{cite web |first=Katherine |last=Burgdorf |date=12 November 2013 |title=Say 'NO' to dodgy knickers |url=http://thehoopla.com.au/say-bad-pants/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402022045/http://thehoopla.com.au/say-bad-pants/ |archive-date=2 April 2014| publisher=The Hoopla |access-date=22 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="no_knickers">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE-bwymSzuo |title=Hole Proof - No Knickers |publisher=Bonds underwear, Australia |date=1985 |access-date=16 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140603160203/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE-bwymSzuo |archive-date=3 June 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all |via=YouTube }}</ref> New Zealand, and South Africa, panties may be referred to as "knickers", "undies", or simply "underwear". The last two of these are gender-neutral terms and can be used for either male or female styles of underwear bottoms, the American English equivalent being [[underpants]].

In Australia, male underpants are often referred to as "undies",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fionalake.com.au/other-info/other-references/rural-words/australian-american-words |title=Translations of Australian English words into American English |website=Fiona Lake |access-date=23 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324155909/http://www.fionalake.com.au/other-info/other-references/rural-words/australian-american-words |archive-date=24 March 2015|url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref> although the word can also refer to panties.

== History ==
The earliest known use of underwear that resembles modern panties dates back to 4,400 B.C. during the [[Badari culture|Badari]] period in [[Egypt]]. <ref>{{cite book|last1=Brunton|first1=Guy|author-link1=Guy Brunton|last2=Caton-Thompson|first2=Gertrude|author-link2=Gertrude Caton Thompson|title=The Badarian Civilisation and Predynastic Remains Near Badari|url=https://ia601805.us.archive.org/15/items/badarian-civilization-and-predynastic-remains-near-badari/Badarian%20Civilization%20and%20Predynastic%20remains%20near%20Badari.pdf|year=1928|publisher=British School of archaeology in Egypt, University College, and B. Quaritch|access-date=6 August 2014|df=dmy-all}} Pages 17, 19, and 25,</ref> <ref>Satyaki Baidya https://www.news18.com/world/how-did-underwear-come-into-being-which-king-was-buried-with-154-loincloths-some-inner-facts-9036051.html</ref> <ref> https://www.givemehistory.com/who-invented-panties</ref> Around 3000 B.C. Sumerian women would start wearing underwear similar to [[briefs]] <ref>Panties: A Brief History, by Sarah Tomczak</ref> In Ancient Greece women sometimes wore underwear, resembling panties, called a Perizoma.  Ancient Roman women would wear ancient panties called a [[Subligaculum]].<ref>https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-womens-underwear/</ref> Underwear resembling modern day panties were first invented in the 1920s, when long drawers were shortened to be made less cumbersome, although they were heavily decorated and had to be fastened. The bows used for fastening still remain on some panties as a decoration to this day.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ulloa-Torres |first=Gidgette Natasha |title=The Invention of Panties in the Victorian Age: A historical Breakdown of The Function of Panties |url=https://www.academia.edu/45256809/The_Invention_of_Panties_in_the_Victorian_Age_A_historical_Breakdown_of_The_Function_of_Panties}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Windham |first=Daniel |last2=Freshwater |first2=Paige |date=2024-02-07 |title=Reason women's underwear has a small decorative bow on the front |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/real-reason-womens-underwear-small-28589089 |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=Liverpool Echo |language=en}}</ref>

Between 1930 and 1947, panties were shortened further and made with cotton instead of linen. By the 1960s, wide-legged panties were used instead of a [[Slip (clothing)|slip]] by most women in the west and were often manufactured in vibrant colors and prints.<ref name=":0" />

Around the 1980s and 1990s, various bottom-enhancing panties such as thongs became a common sight and in the 2000s boyshorts and hipster styles were invented as well as more traditional types such as bikinis and briefs. These are the types of panties commonly worn today.<ref name=":0" />

{{clear}}
== Styles ==
Panties are classified into various styles based on criteria such as the amount of rear coverage, width at the sides and height at which they are worn. These categories are not necessarily distinct and usage may vary somewhat among [[brand]]s:<ref>{{cite web |last=Parkinson |first=Ann |date=9 September 2011 |title=Women's Panties |url=http://lingerie.lovetoknow.com/Women's_Panties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829022738/http://lingerie.lovetoknow.com/Women's_Panties |archive-date=29 August 2011 |access-date=13 September 2011 |publisher=LoveToKnow Lingerie |df=dmy}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Rear coverage !! Type
! Example
!Description
|-
! rowspan=4 | Minimal ([[thong]]s){{efn|Thongs provide a moderate to minimal coverage with back coverage that is less than a bikini, and the waistband is reduced to a narrow strip at the sides.<ref>{{citation |author1=Jennifer Carroll |title=Underneath It All |date=1 October 2009 |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tNfX35R3qk8C |access-date=14 September 2013 |publisher=Harlequin |isbn=978-1-4268-4072-2 |author2=Kathy Schultz}}</ref>}}
! Adhesive / C-string
| [[File:C-string pink.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Pink C-string, retained using underwires]]
|Adhesive panties are sometimes described as strapless/stick-on panties. They are a form of micro-panties that cover nothing but the genitalia. They are useful when women do not want a [[panty line]] to be visible, but still want to maintain basic hygiene.
|-
!T-front
| [[File:T-front string underwear.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=White T-front, obscured by trousers.]]
|The T-front is a type of G-string in which the string also reaches the front part. It provides almost no coverage while still maintaining the basic hygienic underwear functions and covering only the genitalia. Usually it is built by strings only, sometimes with more fabric or lace around the waist.
|-
![[G-string]]
| [[File:G-string (back) photomodel Jassi.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=White G-string, rear view]]
<!--Suggested alternative if this is too exposed: [[File:Visible red thong.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Red G-string forming a whale tail]]-->
|The G-string has a vertical string at the back, which connects the crotch to the waistband, sometimes featuring a triangle of fabric which is sometimes referred to as a [[whale tail]] when it peeks out above the waistband of low riding [[Trousers|pants]].
|-
!Thong
| [[File:Melange thong.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Rear view of a woman wearing a gray thong.]]
| Thongs have a waistband similar to tangas, but the rear coverage is mostly cut away. The crotch is triangle-shaped, as it narrows to a thin strip toward the back and sits between the buttocks, becoming wider towards the top where it connects to the waistband. Like the G-string, if the back fabric peeks out above the waistband of low riding pants, the result is also called a whale tail.
|-
! rowspan=5 | Moderate
! Tanga
| [[File:Brazilian thong 2.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Woman wearing a tanga, also known as a Brazilian thong.]]
| Tangas can be considered as an intermediate step between thongs, which have minimal rear coverage, and bikinis, which have moderate to full rear coverage.
|-
! [[Bikini#Bikini_underwear|Bikini]]s
| [[File:Two pairs of briefs at fashion show.png|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Two women; one is wearing black conventional bikini underwear and the other is wearing white string bikini underwear.]]
|Bikinis, like hipsters, sit at hip level, but the fabric of the side sections is narrower. With the string bikini type, the side sections disappear altogether and the waistband consists of only string-like material. There may be less rear coverage with the bikini style.
|-
! Hipsters
| [[File:Girl in bra and panties - black and white cropped.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Woman wearing black hipster underwear.]]
|Hipsters are a blend between bikinis and boyshorts. They sit on the hips of the wearer and are worn slightly below the navel.
|-
! Boyshorts
| [[File:Woman with afro-textured hair (cropped).jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=A model in white boyshorts]]
|Boyshorts cover the hips and are named for their similarity to [[boxer briefs]], a variation on [[boxer shorts]]. Some resemble men's [[briefs]], complete with fly and contrast trim. Unlike men's briefs, this style is usually lower cut. Boyshorts often cover most of the [[buttocks]].<ref name="oxford">{{cite web |title=boy shorts |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/boy-shorts?q=boy+shorts |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119181330/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/boy-shorts?q=boy+shorts |archive-date=19 November 2015 |website=Oxford Dictionaries}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Riese |date=June 22, 2020 |title=Boyshorts and Girltrunks 101: Your Queer Underwear Guide |url=https://www.autostraddle.com/boyshorts-girltrunks-102-queer-underwear-guide-159588/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001150417/https://www.autostraddle.com/boyshorts-girltrunks-102-queer-underwear-guide-159588/ |archive-date=1 October 2017 |website=Autostraddle}}</ref>
|-
! Cheekies
| [[File:Cheekies underwear with ruching applied to center seam.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Rachel Starr wearing red cheekies at AVN 2011.]]
|Cheekies can be styled as a hipster, bikini, or boyshort in the front, but in the rear, they are designed to hug the buttocks, and have a seam or [[Gather (knitting)#Related techniques|ruching]] to make the fabric sit partially between the cheeks to accentuate the shape. They leave the outer 1/3 to 1/2 of each cheek exposed and often have a lace or scalloped trim.
|-
! rowspan=3 | Full ([[briefs]]){{efn|Briefs rise to the waist, or just below the navel, and have full coverage in the rear.}}
!High-cut
| [[File:Woxer Modern Briefs.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Two women wearing "Woxer" brand high-cut briefs and sport bras]]
|High-cut briefs sit higher on the waist, providing more coverage in the midriff region. They are designed with larger leg holes and narrower sides to show off more leg and allow more freedom of movement.
|-
! Classic
| [[File:Classic brief (granny panties).jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Model dressed in lace-trimmed sheer classic briefs]]
|Classic briefs have the waistband sitting very high on the waist. The leg holes are small so the underwear cover as much area between waist and thigh as possible. Sometimes called "granny panties" because they were the standard underpants in previous decades and have a connotation of being worn by older women.
|-
!Control
| [[File:MiederhoseKurzPatte.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=White control briefs with lace trim]]
|Control briefs are designed to offer support while giving a slimmer appearance. This type usually contains a stretch material such as [[spandex]] and may extend above the waist. Some have an extra firm panel to flatten the tummy. Some also compress the buttocks, while other control briefs are designed to avoid compression of the buttocks. Others merely lift the buttocks and have holes cut out for maximum fullness of the buttocks.
|-
! rowspan=2 | Full (loose pants)
! Tap pants
| [[File:Grace Bros mannequin parade, Sydney, November 1936.jpg|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=Two women wearing tap pants]]
| Tap pants are short pants with a short inseam length.
|-
! Bloomers
| [[File:Bloomers Rear Image.png|frameless|upright=0.7|alt=]]
| Bloomers are shorts with a variable inseam length and bloused leg holes.
|}

;Notes
{{notelist}}

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[French knickers]]
* [[Leggings]]
** [[Leg warmers]] 
** [[Tights]]
* [[Lingerie]]
* [[No Pants Day]]
* [[Pantalettes]]
* [[Pantyhose]]
* [[Teddy (garment)|Teddy]]
* [[Undergarment]]
* [[Underwear as outerwear]]
* [[Underwear fetishism]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commonscatinline|Women's underpants}}

{{Lingerie}}
{{Clothing}}

[[Category:5th-millennium BC introductions]]
[[Category:Lingerie]]
[[Category:Women's underwear]]