Haters of thongs, rejoice! It appears that you’re not alone. According to the New York Times, comfy granny panties are in and skimpy G-strings are so out.
There seems to be a trend that more young women are choosing underwear with more coverage instead of traditional thong styles. Research from the NPD Group shows that thong sales went down 7 percent in 2014, while sales of briefs, boy shorts and high-waist briefs (collectively labeled as “fuller styles”) have increased 17 percent.
This preference for more comfortable underwear suggests that more women are dressing for themselves rather than trying to appear “sexy” for someone else.
“Most lingerie is designed to appeal to a man,” says Julia Baylis, co-founder of Me and You, a boutique clothing label. Along with Mayan Toledano, Baylis designs underwear for women to wear “totally for themselves.” One of Me and You’s most popular items, the “Feminist” brief, has even inspired “belfies” (or back selfies) of women showing off their more conservative underwear. “What’s sexy for us is being natural and comfortable,” Toledano says.
Me and You is just one of many clothing lines dedicated to creating underwear that women can feel comfortable in. Hello Beautiful and Ten Undies are two other notable brands that exclusively sell fuller-coverage styles.
Whether women prefer thongs or not, the bottom line is that more of them are choosing what makes them feel comfortable over what society says is sexy. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be more traditionally sexy and wearing a thong,” Toledano says. “This is a step toward embracing more variety in what’s offered.”