The Very Best Women’s Underwear

Our top picks

What we’re looking for

Sizes: XXS–XXL| Cut: Hipster with low-cut leg | Fabric composition: 92% organic cotton, 8% spandex | Price: $

I don’t think there’s anyone else at the Strategist who’s tried on more briefs, bikinis, hipsters, and thongs than me. After all that trying on, I can say confidently that you can’t go wrong with any of the ones sold at the Gap. There’s been a lot written about them on the Strategist over the years: our contributorNicolaia Rips used to yank her “threadbare Gap underwear” up around her hips, imitating old photos of her mom posing in a swimsuit, while former deals writer Leah Muncy doesn’t believe a better thong than Gap’s exists. Most of the offerings are under $15 and often marked down to less than $10.

It’s the Organic Stretch Cotton Hipster that’s my new recommendation for the best underwear (a title that formerly belonged to Jockey’s Elance String Bikini). The difference between Jockey’s Elance String Bikini and Gap’s Organic Stretch Cotton Hipster comes down to panty lines. The hipster hardly shows any, unlike the bikini. I don’t get a wedgie in this hipster, either; it stays in place. It wins for breathability, stretchability, and comfortability. Made from a 92 percent cotton and 8 percent spandex (that’s used at the waistband and along the leg openings), it’s not like the other Gap-branded hipsters (the SecondSkin line) that are a nylon-elastane blend. It’s become the underwear I reach for most. Not uncomfortable like some thongs can be or unflattering the way tighty-whities are, they have just the right amount of coverage (and also come in bikini form). They’re available in a size range of XXS to XXL and, for $10.50 full price, are an excellent value.

Sizes: 4–7 (equivalent to 0–14)| Cut: Bikini, designed to be sit low-rise, mid-rise, or high-rise | Fabric composition: 100% combed, ring-spun cotton | Price: $

Jockey’s Elance String Bikini used to be our best underwear pick overall, and while the Gap hipster now holds that spot, the Elance is still an excellent cotton bikini. The fit and coverage are easily adjustable, thanks to the strings you can pull up on the sides, and it stays in place. (Jockey offers sizes 4 to 7, which are the equivalent of 0 to 14.) It’s made from a comfortable cotton, plus the tag is on the outside of the bikini instead of the inside, so nothing’s rubbing against your butt. For the price, it’s hard to do much better. I’m usually wary about buying super-cheap packs of underwear, but this is a great deal for what you’re getting — especially for 100 percent cotton.

You don’t have to just take my word for it — Cup of Jo’s Joanna Goddard read about the string-bikini in Laurel Pantin’s Earl Earl, and it’s been her everyday underwear since. Nowadays, Goddard counts the underwear as something she can’t live without. It’s also been a favorite of Strategist readers over the years. Just note: If you’re someone who doesn’t want to show any panty lines, this isn’t the underwear for you. The cotton that covers the elastic around the legs is a bit thick, so a line will show if you’re wearing something tighter.

Sizes: XS–XXL | Cut: Brief, sits below hips | Fabric composition: 94% pima cotton, 6% lycra (100% cotton gusset, 84 percent nylon and 16% elastane lace) | Price: $$

Natori’s Bliss Girl Briefs are an all-time Strategist best seller and the underwear that the woman who wrote the book on underwear wears. (Cora Harrington, the former Lingerie Addict and author of In Intimate Detail: How to Choose, Wear, and Love Lingerie, says, “If something is comfortable enough for me to wear every day, then it’s probably comfortable enough for everyone. My body simply can’t tolerate anything less.”) I’ve been wearing my Bliss Girl Briefs weekly for over a year now. Not that you’d know; the briefs are still in exactly as good condition as the day they arrived. There’s not even a little rip in the trimming. The pima cotton in the briefs’ blend (which includes Lycra) remains so soft. They’re surprisingly seamless, too — I can’t remember much distinguishable VPL in all the times I’ve worn them. But the best thing about the briefs is the air you get downstairs. There’s nothing worse than the feeling of sweating through your underwear. At $22, they’re not cheap-cheap, but they’re usually marked down almost half off at, say, Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale. Our newsletter editor Ashley Wolfgang used a recent Nordstrom sale as an excuse to refresh her underwear drawer with a pair. “I feel confident in saying that they’re the most comfortable pairs of underwear I own,” she says. “I’m looking forward to gradually replacing all my old underwear with these.”

Sizes: XS–XXXL | Cut: Brief with a mid- to high-cut leg | Fabric composition: 95% organic cotton, 5% elastane | Price: $

An informal search for new, mostly cotton underwear led writer Amelia Jerden to Organic Basics. Most of its “core” styles are 95 percent organic cotton and 5 percent elastane. Jerden settled on the High-Leg Briefs as her “favorite daily-wear underwear” after trying the brand’s Briefs and Shorty. “I get the benefits of wearing cotton underwear without them feeling overly thick or stiff,” she says. “They’re as close as I’ve found to not feeling like I’m wearing anything — basically, underwear that goes unnoticed throughout the day.” You get a bit of flexibility about where they sit with the mid- to high-cut leg openings. While the Briefs and Shorty bunched up on her uncomfortably, the High-Leg Briefs didn’t. It’s why “they are pretty much the only underwear I wear,” she says. At full price, an individual High-Leg Brief is $15, but it’s actually cheaper to buy a multipack — you save 15 percent with the three-pack and 30 percent with the six-pack, bringing three to $38.25 from $45 and six to $63 from $90, making the underwear $12.75 or $10.50 a pair, respectively. Either way, the High-Leg Briefs are cheaper than the Natori Bliss Girl Brief, should you be looking to stock your underwear drawer.

Sizes: 2XS–4XL| Cut: Brief, French leg, high-rise| Fabric composition: 95% organic cotton and 5% spandex (the elastic at the waist is 91% nylon and 9% elastane, and at the legs, 86% nylon and 14% elastane)| Price: $$

The company formerly known as Knickey is now Subset. New name aside, the brand’s undies are as they always were — at least, according to our senior writer Dominique Pariso, who’s been buying the High-Rise Briefs for around five years. Pariso affectionately calls them “wedgie-proof granny panties.”After trying a pair myself, I can say that while it sits high on the waist, it’s cut to show a little bit of hip and hug the butt. (You can also choose a low or mid rise in lieu of high.) So you get most of the coverage associated with a granny panty, both in the front and back, without the feeling of being in a granny panty — it’s a granny panty that’s not too granny. (You can read my full review here.)

Like Hike Clerb founder Evelynn Escobar-Thomas mentioned, it doesn’t cause much by way of VPL. For comparison, It’s more VPL-resistant than Gap’s Organic Stretch Cotton Hipster (which I remain loyal to) but less than Commando’s Butter Bikini (which is about as invisible as it gets, thanks to its modal and elastane-blend fabric).At $20 for one pair, a Subset High-Rise Brief might not be the cheapest, but the quality is there. Pariso’s oldest pair only just ripped last year, which she believes is “a testament to how well-made the garments are.” Pariso usually restocks once a year on Black Friday, but you can also stock up any other day with either the three-for-$55 or six-for-$100 deal. The brief is also offered in one of the largest size ranges on this list, XXS to 4XL.

Sizes: XXS–XXL| Cut: Hipster, cheekier cut, high-rise| Fabric composition: 92% Supima cotton, 8% elastane| Price: $

Everlane makes minimalist underwear that, at first glance, could be mistaken for Hanes and are almost “aggressively plain,” says former Strategist writer Lori Keong. But that’s a big part of the appeal, especially if you’re in search of a high-waisted hipster that “makes your butt look like it’s starring in its own ’90s Calvin Klein commercial,” Keong explains. This pair rises to your navel without feeling confining or bunching up around your hips during the day, she says. They pass the very important VPL test, too. Lisa Buhler, founder of Lisa Says Gah, also vouches for Everlane, comparing its look to Hanro but at a fraction of the cost. Plus, Everlane offers a “buy more, save more” promo of three for $36.

[Editor’s note: Some sizes are sold out now, and we’ll update when there’s an expected restock date.]

Sizes: XS–XXL (equivalent to 0–18)| Cut: Thong, mid-rise | Fabric composition: 75% polyamide, 25% elastane | Price: $$

The words “comfortable thong” have long been an oxymoron in my mind — but for the sake of making this guide, I’m trying as many as I can get my butt into. So far, Tommy John’s are the only ones that don’t dig in. (Just make sure to cut off the branded tag in the back, because it rubbed against my behind annoyingly.)

I first heard about these thongs from former Strategist editor Maxine Builder, who credits the material — “the lightest, softest mesh you’ve ever touched” — for making the thong “no show whatsoever.” To get the right fit, Builder suggests checking this more thorough size guide rather than the one on the product page. The Tommy John thong comes in sizes XS to XXL (the equivalent of 0 to 18), unlike the sizing at Hanky Panky, our one-time best thong. While Hanky Panky’s thongs were recommended by Love and Other Rugs’s Lily Sullivan, investor Barbara Corcoran, and Richer Poorer’s Iva Pawling, they’re one size fits all (and only really recommended for sizes 4 through 14). The price of a single Hanky Panky thong and the Tommy John Air Thong is comparable — $24 for the former, and $22 for the latter — but you can get three of Tommy John’s for $42 (which works out to $14 a pair) or five for $65 (which works out to $13 a pair) — making them one of the better “buy more” discounts here.

Sizes: XXS–XXL| Cut: Brief-style boyshort, low-rise| Fabric composition: 95% cotton, 5% elastane| Price: $

Technically a cross between a boy short and a brief, Aerie’s Boybriefs offer fuller coverage without any of the awkwardness that can happen when the entirety of your butt is not contained. (I haven’t experienced a wedgie in any of the Boybriefs I’ve tried!)This version of the Boybriefs — in Aerie’s Superchill line, described as its “comfiest undies” — is made of 95 percent cotton and 5 percent elastane. It’s a wonderfully smooth blend, and the elastic at the waistband, which doesn’t roll down, is also covered in it. It’s a slightly thicker material, but less so than anything branded Jockey Elance. That said, it’s not necessarily the underwear for anyone who’s trying to reduce VPL, but it usually doesn’t show when wearing jeans, for example. And at about $9 each, you can easily buy multiples (though you can get an even better deal when Aerie is running a bundle promotion like “buy four, get four free”).Just as often as Aerie Boybriefs sell out, new versions are restocked. Beyond Superchill, another popular style I’ve heard recommended is Smoothez (a blend of nylon and elastane that’s especially stretchy).If you needed any more convincing: Several former and current Strategist staffers have worn some form of Aerie underwear for years, including our writer Brenley Goertzen and senior editor Jen Trolio. Trolio appreciates that the underwear doesn’t have any obvious branding. “I’m extremely averse to logos on my underwear,” she says.

Sizes: XXS–XXL | Cut: Brief cut cheekier, mid-rise | Fabric composition: Cotton (pointelle)| Price: $$$

I like to think of knickers as better-looking briefs, often with details like ruffled edges and lace trimmings. Intimates line Cou Cou makes a knicker inspired by French lingerie — it’s sewn from bespoke pointelle, edged with a little lace, and topped with a ribboned bow. The pair is frillier than a standard brief. They’re great if you want something that looks knickerlike but without too much bulk. Since these are slightly fancier, they’re like a pick-me-up when I want an underthing that’s not as unassuming. (Note that you can see their outline when wearing closer-fitting clothes.) These are reminiscent of traditional briefs, but they sit right at the hipbone and they don’t have as cheeky of a cut in the back. The cotton is breathable, especially thanks to the eyelets in the pointelle fabric. You can get them in a thong too, or a tanga (which is closer to a G-string).

This Belongs To is another notable knickers-maker — though it is much more of a splurge. Former senior editor Chelsea Peng owns a knicker from the brand emblazoned with chile peppers and another embroidered with the words “ain’t my first rodeo.” Peng thinks of them as her “sporting underwear” to show off under something sheer. (Since This Belongs To is a British brand, the sizes can be confusing, so double-check the sizing chart.)

Sizes: XS–XXL | Cut: Brief with French-cut leg, mid-rise | Fabric composition: 94% Pima cotton, 6% Lycra (100% cotton gusset, 84 percent nylon and 16% elastane lace ) | Price: $$$

Last April, several of us (me, senior writer Liza Corsillo, and writer Tembe Denton-Hurst) went on a hunt for what we considered a unicorn: “cotton underwear that looks good (sexy even) and feels good without causing wedgies or rolling down … or any unsightly VPL.” Corsillo’s winner was Natori’s Bliss French Cut. The underwear delivered on everything she was looking for: “a high-cut brief with good coverage that also doesn’t look like a pair of granny panties.” I couldn’t help trying a pair for myself after her review. Just as Corsillo promised, they’re “soft in a way where I started to think, Is this too good to be true?”

It has an identical fabric composition to the Bliss Girl Brief (which we call the best brief earlier in this post): 94 percent pima cotton and 6 percent Lycra. (Otherwise, the difference between the Bliss French Cut and Bliss Girl Brief is the coverage in the front; the former covers more of your lower stomach.) I think it’s a perfect ratio of cotton to elastane, nylon, or Lycra to be comfortable and move with you. The combination of trim and seams helps the brief “lie flatter, which reduces any panty lines,” Corsillo says. While deals editor Sam Daly isn’t “morally opposed to VPL,” she would prefer not to have any, and “to my knowledge, these do not show at all.” Daly switched from ThirdLove’s Comfort Stretch Brief to the Bliss French Cut, which she has multiple pairs of now. Tip: The cheapest we’ve ever seen them going for is during Nordstrom sales.

Sizes: XS–XL | Cut: Bikini, French cut with a high-rise | Fabric composition: Cotton (percentage not listed) | Price: $

For decades, Baywatch nostalgia from her formative years has led novelist Molly Prentiss on a quest for underwear with the same “vulgar V shape of those exaggerated high-cut suits.” Online window shopping has only led to disappointment — the Mishas from Arq have “substantial seams” that interfere with the look she’s going for, and high-rises from Pansy aren’t high enough for her taste. But a “midnight off-market marketplace deep dive” led her to Elsy Marie on Etsy. Prentiss says that she “hit the intimates jackpot” with this high-cut pair, which have a triangle shape well-suited “when slung above a curvy pair of hips,” are made from sustainably sourced cotton, and cost less than $15. She adds, “It was just the jolie laide my private parts needed, and I’ve ordered multiple times since. The rest of my underwear have begun to depress me in comparison.”

Sizes: 5–7 (equivalent to S–L) with plus sizes 8–11 (equivalent to XL–4XL) sold separately | Cut: Brief, French cut with a high-rise | Fabric composition: 100% cotton | Price: $

Denton-Hurst’s new favorite all-cotton underwear is Jockey’s Elance French Cut — which are sold in multipacks, making them especially affordable. (“While I’m not wholly opposed to spending $20 on a single pair, I was raised on five pairs of underwear for $25, which, even adjusting for inflation, shouldn’t be much more than $10 a pop,” according to Denton-Hurst.)They have less of a high-cut than Elsy Marie’s, but “they’re high in the way I like, extremely comfy — so much so I wanted to sleep in them — and the high leg feels a little chicer than my almost sporty-feeling Hanes,” Denton-Hurst adds. And while the cotton is on the thicker side, it’s not as thick as Arq underwear she’s also tried (which she likens in feeling to a “swim diaper”). “I often forgot that I was wearing them. And when I wasn’t wearing them, I missed having them on,” she says. Keep in mind that she doesn’t love the tag at the hip, but at least it doesn’t brush against your skin. There’s also the Elance Brief, which former senior editor Margaret Rhodes called “the least risqué panties you’ll ever own” — if you want a similar fit without the French cut.

Sizes: S–L| Cut: Brazilian cut in a mid-rise | Fabric composition: Cotton, elastane | Price: $

It’s been a slow conversion for Strategist updates coordinator Najwa Jamal from “nylon-ridden Victoria’s Secret” to Italian intimates line Intimissimi’s “Ultralight Cotton” (a blend of 87 percent cotton and 13 percent elastane). It’s “very light indeed,” with some verging-on-sheer flesh-toned colors available. Jamal says none of the Ultralight Cotton styles “leave anything hanging or oddly uncovered,” but for the least amount of VPL, she wears the Ultralight Cotton Brazilian daily. (If not the Brazilian, then a G-string or thong style.) It’s like a thong with more coverage. It has flat seams to be especially unseen. There’s often a “buy three, get one free” or “buy five, get three free” rule in effect on Intimissimi’s underwear — or you can stock up during the occasional sale, as she does.

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