Lane Bryant Has Surprisingly Great High-Waisted Underwear
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Like many people, when I reach into my underwear drawer, all I want is to pull out a pair that fits perfectly and feels almost invisible. More specifically, I want my underwear to have a smooth waistband that doesn’t slip down or make my stomach bulge over itanddoesn’t ride up my crack. And high-waisted — like,reallyhigh-waisted, so it hits a few inches above my belly button — because I have a long torso and am a plus-size woman who doesn’t have time to be tugging my underwear up or down.
The pairs I’ve liked best have all been from Cacique by Lane Bryant (also the maker of myfavorite brassince I was a teenager). The brand makes many underwear styles, including a few high-waisted ones. After a recent clean out of all the ill-fitting and past-their-due-date pairs from my underwear drawer, I decided it was time to see how the current Cacique lineup compared to my favorites, so I tried every high-waisted pair it has (except a lace-waistband version that was out of stock).
I tried them all on both solo and underneath pants and dresses to make sure the “no-show” really didn’t show and that nothing rode up or fell down when I was walking my dogs ordoing the Glambot. Everything I tried was true to size (I’m an 18/20, but all are available in sizes 14/16 to 38/40) with a wide gusset (on average three inches in the center) and had no-pinch, no-roll stretchy elastic that didn’t make me feel like a sausage roll. The tags are printed inside so nothing could poke me, either. Here’s a rundown of the different styles and how they look and feel, including one not specifically marketed as high-waisted that fit the bill.
The ones I liked best
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This is the highest-waisted style that Lane Bryant carries. It sat almost seven inches above my belly button — and I have a long torso and low hips. It has a very thin half-inch waistband yet didn’t cause any bulging or overflow of my jiggly tummy, even when I sat down. No slipping down, no digging into my skin, and truly invisible underneath thin pants, a dress, and a skirt. These felt like wearing nothing, yet I felt supported by the soft, smooth, stretchy fabric (which is 92 percent recycled nylon and 8 percent spandex, with a cotton gusset for breathability). The only negative I found is that if you wear bottoms not quite as high-waisted as these, the waistband may peek out. The other high-waisted styles sit a little lower yet have the same support and comfort. This style comes in nine colors and patterns.
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The recycled nylon of the No-Show High-Waist brief above issosoft, but the fabric of the Comfort Bliss is the softest I’ve ever felt. It’s made of 84 percent nylon and 16 percent spandex and is as sheer as you can get without flashing anyone. It was so comfortable it felt like I was going commando. The 1¼-inch waistband didn’t dig in or fall down and sat about five inches above my belly button and just above my natural waist. I couldn’t detect any panty lines under pants, shorts, or a dress I wore over it. And the underwear stayed put when I walked my dogs and ran errands. The Comfort Bliss comes in 17 colors and patterns. The five-pack listed here is more limited in color options but a better value ($7.50 a pair, compared to $12.50 to $14.50 each à la carte). Even though it doesn’t say “high-waisted” on the product page, the pack I received all had “Comfort Bliss High-Waist Brief” on the tags and were exactly the same style.
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In the summer I am all about cotton for comfort and coolness, and these panties, which are 95 percent cotton, 5 percent spandex, would be ideal for heavy rotation then. The major difference between these and other Lane Bryant panties is the branding: a Cacique logo all the way around the waistband. The elastic is slightly tighter and wider (about one inch) than the No-Show, but I still didn’t experience any panty lines, bulging, or digging into my skin. It sat about five inches from my belly button and slightly above my natural waist. Even though they’re not marketed as such, these also did not show underneath multiple outfits I tried on. This style comes in 25 colors.
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Even though this has the same name and fabric composition as the style above, the five-pack version has two differences. First, the price per panty is significantly lower for these, and second, the waistband is skinnier (about a quarter-inch) and sat about four inches from my belly button and at my natural waist. I found this panty better for outfits that are notashigh-waisted and couldn’t detect panty lines under either a dress or pants. The five-pack comes in four different color combinations.
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Every pair I tried from this list was supportive, but the wider, almost two-inch waistband (which also has the Cacique logo emblazoned on it) on these panties gave the firmest hold. Like the other cotton styles, they were made of the same 95 percent cotton, 5 percent spandex fabric, and were similarly comfortable. They also stayed put just as well, but the waistband was visible through thin or light-colored pants and sat about five inches above my belly button. These will be in rotation but at the back of the drawer. They come in 11 colors and patterns.
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