Our Hunt for a Unicorn: Non-Thong, Non-Granny, All-Cotton Underwear

AmbarPardilla,seniorwriter

The hipster that pinched me

Fabric composition:100% organic combed ringspun cotton jersey |Sizes: 6-10 (equivalent to 36- to 47-inch hips or pant sizes 4-20)

You wouldn’t think Hanes Pure Comfort Briefs would be as VPL-resistant as they are. To the embarrassment of my family, I kept asking if anyone noticed any lines. Any sign they were not no-show. Youreallycan’t tell, in no small part thanks to the seams. They lie flat and stay put. The fabric is an organic combed ring-spun cotton jersey (similar to the cotton used inJockey’s Elance String Bikini, which is not only a favorite of mine but of the newsletter set, includingCup of Jo’sJoanna GoddardandEarl Earl’sLaurel Pantin). But they remind me of tighty-whities. Based on the size chart, I went with a size 6 — technically a medium — which was recommended for my usual 8-10 pant size. Maybe trying the 7 would’ve helped. It’s snug, nearing tight territory. They’re not uncomfortable, but they could bemorecomfortable.

Fabric composition:93% organic cotton and 7% spandex (with a 100% cotton gusset) |Sizes: XS-3X

Made of a blend of 93 percent organic cotton to 7 percent spandex, ThirdLove’s Organic Cloud Cotton Hipster feels very breathable — important for down there! It’s a magical fabric. The cotton does what cotton’s supposed to do, as does the spandex. I just don’t know about the waistband. It’s this middling width that doesn’t do me any favors. It sits under my belly button, and I kept wanting to pull it up slightly higher for more support. That said, consider it if you’re more intolow rises.

Fabric composition:94% Supima cotton and 6% Lycra |Sizes: XS-XXL

Natori’s Bliss Bare Cotton Bikini is the underwear equivalent ofMister Fantastic. It’s capital-S stretchy. I couldn’t believe it’s 94 percent Supima cotton and 6 percent Lycra at first. It doesn’t ride up. It doesn’t dig. It doesn’t give me a wedgie. I only wish it was more VPL-resistant. I noticed flashes of the elastic sides at certain angles. I thought the coverage was fine otherwise. Traditionally, a bikini shows more than a hipster. This one is quite cheeky, though I preferred the style over Natori’sBliss Bare Cotton High Cut Brief(which isn’t unlike aFrench cut).

Fabric composition:95% organic cotton and 5% spandex |Sizes: XS-3XL

Fabric composition:95% organic cotton and 5% spandex |Sizes: XS-XL

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) |Sizes: 2XS-4XL

I tried on a few styles from Subset, the company formerly known as Knickey — theLow-Rise Bikini,Mid-Rise Hipster,Mid-Rise Brief, andHigh-Rise Brief. But I liked the High-Rise Brief best. I understand whyHike ClerbfounderEvelynn Escobar-Thomassays it’s “the only underwear I want to wear.” I forgot I had it on much of the time, which is the ultimate underwear test. It’s been lovingly referred to as a “granny pantie” by our senior writer,Dominique Pariso, but it’s nottrulya granny pantie. Does it sit high on the hips? Yes. Do you feel held in? Absolutely. But it’s cut to be pretty sexy! I’m not ashamed by how good my butt looks in it. I was aiming for as minimal a panty line as possible. This is about as invisible as I’ve found for mostly cotton underwear, in all my years of underwear testing. I couldn’t see them whether I was wearingsweatpantsor linenpull-ons. I’ll be stocking up (you save $5 with a three-pack and $10 with a six-pack) .

LizaCorsillo,seniorwriter

Fabric composition:100% organic Supima cotton |Sizes:XS-3XL

On paper, Kent’s underwear are incredibly intriguing; they’re the only pair made with 100 percent cotton that I could find in a style I liked. And they are biodegradable, which sets my climate-change-fearing heart aflutter. I tried the same hipsters as Ambar, plus this high-cut pair that has a sexy ’80sFlashdancevibe. The fabric on both pairs is supersoft and breathable. But the edges are finished by rolling the fabric over, which makes them hard and almost sharp feeling. They also cut into me more than any of the other pairs. The hipster fit is not for me. But the others look sexy and cute. They just kind of hurt.

Fabric composition:90% cotton and 10% elastane with 100% organic cotton gusset |Sizes: XXS - 3XL

I love the pale-blue color of these underwear and the barely there printed logo on the hip. The fabric is soft and breathable with an ideal amount of stretch. It’s also thinner than my current Pact underwear, but I haven’t washed them enough yet to know whether the thinner fabric makes them more prone to stretching out over time. I really like how they look when I am standing still in front of the mirror. And even though the front waistband dips down in a V-shape, they still cover my C-section scar and don’t rub against it or bother me at all. They actually feel like very little in the best way. They definitely don’t look like grandma underwear, and they’re pretty sexy thanks to that dip in the front. But in the back they don’t cover as much of my butt as I would like, and when I wore them all day, the lightweight fabric quickly started riding up and giving me a wedgie. I would be more likely to wear these for a date night or to lounge around the house rather than for a full day with a lot of walking. But I feel very cute in them and I like the way the fabric feels, so I think they serve their purpose and are worth the $17 price tag.

Fabric composition:90% cotton and 10% elastane with 100% organic cotton gusset |Sizes: XXS - 3XL

This pair of Organic Basics briefs are made of the same fabric as the brand’s wedgie-prone Flex Cheeky Brief and come in the same ice-blue color that I love. And while the name suggests a high-cut leg opening, they are more like a mid-rise brief or slightly more full-coverage bikini. So they don’t look like grandma underwear, but they’re not incredibly sexy either. They’re pretty comfortable, too, except for the fact that they cut into my hips a tiny bit. I like that they cover my butt more and stay put — no wedgies! They also cover my C-section scar and don’t bother it in any way. Now that I know a bit about the way Organic Basics underwear fits, I’d be curious to try another style from the brand, especially something with a higher waist and higher-cut leg. I like these enough to add them to my collection for everyday wear. But the cut is still pretty basic and not as high as I would like.

Fabric composition:95% organic cotton and 5% spandex |Sizes: XS - XL

These are very similar in cut and shape tomy go-to Pact briefs. They still have an air of granny to them — they are full coverage and look a bit like a 1950s swimsuit bottom. Compared to the Pact briefs, the fabric of the ones from Mate the Label feels slightly bouncier and better at holding me in — not like shapewear but a tiny bit compressive by comparison. They are a little less soft and generally more springy. For that reason, I like them a little better than my Pact undies. They don’t cut into my thighs as much and I have noticed less of a panty line when wearing them. They don’t roll down or ride up or give me a wedgie. I basically forget that I’m wearing them. They also have a slightly nicer-looking cut than the Pact underwear and are generally less diaperish in the back. I would definitely buy these again.

Fabric composition:95% organic cotton and 5% elastane with100% cotton gusset|Sizes: XS - 2XL

Pact’s Organic Everyday High Rise Briefshave been my go-to underwear for the last year and a half. They are super-comfortable and provide ample coverage. I love that they cover and smooth the part of my stomach where my C-section scar is and go all the way over my whole butt. They are soft and slightly stretchy, but they still feel like cotton and are very breathable. Compared to Organic Basics, the fabric feels slightly more sturdy, a tiny bit less stretchy. They have flat small bands around the edges of the legs and the waist that are pretty similar to what’s on the Organic Basics. I love this detail because they only show a little bit under close-fitting clothing and barely at all under jeans or other thick fabrics. I have pairs in gray, black, white, and beige. My main complaint is that they are not the sexiest-looking underwear, though I don’t find them unattractive. I just think they’re pretty modest. Also, over the year and a half that I’ve been wearing them, they have stretched out a bit (however, that might just be what happens with cotton underwear). But they are in good enough shape to still keep wearing for a while. They wash really well, and other than a little bit of looseness to the fabric, they hold their shape.

Fabric composition:94% Pima cotton 6% Lycra elastane with100% cotton gusset|Sizes: XS - 2XL

When these underwear arrived, I immediately knew that they would be in the running for my favorite of the bunch because of the luxurious, almost invisible-feeling fabric, and I slacked Ambar and Tembe to tell them how excited I was to try them. They feel like wearing almost nothing. The fabric is incredibly silky and soft in a way where I started to think,Is this too good to be true?They are in between the Organic Basics and Mate the Label pairs in terms of butt coverage, which feels like a good sweet spot for me. I tried them on in black and beige and think both colors look nice. I love the lace trim and the seam at each hip that gives them more of an angled leg opening and a higher cut that is quite sexy and very comfortable. It also makes them lie flatter, which reduces any panty lines.

The front waistband sits about two inches below my belly button and two inches above my C-section scar, so it doesn’t rub against the scar at all. In the back, there’s a bit less coverage than the Mate the Label and Pact, which I like because they’re a little cheeky without riding up or giving me a wedgie. They wash very well, but because I like them so much, I’ve been hanging them to dry, so I don’t know how they do in the dryer.

TembeDenton-Hurst,writer

Fabric composition:95% organic cotton and 5% elastane |Sizes: XXS-XXXL

I like the idea of a high leg, but even though these worked pretty well for Liza, they were too teensy for me. They didn’t hold my lower stomach in the way that I’m used to, and I knew if I wore them out I’d spend the night looking for discreet corners to pull a wedgie out. It’s possible I needed to go a size up in this style. I bought a XXL, which I chose based on my measurements, but a XXXL might have been a better fit for my particular body type: I have narrowish hips, a full belly, and a smaller butt.

Fabric composition:95% organic cotton and 5% elastane |Sizes: 5-9 (equivalent to XS-XXL)

Jockey also makes a cotton high-cut style, which has a thicker, fabric-covered waistband and full coverage. These are a bit stretchier than the Elance French Cut, which makes sense given the higher elastane percentage. I liked these, as they’re generally comfortable, but they ride up whenever I do a higher-intensity activity like brisk walking or working out. I do like the fit; they’re perfectly snug. I just wish they stayed in place when I moved around.

Fabric composition:95% organic cotton and 5% elastane |Sizes: XXS-XXXXL

From the moment I slipped these on, I identified them as underwear I would be fine to show other people. Of all the underwear I tried, these had the thinnest waist band, which I ended up liking more than I expected. I’m used to something chunky and reinforced, and while I like that, this was a welcome switch-up. These feel like the most satisfying replacement for Skims underwear that I’ve tried and liked, which make me feel put-together, even though I’m the only one who knows I’m wearing them. The fabric is whisper thin, which I rarely experience with cotton underwear. They feel remarkably lightweight. The one thing I didn’t love is that they ride up just a bit. Walking around is pretty comfortable, but after a few hours of sitting in them, I noticed they’d eventually start to give me a bit of a wedgie. That said, they made me feel good, so it’s likely I’ll whip them next time my wife and I go out or I have the urge to feel cute.

Fabric composition:94% cotton, 6% Spandex |Sizes: S-XL

These are some of the stretchiest underwear I tried. They contain 6 percent spandex, which is definitely noticeable in the fit. I liked how these felt on — ultrasoft and very comfortable. They don’t ride up and are so thin I barely notice them relative to whatever bottoms I have on. Fit-wise, I love them, but these aren’t underwear I would buy in bulk. I generally prefer solid fabrics, and I don’t love the look or feel of lace — or in this case, crochet trim. So while I liked these more generally, that stopped me from fully falling in love with these. I’m also not a big fan of the price. At $25, these are the most expensive pair I tried, and I can’t imagine wanting to spend that much with any consistency. The brand often discounts a color or two, but I am working toward a neutral-colored underwear drawer (mostly blacks and whites, maybe some grays), so this isn’t really appealing to me.

Fabric composition:94% pima cotton, 6% Lycra |Sizes: XS-XXL

These weren’t initially on my radar, but when Liza mentioned that she loved them, I immediately went out and purchased two pairs. I got both the lace and the flat waistband options but ended up testing the thin-band ones (as I said, I don’t love lace!). These were the most invisible feeling of the bunch, and I loved the fit. They come up pretty high, which I like, and the high leg stops them from feeling frumpy. I can’t wait to wear these under delicate fabrics, and I look forward to collecting a week’s worth of pairs over time. These are $22 each, a little more expensive than I’d like, but well worth the investment.

Fabric composition:100% cotton |Sizes: 5-7 (equivalent to S-L)

Now these are a high cut I can get behind. I am not ashamed to say I love pack underwear. There’s something nostalgic about them and I like that I can grab them just about anywhere and it’s never eye-wateringly expensive. My biggest gripe with the other underwear I tried for this hunt was the price. 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. A three-pack of these Jockeys is $27, which nets out to $9/pair, which works for me.

Of all the pairs I tried, these had the thickest cotton, but it wasn’t as thick as some underwear I own from Arq, which I’ve likened to a swim diaper. These are a similar weight to my go-to Hanes and maybe a touch softer (it’s hard to tell given that my Hanes have gone through the wash at least 50 times). When I put them on, I immediately felt that I’d stumbled onto something good. 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. I often forgot that I was wearing them. and when I wasn’t wearing them, I missed having them on.

I do have two issues: The first is that they feel a little baggy in the butt. It’s slight, we’re talking less than a pinch of fabric, but still, I like a snug fit. I think I might be able to get away with wearing a smaller size in these, especially as they stretch out over time. (Otherwise, the fit is perfect.) The second issue is my main complaint, and this might seem dramatic, but there’s a dumb tag at the hip. This doesn’t interfere with anything functional, but it’s hard on the eyeballs. The tag isn’t removable, and it doesn’t lay flat, so every once in a while I brush against the underwear equivalent of a skin tag and I’m disappointed. This won’t stop me from buying more, but let the record show, I’m unhappy about it.

Strategistreader-recommendedcotton-blendunderwear