How to Choose Comfortable Underwear for Everyday Wear

Choosing your underwear shouldn't be an afterthought, but you shouldn't have to think too hard about it either. Once you choose what you think is the perfect panty and put it on, you should barely notice it, if at all. If your underwear is riding up or digging in, forgetting that it's there is pretty hard to do. With so many coverage levels and fabric types available, everyone's favorite looks different. But everyone's favorite pair has one thing in common - it's comfortable.

Finding comfortable underwear for everyday wear can often feel like an eternal quest for simplicity and ease. Use our everyday underwear guide for how to best choose your next favorite pair so you never have to think about your base layers again.

1. What Makes Underwear Comfortable?

Fit

Finding the right size and silhouette for your body can make or break the comfort of your undergarments. Wearing underwear that should be comfortable in the wrong size is counterintuitive to your goal.

So, how should underwear fit?

If you are constantly adjusting, and your underwear is riding up, digging into your hips, or rolling down at the waist, chances are you are in the wrong size or cut for your body. Use our Underwear Size Guide to measure your waist and hips accurately for a solid start on a distraction-free fit.

Fabric

Your underwear is in direct contact with your most sensitive areas, so breathability is non-negotiable. Additionally, finding fabrics that are OEKO-TEX certified means they have been tested and are free of harmful substances. Look for ultra-soft, breathable materials and lightweight fabrics with multi-way stretch. Along with fabrics, underwear construction also comes into play, and flat or bonded seams ensure your underwear moves with your body instead of working against it, while also promising invisibility under clothes.

Bottom line: fabric should feel good on the skin and contribute to your overall well-being. Or it's not worth wearing.

Coverage

It's a preference, and there is no right answer for everyday underwear. Whether you prefer full coverage, a cheekier cut, or a high-waisted feel often comes down to personal comfort and the clothes you are wearing over them.

If you prefer a secure, held-in feeling, high-rise cuts or gentle smoothing fabrics can offer that extra bit of supportive comfort throughout the day. If you hate any feeling of restriction, low-rise styles or weightless, ultra-stretch fabrics may be your go-to.

Ultimately, comfortable underwear is different for everyone and may even vary for you personally, from day to day and outfit to outfit. Once you have an arsenal of comfortable underwear in your drawer, choose what feels best given your current daily priorities.

2. Breathability: What Fabrics Work Best?

Light and breathable underwear fabrics that promote airflow are key for women's health, with moisture-wicking properties a huge bonus. This quick-drying component helps to keep you cool and dry throughout the day, but can also simplify vacation packing. If your underwear dries quickly after a wash, you can pack less and save room for the rest. This lightness also ensures a second-skin feel, almost weightless to the touch and on the body. Look specifically for breathable fabrics at the gusset, where it matters the most.

Additionally, a fabric with 360-degree stretch is ideal for adaptability to your body, allowing not only for daily movement but for body changes and fluctuations. No one wants to have to buy new underwear over typical monthly water retention or weight variances. Ultra-stretch fabrics that also retain their shape after stretching allow for ultimate flexibility alongside longevity.

3. Why Does Underwear Bunch or Ride Up?

Underwear that rides up or bunches isn't just uncomfortable; it can be embarrassing. Not only is it visible under clothes, but finding a way to adjust, or dare I say dig, politely (in public?!), is an art in and of itself. Although it shouldn't happen, riding and bunching can happen for many reasons.

1. The size is off. Even the perfect pair worn in a size that is too big or too small means the garment won't behave as it was originally intended.

2. The silhouette is off. As we discussed above, there is a shape for all shapes out there. But knowing what you like and what works best for your body is important. Also, some shapes more naturally 'ride up,' like a thong or a cheekini, and not everyone minds that. If you want something with absolute containment, stick to fuller coverage.

3. The fabric and finishes are off. Finding a fabric with strong retention means that even with the stretch needed to hug your silhouette, it maintains its shape throughout the day. Construction that allows a slight grip or hug around the body is perfect for maintaining placement without digging or cutting into the skin.

4. It’s time for new underwear. Even the best underwear has a lifespan. The fibers and elastic within the garment can only retain their shape for so long. So if a pair that once fit perfectly is starting to ride up, bunch, or lose its shape, it might simply be time for a replacement. Even the right size and silhouette won’t behave as intended once the fibers have worn down.
   
   

Underwear that doesn't bunch absolutely exists, but finding it means also getting these foundational elements right first.

4. What Makes Underwear Stay in Place?

If underwear isn't bunching or riding, that means that it's staying put. Underwear that doesn't move, that offers a secure fit, is one of the most important facets of comfort. Again, you want to be able to forget that it's there. The more that your underwear moves, the more you will be aware of it.

Finding underwear construction to support a stay-put fit is key. You can be in the right size and silhouette, and yet the design itself could still work against your stay-in-place underwear goals.

360-stretch fabric that easily hugs your curves, but also bounces back to keep its shape after wear, is ideal for no-slip underwear. If your underwear maintains its shape throughout the day, it is less likely to fall down or bunch up due to bagginess. Flat finishes, such as bonding at the waist and leg, help to hold the underwear in place. Stretch through this bonding is important to prevent pressing or digging into the skin, to ensure comfort and a seamless look under clothes.

5. Finding Your Ideal Everyday Underwear

SoftStretch: A Comfortable One-Size Underwear That Doesn't Dig In encapsulates all that comfortable everyday underwear should be. With unparalleled 360-degree stretch, these OEKO-TEX certified 'magic panties' respect your body's curves by adapting to your individual shape and size, so one size can fit XS-XL. The Plus hipster and brief cover 1X to 4X in just one size as well. This one-size system does exactly what we want our underwear to do - simplify our everyday. It's guaranteed comfort and no-dig fit is achieved through airy and breathable fabrics, moisture-wicking lightness, stretch bonding that holds everything in place without digging, and stretch through all that life has to offer.

With 8 different silhouettes available (hipster, high waist brief, thong, bikini, hi-cut, high waist thong, cheekini, and boyshort), there is truly a shape for all shapes. If you are looking for the best everyday underwear, look no further than SoftStretch.