The Vine: August 29, 2008
Foundation-garment fun times Friday!
Hi Sars,
Sorry to launch into TMI territory here, but I need help. I react badly to synthetic fibres in underpants. Unfortunately, the brand I usually wear appears to have been discontinued and I’m struggling to find any that aren’t voluminous granny pants.
So I’m hoping the readers can help with suggestions for a 100% cotton (no Elastaine,
Lycra or Nylon) hipster women’s undies available in black that fit snugly and are not too expensive, which can preferably be ordered online. I’ve tried trawling Amazon, but it’s tricky to search by fabric and I’d feel more comfortable buying something that comes with a recommendation.
Don’t make me go out Britney/Lindsay style
Dear Brit,
Although I go with primarily a 2%-stretch undie these days, all-cotton brands I’ve had some luck with include Victoria’s Secret classic bikini (comes in a kabillion colors; frequently on fire sale), and…well, crap, two brands that don’t seem to come in 100% cotton anymore, Calvin Klein and Old Navy.I can’t say I’m super-disappointed about the latter; ON undies tend to get jammed on the “auto-wedgie” setting after a couple of washings.The Gap has a satin-trim cotton bikini that might work, if 1) a string bikini is okay with you (I hate them) and 2) the satin won’t set off your system.
Another place you might try is onehanesplace.com.The granny quotient is pretty high, but you can get sweet deals on utilitarian underthings if you’re patient.
My last suggestion, which is more of an ongoing suggestion: flea markets, the kind that have everything from rugs to antique farm implements to crappy DVDs.At that kind of flea, you’ll see several huge tables full of discontinued clothes and makeup; for years, nobody in my family wore a sock that had not been purchased by the pound, and half my nail polish is perfectly good Avon stuff that cost a buck for three bottles.And if it’s fugly, it…cost a buck for three bottles.
Glamorous it ain’t, but next time you’re at a flea market, keep your eyes open.
Readers?
Hi Sarah,
I know that Ask The Readers has touched on the tights issue before, and that you’ve also taken the general populace to task for confusing “earwax a-go-go” with “nude” when it comes to nylons. But, off that second point, I don’t think I’ve seen this addressed: is there a company that makes truly nude hose? As in, colourless?
There are certain shoes I own that I simply cannot wear with bare feet, but I am so pale that finding hose that match my skin-tone is nearly impossible (and black tights don’t work with every outfit). I don’t understand how we can have clear polymers for things like umbrellas and nail polish but not for nylons. The closest I have come is Jockey’s “Antique White” (which should give you some idea of the colour I’m trying to match) but if your wise readers have any suggestions, I’d be very grateful.
The only other requirement is that they not be stay-ups or require garter belts; those things are fun but not something I want to deal with at the office.
Caution: Pasty Legs. May Cause Blindness In Direct Sunlight.
Dear Paste,
My dilemma with the truly nude hose is this: it is eminently possible to find a pair that is sheer enough that, if the skin tone isn’t an exact match, it doesn’t matter, because the material is so thin that your actual skin tone does the work.My issue is that when I wear pantyhose, I wear them; I am clumsy, I wear big rings, and the money I spend on a good pair of super-sheer hose is wasted inside of ten minutes when I snag them on a notebook spiral.
So, I just buy whatever “nude” hose are on sale and have a control toe that looks like it’s made of Kevlar, wear them with big boots, and decide not to care that my legs look like wood paneling sometimes.For you, I’d suggest 1) Hanes Silk Reflections Transparent Sheer (big tone gap between the “Light” and “Fair” options, and sure enoughthat’s where my skin lives, but “Light” is fine for me); 2) Hue sheers (made tough, but prone to crotch-sag depending on your body type; if you have narrow hips, beware); or 3) DKNY The Nudes (control top or nude-to-waist).DKNY is great for hosiery but I just don’t usually want to spend that much.
Readers?
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty retail
@ Brit, Fruit of the Loom has 100% cotton hipsters. They might not ONLY come in black though. But I can guarantee they are comfy and don’t wedge or sag. http://tinyurl.com/6lc7yv
@ Paste, I can’t say enough good things about http://www.welovecolors.com
I second the Victoria’s Secret underwear with reservations. They’ve been fine for me, but friends who bought some more recently have said that they fall apart quickly.
As for the hose, I also have pasty, pasty skin and a job that occasionally requires wearing pantyhose. I’ve had luck with both Hue and the Nordstrom house brand. If you live near a Nordstrom Rack, you can usually get them 3/$10.
@ Brit — American Apparel (www.americanapparel.net), has 100% cotton underwear which is far from voluminous or granny like. Their sustainable organic version (which is on sale right now). I can’t speak to their underwear, but I do have a couple skirts by them, and my dad has two shirts that I got him that he wears to death. They are also 100% sweatshop free. The only recommendation I would make would be to buy a size up as they tend to run kind of small.
May I sneak a piggyback question in for the readers?
Is there a brand/type of nude hose that does NOT swish/swish when you walk if you are blessed with generous thighs?
I have black opaque microfibre tights that are fine, but every brand of nude i’ve tried announces my presence 5 seconds before I arrive as I walk down the corridor at work…
Brit – Jockey makes a nice string bikini (“Elance” style, or something) in 100% cotton. They’re sold in 3-packs and, fortunately for my sanity, you can get a pack with all-black. (They also sell variety packs with horrible prints, and an all-white pack.)
Jockey’s website seems to have a bunch of other 100% cotton styles, and quite a few that aren’t granny; it’s worth a look.
Paste: I am also blindingly pale and I’ve had good luck with off-white hose. If they’re sheer enough, they don’t look white because your skin color (such as it is) shows through.
I must second the Jockey suggestion. They last forever and are pretty comfy.
I have the string bikini’s and they NEVER ride up.
Christina beat me to the American Apparel recommendation, but I’d like to share my experience with them anyway. 100% cotton yes, comes in various colors, yes. But for me, they fit poorly (tended to fall off) and several pairs developed holes only a few months after I bought them. YMMV because a few pairs are still doing fine, and I have not much booty so that’s probably why they fall off. (Yes, they were the smallest size.)
(I’ve switched to Lands End which unfortunately is neither 100% cotton — small % spandex, which I like but clearly not useful for Brit — or sweatshop-free.)
You just made my day — I’m also a pasty girl who has trouble finding natural-looking hose, and I’m definitely ordering some Hue pantyhose. (The narrow hips thing is not a problem for me!)
My job requires daily pantyhose, and I am so pale I have to avoid black turtlenecks lest I be mistaken for a mime. I have been satisfied with Hanes hosiery in “Travel Buff” which is nudier than their nude, and can be worn with beige skirt suits without shame.
@Paste – Back when I worked at Dillard’s and was forced to wear hose every day, Hanes sheers in Buff was a pretty good match for my pasty legs. That was over ten years ago, though, so not sure if they still come in that shade. Nowadays, I just don’t wear pantyhose. For really hurty shoes, I either wear those little half-sock thingies (they come in toeless varieties), or I just slather my feet in Band-Aid Blister Block.
bluecanoe.com has some comfortable un-granny 100% organic cotton panties.
@ Paste: I’ve had good luck recently with, of all things, Wal-Mart’s “George” brand pantyhose. I’m brain-farting on the name of the color that I buy–it’s either “Nude” or “Oatmeal.” Whatever it’s called, it looks decent on my pasty legs. They don’t last forever for me, but if I’d buy a freakin’ lingerie bag, they might, and in any case they’re not expensive.
@ Teacold: It seems to me that the heavier, higher-Lycra-content, “support” type hose are swishier than the more sheer types, especially with a lined skirt, which swishes like crazy anyway. Maybe a sheerer style or a sheer-to-waist instead of control top?
I’ve had problems with Hanes falling apart – the body separates from the waistband – talk about “droopy drawers”!
The Jockey undies I tried had really tight elastic in the legs – very uncomfortable.
Fruit of the Loom seem to be holding up pretty well.
I’ve recently discovered that I can get great, cute underwear super cheap at Forever 21. They have some simple 100% cotton boyshorts (http://tiny.cc/ZHBPD) that are only $2.50 each plus tons of other panties and thongs in all kinds of prints and colors. I prefer to order them online because the stores are disorganized and scary. I actually took advantage of a free shipping deal a few months ago and replaced ALL of my old raggedy underwear.
@Jennifer:
“I am so pale I have to avoid black turtlenecks lest I be mistaken for a mime.”
Ha! Thanks for summing it up succinctly. I suffer from the same problem.
Something-less-than-thanks for the coffee that is now swirling around in my sinuses!
I second the Hanes “Travel Buff” recommendation.
Is there a brand/type of nude hose that does NOT swish/swish when you walk if you are blessed with generous thighs?
Not a brand recommendation, but try putting lotion right over your hose. Stops static, the swishing noise, and any rubbing you might have when you walk. The problem is that you’ll have to retreat to the bathroom to reapply, since you can’t exactly stick your hand up your skirt and between your thighs at your desk.
@Jean – Where do you buy your Blister Block? I ran out and I haven’t been able to find it anywhere.
Not specifically a color recommendation–I’m of a relatively neutral shade, in general–but in response to Sars: one thing I miss miss miss about NYC is this one off brand of hose they had at Duane Reade. They were super inexpensive, practically disposable, which is nice for those of us who WEAR our hose, yes, but the true wonder was the fact that they hit at a normal hip height, like where pants end, and had a soft, wide band that didn’t cut into me at all. At all! Normal hose make me want to kill someone within about ten minutes with the high waist and the squeezing…these I could ignore all day long. They were like a miracle. I’m sorry I don’t remember the brand name, but they came in a flat white package and had a little heart on the waist band. I don’t see them on the web site, but NOTHING comes up under hosiery, so maybe they’re still in the stores.
@ Brit
http://www.decentexposures.com
I’ve gotten things from them a couple of times, and it takes *years* for them to wear out. The have a variety of styles in a broad range of sizes and colors.
They have good labor practices too. In case that you’re one of those folks who prefer to have ethical undies.
Nude fishnets– you need nude fishnets. I, too, am as pasty and pale as the day is long, and nude fishnets are the best thing I have found. The actual color of the fishnets is not the same as my skin, but the mesh-ness of them makes the non-matching much less obvious. Plus, they do not strangle you or make that awful schritchy noise, like traditional hose. Try Target when their fall hosiery comes out, or a big department store.
Cara, if you can’t find Blister Block at the drugstore, you can buy Body Glide at a sporting goods or running shoe store. It’s the same thing, intended for runners to use on their feet to prevent blisters.
@Brit:
I cannot say enough about Victoria’s Secret hi-leg brief. I discovered them about 5 years ago, and I still have all my pairs from that time. They are SUPER-comfortable (I never feel the waistband) and, like The Tick, nigh-invulnerable. Even though they’ve been washed countless times and I wore them through 6 months of my pregnancy, they still look as good and fit as well as they did when I first got them.
Best of all, I have been completely WEDGIE-FREE for 5 years! God bless America!
Paste: I am the whitest white girl that ever whited and have to wear hose to work every day. I generally buy 3-packs of Hanes Silk Reflections in Travel Buff. If you’re willing to spend more, Ann Taylor’s ivory-colored hose ends up looking clear on my pasty, pasty legs.
Joe Boxer and Fruit of the Loom both make really comfy cotton undies in bikini styles, so they’re not huge. I’m pretty sure they’re 100% cotton. I mean, there’s elastic in the band, but the undies themselves are only cotton, I think.
My all-time favourite knickers are from the Elle MacPherson range – the cotton hipster briefs and thongs. They are super comfortable, and the thongs are great and don’t ride up over jeans.
Re: Blister block. Band-Aid has been out of stock on this for at least a couple of months; I’ve even called their corporate offices and was unable to get a back-in-production date.
Happily, BodyGlide is indeed the same stuff, and comes in a bigger stick for less money. And Amazon carries it.
re: natural panties
Check out Decent Exposures. They specialize in all natural underthings, and outer things, as well as custom fits on many things.
http://www.decentexposures.com/
By the by, if you’re a hard-to-fit bra size and would crawl a mile over flaming glass for a soft cotton or cottonoid bra that looks kinda like a sports bra but gives only light support? (Ladies who have ever worn the Goddess brand, this is the exact polar opposite.) Decent Exposures bras will fit your bill.
Brit: Herroom.com is a lingerie site that will allow you to search by “100% cotton”. Plenty of granny styles, yes, but also plenty of non.
Seconding Jess’s suggestion of nude fishnets. I got a great pair at Target two winters ago and wore them till there were holes in them. Ideal for fair skinned types and for those of us who hate hose, even though we sometimes benefit from the control top!
I second the Jockey love. And although they aren’t cheap. They wear like iron.
Levante Velatissima Stay Ups in Naturel. There is a SLIGHT tint, but they are only 10 dernier so it’s barely noticeable. I am very very pale, trust me on these, they are the only ones I can wear. And additionally, they are also nearly impossible to ladder, which makes up for the somewhat horrifying price.
@Mer: I, too, heartily endorse the Decent Exposures, but I think they give fabulous support. I’m a 38H regularly, and when pregnant / nursing I went up to a 40J (the J stands for “Jesus God those are some big hooters”), and I found that DE fit the bill. There’s not a lot of lift and separate going on, to be sure, but they are no-wire and supremely comfortable, so much so that I can (and do) sleep in them. Plus! Sweatshop free made in Seattle by local ladies who get a living wage + benefits & childcare, even when working part time.
I buy every pair of DKNY The Nudes I can find at Marshalls/TJs/Ross/Filenes Basement,etc. They are the best, but I can’t condone paying full price for them. The Hanes Travel Buff ones are good too. Calvin Klein has a nice nude too, but they last a day. I think the main thing is to avoid anything shiny or sheeny — and to make sure that you don’t go the “I’m so pale I need to get the white” route. You wind up looking like a 1950s nurse, or a six year old.
oh, and does anyone remember when Banana Republic was in the panty biz? I still miss those all-cotton camisoles, and have never found a suitable replacement. It’s all in the cut below the armpit…
Oh – I also vote for nude fishnets! And they look funkier than normal nude pantihose.
I third the Decent Exposures love. Haven’t tried their undies yet (although I’ll be all over them when my current crop wear out), but they look like they’ll fit Brit’s style requirements if plain (but not granny) is OK. And their bras are saving my 52H life, oy.
“Paste” here: Thanks to everyone for the suggestions! Being a Canuck I don’t have Nordstrom or Target (dagnabbit) at my disposal, but I will keep my eyes open for the brands mentioned, and I’m glad to hear about the nude fishnets; they might not work with every outfit I need them for, but they seem pretty sexy and I’ve always wanted to try them out.
prone to crotch-sag depending on your body type; if you have narrow hips, beware
I most definitely don’t have narrow hips, and have come to accept the fact that all tights that fit me will a) come up to my armpits, and b) involve what my mother calls “crotch-drop.” I was talking with a friend who is six feet tall and makes fun of me for my small feet and short legs about the crotch-drop phenomenon and she said (paraphrased) “If that happens to you, what hope do I have?” I’d never really realized what a trial it is for tall girls to find pantyhose.
Also, it wasn’t my question, but I’m enjoying the lingerie answers as well. Now, if only someone can find a shop that makes bras in larger-than-DD-size that don’t cost me a kidney…
I also heartily recommend the Hanes Travel Buff, it just works so well for us pale girls.
@ Teacold:
To keep pantyhose from making the swish-swish noise, try wearing them inside-out. It works for me!
@Brit: I don’t see it mentioned above, but you might want to check out http://www.barenecessities.com/ They have jillions of styles/cuts/etc. I recently went bra hunting there, and they gave me tons of options. Also, my bf swears by it, since most stores don’t seem to carry tall undershirts anymore.