The Very Best Women’s Underwear

Sizes: 4–7 (equivalent to 0–14) | Cut: Bikini, low-rise or high-rise | Material: Cotton | Price: $

If you’ve been reading the Strategist long enough, you might recall that I’m a longtime fan of Commando underwear. But a new pair has uncrowned them as my pick for the Best Women’s Underwear Overall: Jockey’s Elance String Bikini. For $24 per three-pack at full price — and often on sale for as low as $10 — you can easily stock up. (I’m usually wary of super-cheap buy-in-bulk prices because they can make a product feel so expendable, but this one’s an exception.) Low price aside, these undies don’t actually feel cheap. Made from 100 percent cotton, they’re comfortable and breathable. The cut might be called a bikini, but it’s closer to a brief, with full coverage in the back and a fairly adjustable rise: You can pull the string sides up high above your hips, but I like to wear them lower, below my belly button. They stay put too. Because the bikinis are in the Elance line, the elastic at the waist is covered with comfy cotton. I like that the logo tag is on the outside of the bikini instead of the inside, so nothing’s rubbing against my behind. (I can get plucky about this.) I do wish these came in more sizes — Jockey’s scale of sizes 4 through 7 is the equivalent of 0 through 14. Still, for the price, it’s hard to do much better. You don’t have to just take my word for it, either. Joanna Goddard, creator of Cup of Jo and the newsletter Big Salad, read about the string-bikini style in Laurel Pantin’s newsletter, “which surprised me because she has such particular and exquisite taste, and she was like, ‘Jockey underwear!’” Goddard ordered a bunch afterward and now counts the underwear as something she can’t live without.

Sizes: XS/S–L/XL| Cut: Bikini, lower rise, seamless edges | Material: Cotton, elastane | Price: $$$

Behind the scenes, I considered almost 60 pairs of underwear, and Commando, famous for a right-there-in-the-name, gone-commando fit, was the brand that was recommended to me the most. “If you’ve ever wondered what the stars on the red carpet were wearing underneath those sheer, unforgiving gowns, the answer is almost certainly a pair of Commandos,” explains costume designer Alison Freer.

If you can swing a splurge, I think a Commando undie is well worth it. I know, I know: $36 makes for a pricey panty. But the brand’s ultrasmoothing and super-comfortable Cotton Bikini is an upgrade to your underwear drawer for sure. It has seamless edges and a not-too-cheeky cut that doesn’t leave any panty lines, lies flat, and stays put. Overall, they are thinner and more invisible than the Jockeys. The fabric is a blend of cotton and elastane that’s very stretchy but doesn’t ever sag, even after regular washings. I have worn Commandos for over a year now, and I can say that, across the board, the quality’s there for the price. Like Jockey’s bikini, the size range on Commando’s bikini tops out at a L/XL. They’re pretty much perfect otherwise.

Sizes: 4–11 (equivalent to 0–24) with plus-size version here | Cut: Brief with a high rise | Material: Cotton | Price: $

Unlike Jockey’s string-bikini style, there’s absolutely nothing sexy about its Elance brief. It’s the granniest of granny panties, with a very high rise, full back coverage, and lots of wallpaper-esque patterns like one dubbed “ditsy daisy.” Former Strategist senior editor Margaret Rhodes called these “the least risqué panties you’ll ever own.” The briefs hug my midsection without feeling uncomfortable in the slightest. They give me the support that a barely-there bikini won’t. “When I put them on, I feel as cocooned as ever,” adds Rhodes. The briefs are also available in more sizes than the Elance string bikinis — they go up to the equivalent of plus-size 24. A real bargain, a three-pack runs you $24 while a six-pack is $40.

Sizes: XS–XL | Cut: Bikini, low-rise with dipped waistband | Material: Modal, elastane | Price: $$

Free People’s in-house intimates line, Intimately, tends to be either super-sporty or effervescently frilly, but this bikini is a good in-between. It’s impossibly soft, made from a modal that’s light against the skin. Even with the seams and trimmings, plus a cheekier cut, there are no unseemly lines to be seen. (I even wore them underneath a sheathlike dress to be sure.) The low-rise, dipped waistband — sitting on my hip bone — keeps the underwear from peeking out of my jeans. The cut is lower than Commando’s, which I thought I would be uncomfortable with at first, but the underwear is still supportive enough with fuller coverage so that nothing’s hanging out. And I have been surprised at how well the briefs have held their shape, with no frayed edges, after once-a-week washes and close to a year’s worth of wear. For $16, that’s impressive. Even better: Free People has three-for-$30 and five-for-$45 deals to bring down the price per pair.

Sizes: XXS–4X | Cut: Tanga with higher-cut leg | Material: Cotton, elastane | Price: $$

A tanga cut is between a brief and thong. Like Commando’s Cotton Brief, the Cotton Jersey Cheeky Tanga from Skims gives you medium back coverage, with a cheekier cut that doesn’t make a visible panty line, according to Strategist associate editor Jenna Milliner-Waddell. “The rise in the front comes about to right under my belly button,” Milliner-Waddell says, “without feeling like I’m in granny panties.” There’s no riding up or rolling down, either. The style comes in more sizes (XXS to 4X) than either Jockey or Commando. Plus, you can pick from soothing colors like “mineral” and “kyanite,” along with limited-edition hues that are ever-changing. Milliner-Waddell did notice that her pair seemed to get thinner on the first wash but have held up nicely since. You can get one pair for $20 or three pairs for $36 (exactly what the best-overall Commandos cost at full price).

Sizes: XXS–XXL | Cut: Brief-boyshort, mid-rise | Material: Nylon, elastane | Price: $

Aerie’s underwear is much loved among Strategist staffers. Because Aerie has a “seven for $30” deal, you can usually buy all its styles in bulk for cheap. Its Boybrief, a cross between a brief and a boyshort, caught my eye. Although this style is available in only two colors (a nude called “sand” and black), Lauren Chan, founder of plus-size womenswear company Henning, owns about 20 of them. In addition to being soft and lightweight, they have a mid-rise, low-cut leg opening, and full bum coverage that Chan considers to be the perfect silhouette — one that’s not always easy to find with the high-rise, high-cut legs popular these days. These come in a colorful crossover version that Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen likes for its ultra-flattering waistband. The “airy” pair also served Goertzen well during a bachelorette trip to Vegas when she wore them beneath a mesh dress that was a “tad see-through.” Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio owns several pairs, liking their minimal appearance. “I’m extremely averse to logos on my underwear,” she says.

Sizes: XS–XXL (equivalent to 0–18) | Cut: Thong, mid-rise | Material: Mesh, spandex | Price: $$

Thongs are probably the most polarizing panty. Originally I awarded the “best thong” medal to Hanky Panky, but now I stand by Tommy John holding the title instead. I especially appreciate that this thong comes in a range of sizes — and is offered in a three-for-$54 set — in contrast to Hanky Panky’s one size-fits-all approach. (Strategist editor Maxine Builder, an avowed fan, advises checking this more thorough size guide rather than the one on the product page to make sure you get the best fit.) The phrase comfortable thong has historically been an oxymoron in my mind, but for the sake of due diligence in my research for this guide, I tested out Tommy John’s Air thong after Builder evangelized it. (Builder credits the material — “the lightest, softest mesh you’ve ever touched” that also happens to be “no show whatsoever.”) There’s decent coverage to the pair — about the same in the front as I would expect from a bikini. The back of the thong doesn’t dig in, which is usually my biggest complaint with thongs. I would warn you to cut off the branded tag in the back, because it rubbed against my behind annoyingly.

Sizes: XXS–XXL| Cut: Thong, high-rise | Material: Cotton, spandex | Price: $

This Gap thong is made from a breathable cotton rather than the airier mesh of Tommy John’s — and costs about half the price. “I don’t think a better pair of underwear exists,” says former Strategist deals writer Leah Muncy, who also suggests sizing up to get the perfect fit.  The combination of a high leg and dipped V-shaped waist makes them much beloved. “I am so glad that we as a society have rediscovered the universally flattering V-waist,” Muncy says. She buys them in bulk, especially when they’re on sale (which is often). And you can get three for $18, too.

Sizes: XS/S–L/XL | Cut: Boyshort, high-rise, raw-cut edges | Material: Microfiber (nylon, elastane) | Price: $$$

Because boyshorts have been hit-or-miss for me, I didn’t think I would like Commando’s Classic Boyshort as much as I do. But these are made of a paper-thin microfiber, and I can barely feel them, let alone see any VPL — even underneath a tight pair of pants. I feel like the boyshort really contours around my curves instead of digging into them. The edges, which don’t have any elastic, also have a smoothing effect. These make for a really reliable pair of underwear that you can wear underneath anything. This versatility slightly softens the $30 price tag.

Sizes: XXS–XXL | Cut: Brief cut cheekier, mid-rise | Material: 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 Strategist 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–XL | Cut: Bikini, French cut | Material: Cotton | 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: S–XXL | Cut: Brief, high-rise | Material: Tencel lyocell, elastane | Price: $$$

Montinique Dever, founder of Riot Swim, wore Boob’s briefs all throughout her pregnancy, but even after giving birth, she still reaches for these. They were designed with postpartum bellies in mind and have a double-layered front to provide more support (especially for those recovering from a C-section). The panties are made without any seams to dig into your skin, a feature Dever says she’s especially grateful for.