Bodysuits have been a mainstay at trendy women’s retailers from Reformation to Topshop for the past year or so. To back up a little, this is a bodysuit.
It’s like a leotard or a one-piece bathing suit, and you can wear a bodysuit tucked into pants or a skirt, like so.
But why, why would you wear a bodysuit instead of a normal shirt? Because it looks good, mainly, and will cling closer to your body than a normal top. And also because fashion is an endless process of confusing reinvention.
So bodysuits are here to stay, and I’d mostly made peace with that. But then in the past few weeks, I started to notice a troubling trend of more and more bodysuit leg holes peeking out of pants, Cabello-style.
If you’ve ever had a period accident while trying to enjoy a refreshing swim, then these leak proof bathing suits for periods are for you. Not everyone is a tampon kind of person. Personally, I hate tampons, but I wear them while swimming or working out because unlike
pads, they’re discreet and unlikely to fall out, move around into uncomfortable positions, or be a general nuisance to my nether regions while I’m trying to be active. Generally speaking, pads are no friend to ladies who are moving or trying to get wet (not in the dirty way, but in the sense that they are going in the pool or the ocean), but Panty Prop bathing suits and underwear want to change that. The answer, it seems, is not in the pad itself, but the underwear that holds them in place.
Panty Prop is an innovative underwear product that’s designed for people who wear sanitary pads and “have been failed numerous times by the shifting, chafing, discomfort, and embarrassment.” The company considers all leaks, whether from mensuration or urination, something the Panty Prop will cover, providing relief to those who either don’t like wearing tampons or can’t because of “fibroids, cyst, or other medical issues”.
Beach season is almost upon us, so you’re probably getting ready to do some bathing suit shopping, which can pose its share of awkwardness. When you head into that dressing room, you might have that second where you stand there and wonder: Should you wear underwear when trying on swimsuits? Even though it might seem counterintuitive, the answer is a hands-down, resounding yes. Please. Do not drop your panties.
The purpose of trying on clothing in the first place is to make sure the size is right before you buy it, and that means you want to try it on with the most accurate fit possible, so you might be inclined to take off your undies because it’s not like you’re going to wear the suit with anything under it — but don’t. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Leave your underwear on. They might feel a little bunched, but your underwear isn’t going to alter the fit that much, and it’s far more sanitary to leave them on. Being hygienic is worth having to endure the diaper feeling during your try-on sesh. Trust.
Just to reinforce the point, here are a few reasons you absolutely need to wear underwear when trying on swimwear. The person trying it on after will totally thank you for it.
If this is indeed a thing, we’ve got to make some changes. From now on, you’ll have to make sure your upper thighs are perfectly tanned. You’ll have to carefully choose underwear that will allow your leg holes to peek out without also peeking out itself (forget about shapewear), or perhaps you will have to abandon underwear altogether. You will have to add 30 seconds to your bathroom routine to account for the extra time it will take to disrobe, a notoriously difficult process unless you’ve managed to find the rare snap-crotch bodysuit. Before long, barre classes will offer specific moves for toning the tiny swath of muscles a hip slip reveals. This is our reality now. Start tucking, ladies.
