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Photo Collage: AARP; (Source: Macy's; Old Navy (2); Getty Images)
Believe it or not, underwear is the last thing women 50 and older will spend time choosing … or throwing out. As a personal shopper, stylist and fashion editor, I know what I’m talking about. Check your own lingerie drawer. I bet it’s a mash-up of leftover thongs, bargain three-packs and old lace-trimmed briefs. So do we opt for sexy or sensible? Hip-slung bikinis or high-waist briefs? A high-cut or low leg? Black, nude or multicolor? Whether you call them undies, knickers, panties or bloomers, the truth is underwear that handles your shape, size and personal concerns deserves at least as much attention as your bras and makeup. Here’s how to choose your best pair.
(Left to right) Calvin Klein Women’s Bonded Flex Bikini Underwear Style QD3960 in Blue; Old Navy Women’s High-Waisted No-Show Brief Underwear in French Roast; Warners No Pinching, No Problems Dig-Free Comfort Waist Smooth and Seamless Hipster RU0501P in Black
Photo Collage: AARP; (Source: Macy's (2); Old Navy)
1. Find your new best underwear style
Like breasts, our butts, bellies and hips come in all sizes and shapes and change with age. They expand, flatten, sag, droop and affect how underwear looks and fits. The good news is there have never been more solutions for everything from wedgies to visible pantie lines and annoying elastic waistbands. Many mature women still like the sassy look of “smaller” underwear — bikinis or even thongs (!) — but are learning to love briefs. Others insist on full coverage and would never in a million years try on a hipster style. Everyone loves the reassuring hug of stretch in their underwear. Keep an open mind — the one that encouraged you to try faux leather pants, midi hemlines and wider-leg jeans. Here’s a tip sheet of seven key styles.
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Thongs are designed for minimal coverage and are famous for the sliver of fabric that rests between the butt cheeks. If you’re a fan, don’t opt for teeny tiny string styles (the notorious “dental floss” thongs). Instead look for more evolved thongs that feature a wide, flat, stretchy waistband front and back such as the Hanky Panky BreatheSoft High Rise Thong in Black, Granite Grey or Taupe ($25, hankypanky.com) for some belly and hip smoothing — kind of a bikini hybrid.
Bikinis are a favorite of women who began wearing them in the ’60s and never stopped. Cut lower at the waist and sides, they sit more or less at the hip, though the rise and width of the sides vary along with the degree of rear coverage, which ranges from “cheeky” (a little outer cheek shows) to full coverage that cups the rear. Many modern bikinis feature stretchy microfiber fabrics and full rear coverage, including the Calvin Klein Women’s Bonded Flex Bikini Underwear Style QD3960 in Sparrow, Black or Blue ($15, macys.com) for comfort with style.
Hipsters sit somewhere below the waist to the hip, depending on the item and brand. They have wider sides than bikinis and offer a little more coverage at the leg line and a fuller back, so think of them somewhere between a bikini and boy shorts. They usually feature a flat, wide waistband like the Warners No Pinching, No Problems Dig-Free Comfort Waist Smooth and Seamless Hipster RU0501P in Black or Toasted Almond ($12, jcpenney.com).
Briefs sit at the waist or just under the belly button and provide plenty of tummy and butt coverage. They’re the concept of “granny panties” sleeked down, grown up and fashionable, and they come in a variety of leg lines. They don’t slip around under high-rise jeans and pants, giving many women a sense of hold without the need for shape wear. The best come in smooth, seamless stretchy styles, including the Old Navy Women’s High-Waisted No-Show Brief Underwear in French Roast, Cocoa Fawn, Velvet Sand, Black Jack ($4, oldnavy.gap.com), and can be worn under the silkiest dresses and knits, slim and lightweight pants and leggings without a ripple or bulge.
Hi-cut briefs, also known as French-cut briefs, are a popular category. They feature wider and higher leg lines that peak either at the front or side of the leg for a sensual look, visual leg-elongating benefits and more freedom of movement. One example is the Natori Bliss Cotton French Cut Briefs in Smoky, Java or Black ($20, nordstrom.com). Those higher at the front provide a little more rear coverage than those where the leg is highest at the side.
Boy shorts such as the Quince Organic Cotton Boyshorts in Black/Ocean ($30 for a six-pack, quince.com) are designed after guys’ longline briefs and have a rectangular shape, like the hipster but with a lower leg that hits below the cheeks, some styles extending to the upper thigh. They’re an acquired taste for grownup women but are great for those bothered by inner thigh chafing and for fans of athleisure wear and loungewear.
The shaping brief is not quite major shape wear. Some briefs have a subtle dose of compression or strategic panels — usually front and center — to minimize bloat or a belly bulge. The SpanxSmooth Undietectable Brief in Moroccan Red, Very Black Cornflower ($24, spanx.com) with wide, flat waistband and elastic-free edges offers a confidence boost under dresses and slim skirts.
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