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I have friends who can navigate an Agent Provocateur store like bullets. It’s not where I tend to thrive. What I long for is comfortable underwear that isn’t going to bankrupt me.
I’m not alone. It’s why friends Katie Lopes and Nicola Piercy founded Stripe & Stare in 2017. “I couldn’t find a pair of knickers for my customers that were genuinely comfortable for everyday wear but still felt cool,” says Lopes, who was working as a fashion retail buyer at the time. “At one end of the market you had Victoria’s Secret, which very much catered to the male [gaze], and at the other, M&S granny pants.”
The duo launched with the Original knicker, a “wedgie-free” bikini brief that sits low on the hip and offers “ample back coverage” (£18, stripeandstare.com). Nearly a decade on it still accounts for 43 per cent of total sales. Formerly crafted from cotton, it is now made mostly of Tencel, a cellulose fibre derived from wood pulp, which is breathable, moisture wicking and antibacterial (there is a 5 per cent elastane to ensure the knickers don’t fall down). The brand is also experimenting with innovative materials such as Lenzing, Ecovero, Viscose, Seersucker and Eco Mesh made from recycled plastic bottles. I am a particular fan of its Hipster knickers, which are high-waisted — more of a boyshort — with a lace trim, available in nude and colourful multipacks (£50, stripeandstare.com). First-time buyers can also try a Discovery Pack which includes four styles (Original, High Rise, Brazilian and Thong) to put to the test (£50, stripeandstare.com).
Around the same time, other brands started to fill the gap for mid-market underwear, offering comfort and style at affordable prices beyond the usual high street names. On the sexier side, London-based brand Fruity Booty, launched in 2017, has gained a cult following for its lace trimmed thongs and bloomers — its Valentine’s collection includes a silky brief and matching soft cup bra (£54, fruitybooty.co.uk) that is pretty and put-together.
Cou Cou Intimates, replete with frills, toile de Jouy and pointelle, and Dora Larsen boast a similarly dainty offering. The latter, founded by former Topshop alum Georgia Larsen, emerged in 2016 in response to a “very saturated scene of sexy black and red strappy lingerie”. Her modern designs include a mix of organic cotton, lace and tulle styles that span sizes UK 6 to 16 and come in poppy primaries and bubblegum hues. The bras happily accommodate a bigger bust.
For neutral basics, the consensus among my friends is a tie-up between Intimissimi, which sells natural cotton panties for £12 a pop, and Kim Kardashian’s brand Skims. Lisbon-based stylist and content creator Vicky Montanari praises the way both labels combine comfort with an extra sculpting fit and guarantee no VPL (visible panty line). She often sports matching sets in her outfit videos.
I am currently rotating between Skims’s Full Brief (£22, skims.com) and its Cheeky Hipster undies (£20, skims.com) (I often find the scalloped detailing around the edge of many other underwear styles digs slightly into the derriere). These are seamless and butter soft. For those looking to be more scantily clad, the brand has just introduced pointelle lace string thongs, although I understand G-strings to be increasingly niche (£12, skims.com). Stripe & Stare’s 2026 Great Knicker Census revealed 67 per cent of British women are in fact Granny Pant enthusiasts. We are creatures of comfort, after all.
Underdays’ panties are Oeko-Tex certified to signal no harmful substances and feature a gusset 2cm longer than the industry average for maximum breathability. Buy them individually (from £18, theunderdays.com) or in bundles, such as their Days of the Week Thong set (£115, theunderdays.com). “No-frills” Sydney-based brand Boody also crafts thongs, briefs and undershorts from bamboo, with period and leakproof options available too (£14.95, boody.co.uk).
Besides the rise of big knickers, perhaps what you didn’t know about underwear is how often to switch it out. “Doctors generally recommend replacing underwear every six to nine months,” says Lopes. “That advice isn’t just about wear and tear — it’s because, quite simply, washing doesn’t remove everything. Nobody really wants to think about it, but underwear hygiene is an important — and often overlooked — part of daily wellbeing.” Consider this your month to reset.
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