448: No-skips underwear drawer, revisited

My new MVP sheer briefs, t-shirt bra, and everyday sock.

Two years ago, I published Magasin’s all-time, most-liked post:

In it, I endeavored to make every pair of underwear, every bra, and every pair of socks in my intimates drawers one I’d be happy to pick out at first draw. No more “laundry day” leftovers I was loathe to wear! No more ill fits or uncomfortable fabrics or not having the right shape first layer for beneath my clothes.

Valentine’s Day (patron saint of thongs, I assume) coming this week feels like a good enough excuse to revisit this undertaking and see which of the finalists stood the test of time and what new discoveries have made their way in.

To re-up some caveats, this is my underwear drawer, and as such follows my tastes, sizes, etc. I wear a size XS/S in bottoms and a 34C or 34D in bras, depending on the brand. I wear a size 6 shoe and therefore the smallest size adult socks available.

Underwear

What I kept:

Kye Intimates Standard Thong and String Bikini: In the years since first discovered Kye’s mesh underwear, these styles have come to dominate my collection by not just a little bit. Between the bikinis and briefs, in white and black, I have somewhere around 15-20 pairs (I can’t be sure because there are always some buried the laundry basket). The briefs have tiny adjusting side straps that ensure an exact, tailored fit, and the thongs are so minimal I can wear them with even the most demandingly skimming outfits. Every time the brand has a sale, I find myself adding a few to my cart, but even the oldest pairs I own are still in pretty good shape after uncountable washes: a few tiny fraying elastic hairs that aren’t at all apparent when I put them on. Starkly minimal in construction, they are gorgeous to look at and confidence-boosting to wear, but they are most importantly so comfortable.

Gap Body Breathe Bikini and Thong: Gap’s jersey underwear were the winners of my original underwear overhaul, and while I still have a few pairs, they show their age. They’re heavily faded from many washes and have stretched out noticeably. Still, two years is probably past the life expectancy of a standard pair of panties. I’ll still wear the few last pairs when I’m in a lazy, cozy mood, but I haven’t been inspired to do a big re-buy.

Cuccia Marietta Lace Thong: Very ‘French lingerie shop’ in design with scalloped lace framing the front, but much more comfortable than they appear. They give me a kind of reassuring, secure feeling when I wear them that I expect from something more plain-looking—these just happen to be super pretty as well.

Cuccia Soprano Natural Fabric Thong: Has a similar boomerang shape to a Gush pair I let go of, but the bamboo feels more organic against the skin than Gush’s techy ECONYL fabric.

What I added:

Verdant Rose Lace Tanga: A new New York-based lingerie brand making high-end stuff. Priced like Eres, but a more boutique, small-batch operation. I adore the romantic, feminine takes on lace that, despite the intricate look, sits to flatly and naturally against my shape; i.e. no bunching, no clunky seams.

Patina Translucent Brief: Another great independent lingerie company, this one out of New Zealand. I think I’ve discovered that I really enjoy mesh styles (as with the Kyes and Verdants), which have a silky, cooling feel on the skin.

Araks Gwyneth Panty: A meant-to-be-seen silk brief that can be leveraged as part of the outfit (a shock of pink through a sheer white skirt, e.g.).

Various period underwear: I’m a big fan of the seamless bikini cuts from Saalt and Modibodi, and I keep the less-comfortable, grannier-fitting Knix ones around for times of need.

What I let go of:

CUUP The Bikini Modal and The Thong Modal: We had a good run, but I found that I never enjoyed wearing them. They weren’t uncomfortable per se, but I didn’t love the way they sat on my hips visually. The waistband was too thick, perhaps, and too low.

CUUP The High Cut Satin: (On sale for $6 right now!) Again, not a messy breakup, just a growing apart. I didn’t find enough occasions for this high of a rise, being a mid-rise pants preferrer myself.

Gush The Little Thong: Honestly I think I lost this somehow…on vacation or in the laundry? A fun, flashy number but I didn’t run to rebuy it.

Araks Tine Thong: The lace is so pretty, but the seams were too thick and digging in the end. Any physical awareness of a thong doing its job is beyond my field of tolerance at this point.

Hello Beautiful Signature Panty: My threshold for what constitutes diaper-y when it comes to underwear went up—even the faintest suspicion I might be advertising a VPL is enough to put me off wearing a pair of otherwise fine panties.

Gil Rodriguez The French 100 Brief: Similar to the above, although I dubbed this my cotton winner, and I’d say it’s still the closest I’ve found to that white whale, I find them a little wriggly under clothes.

Thinx Cheeky Period Underwear: I was a fan of Thinx back when there just weren’t many other period underwear on the market. Now that there are so many options, I’ve switched over to more comfortable cuts, higher absorption, and greater wash longevity.

What’s missing:

I’m still open to discovering a 100% cotton panty that doesn’t pinch or bunch. Something that sits as flat and soft against the skin as possible (but is it possible?).

And a truly seamless, undetectable nude thong for the most challenging and revealing clothes.

Bras

What I kept:

Else Underwire Strapless Bras: Still my MVP strapless bras (the Betty, the Cosmo, the Bare), which unlike any other style I’ve tried, doesn’t insist on creating a pudge of breast…a love handle of the chest…across the top when worn. I have it in two patterns of black (no issue showing through clothes for me) and two shades of nude.

Negative Sieve Racerback Bra: Important wardrobe solution. I wear these under my Attersee twist-back tank and my Flore Flore racerback Hannas. The skinniest strap down the center spine means it disappears under most shirts with varying degrees of arm hole cutouts. My one request for the brand: add an adjusting slider to that bit, too, so that I can inch it down away from the nape of my neck when needed.

Thirdlove 247 Second Skin Unlined Bra: This was my de facto t-shirt bra for years until I discovered one that blew it out of the water (see: Simone Perele below). I still keep it around for laundry days…even though I said I wouldn’t do that anymore. When I load up on more SP styles, I’ll feel secure enough in my bra foundation to move on from this style.

Nood Shape Tape: For when a bra can’t.

What I added:

Simone Perele Essentiel Bra: If Gap was the breakout star of the OG underwear post, Simone Perele is this one’s coup. I need to tell you about this t-shirt bra, the best I’ve ever tried. Unlined, underwire, and satiny smooth against skin and under clothing. Also adjustable straps that can be rewired to criss-cross in the back without the annoyance of hooks loosening out of their fasteners. ALSO comes in bands 32-40, cups B-F. If it looks almost exactly like the ThirdLove bra from above, what you’re missing is that the straps are adjustable to far longer or shorter lengths for a more divinely perfect fit and are narrow enough at the front to disappear under a tank top. The French truly know what they’re doing, a lesson I’m glad to have learned after an introduction to Simone Perele on Le Bon Marche’s first floor.

Simone Perele Comete Wireless Triangle Bra: I have had little success with wireless bras over my time as someone who appreciates more support, but another feat of engineering from Simone Perele has had me buying this style in multiples across different colors. Great hoisting abilities that maintain the teardrop shape of one’s boobs (others I’ve tried smashed them flat or spilled them out the sides).

Verdant Rose Lace Full Bra: The New York-based lingerie brand whose tanga I extolled above also makes underwire (and otherwise) bras that succeed structurally. Honestly this whole brand is so womanly, so tasteful and up to muster. The kind of matching set you buy your wife who’s more sophisticated and complex than a Victoria’s Secret or Skims ensemble would telegraph.

TatianasThreads Handmade Halter Backless Bra: I’m not sure why no bra company has thought it reasonable to make a triangle (or at least unlined) halter-style bra—it doesn’t seem like it would be that complicated, to me anyway. Anyway, after plenty of internal griping and digging around for such a thing online, I finally found an Etsy seller making exactly what I’d pictured, with the improvement of having a double-long waist strap that you can adjust and clip in the front for deep-cut or open-back clothing (this feature isn’t shown in the photos, but when I figured it out I thought it was genius). My one tiny complaint: the textiles of the tan one are a poor match, but I will take what I can get!

What I let go of:

Le Mystere Safari Smoother Unlined Back Smoothing Bra: My go-to t-shirt bra for years that I’m pretty sure was discontinued for a time, and even then I was hunting it down on eBay and Poshmark…alas, onto greener pastures (the Simone bra).

CUUP The Plunge Satin and Mesh: CUUP and I have clearly drifted apart…on the bras front, I just came to appreciate styles from other brands that were less restrictive. The value I placed on hoisting-ability (these did that well) has been replaced with more gentle support.

YSE Paris Nouveau Monde Bandeau Bra: Almost like a soft sports bra. Over time they collected fabric pills and looked ratty. Not comforting or appealing with any use on them.

YSE Paris Histoire de Femmes Triangle Bra: I couldn’t get past the sizing inconsistencies. I never knew which of my small assortment I was putting on; the good one or one of the annoying ones.

Wacoal Visual Effects Strapless Underwire Minimizer Bra: A good-enough-for-now underwire bra that got the boot the minute something better came along.

What I’m still missing:

A Simone Perele Essentiel-like t-shirt bra in white.

Socks

What I kept:

Swedish Stocking Billy Sock: Like the Kye underwear, I buy these in packs whenever the brand is running a promotion (as now), and if not my favorite pair, they’re the ones I most like to have around in multiples. Fine knit, cushiony ribs, soft whites and neutrals. They maintain their shape and condition well over washes.

Swedish Stocking Freja Organic Wool Knee-Highs: A dress sock for when I need one (not often).

Comme Si The Everyday Sock: The least fancy (sportiest?) of the Comme Si sock lineup, and my favorite of the bunch. A snatched fit on my small-ish feet that suffer often from baggy sock tip. Retain their elasticity and ankle-hugginess brilliantly.

Comme Si The Silk Ribbed Sock: A dressier sock that fits nearly as well as the exacting Everyday. Classic loafer pairing that adds a hint of sheen to the sliver visible below a trouser hem.

Comme Si The Merino Tube Sock: Similar to the Everyday, but with a taller shaft. A very comfy, reassuring grippiness to them, and a divinely glove-like fit. A mid-calf length at this weight isn’t my favorite frame for my legs, but handy in the fall.

CDLP Organic Cotton Socks: I have the feeling these will never age. They look as new as when I first got them, in hi-def stretchy cotton.

Rosie Sugden Cashmere Bed Socks: Pure luxury—soft and huggy—but also a real pragmatist’s pair. I can give them a beating in a pair of boots, throw them in the washer-dryer, and have them back looking exceptionally fresh (just the tiniest bit of pilling that I can pick off with my fingers).

Lauren Manoogian Tall Alpaca Socks: I don’t wear them often, but they come in clutch in the winter under knee-high boots. They stay up but squeeze your calf like they’re on the clock.

KOTN Crew Socks: I have several pairs in black and white, and I always look forward to their turn out of the wash cycle. They are thick and have a strong hold, making them the most heavy-duty pair on this list. I wear them in colder weather with loafers or short boots, or I’ll just have them on around the house like slipper substitutes.

What I added:

J.Crew Cashmere-Blend Trouser Socks: An admission—in the winter I almost never wash my heavy wool or cashmere socks. The antimicrobial promise of the fibers holds up and I swear they just don’t ever smell. These ones have basically been attached to my winter boots and I’ll just step into them as a package deal whenever I leave the house.

Aritzia Stability Pilates Sock: A natural extension of my Aritzia activewear habit. They fit like a dream and have a ballerina criss-cross over the top that’s fun and dainty.

Comme Si The Pilates Sock: What can’t they do! But really, the Comme Si sport socks are pretty great. These are for when I’m doing pilates but mean business.

Honorable mention: Falke Matt Deluxe 30 DEN Women Tights: The best sheer tights I’ve ever tried ever. I discovered them when shooting our Theory campaign and loved them so much I asked the stylist if I could take them with me. They are taut, utterly comfortable, and smooth to the touch, unlike some other hose that gets that horizontal grainy feeling. Like six months in and they’ve never snagged! I’ll buy these forever moving forward.

What I let go of:

Colorful Standard Organic Cotton Socks: My one-time sock MVP, but sadly the elastic crapped out pretty quickly, and on socks that were better built for size 8+ feet…the relationship soured.

Antipast Flower Front Lace Socks: I lost these! Huge shame. I’d buy them again if I could hunt them down. Possibly worth the trip to London’s Mouki Mou on their own.

Comme Si The Agnelli Sock: So beautiful—like the Gamarelli pope socks—but just too baggy on my size foot. A tragedy!

Comme Si The Yves Sock: Tragedy strikes twice. Turns out I can’t deal with any extra centimeters at my toe tips.

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