Ladies' Only Underwear Question

DD - Try Orvis. I bought a pair and like them enough that I'm going to buy a couple more for my upcoming trip. The bikinis aren't too tiny and I went up a size to get a better fit.

I like the Jockey brand "french style" nylon ones for home and travel; they're quick drying and I don't think they're clammy at all. Just bought some yesterday at an outlet store.

Jockey also makes a microfiber no-line set of panties that has very gentle elastic at the waist and leg openings. Very comfortable on the plane. They're identical in cuts to their nylon ones but to my taste feel softer and breathe better. They come in a variety of cuts--bikini, french cut, and boy-leg for sure, as well as some others I think. The only downside is that the microfiber is a little slower to dry than nylon, which dries in a flash. (I've washed a pair of the nylon ones before dinner and they were dry by bed time!)Still, I prefer the microfiber's feel enough to put up with needing an overnight drying.

You can find them at just about any department store, and Jockey has frequent "buy x, get y free" type sales. Check them out in person and you can judge if they're what you're looking for. Even at full price they're far less than "travel undies" from travel etailers.

Now that I know they're my travel undies of choice, I get them from Bare Necessities online when they're on sale there.

I bought several packs of Bare Necessities at Costco a few years ago. They're great! I have both regular bikini and some highcut ones. The crotch is cotton so it breathes and I never feel clammy in them.

Thanks, everyone. I still haven't found just the right thing. I am living in Germany so my choices are to find something locally, which I haven't been able to do, or shop online. I'm having trouble finding the right fabric, right style, right color, right size, etc. in stock in any brand on any site. I really want quick-drying, breathable fabric. I wear cotton for everyday, but for trips that won't do if I want to handwash overnight. Just don't care for nylon, but I've haven't tried the microfiber types. Thanks for your suggestions.

Have you checked out www.wintersilks.com ? I imagine they ship to Germany. I like their silk panties (briefs, not granny pants). They dry very quickly.

Lurking men may also enjoy the selections from wintersilks--my husband wears the briefs on our trips and he likes them because they also dry overnight.

Well, I suppose if I'm going to go public about my panty preferences I have to expect a few lurkers. Interestingly, some of the consumer reviews on panties I've researched were written by men. So I guess some men want to get into women's pants in more than one way.

I also wear Jockey french style panties at home. For travel, I have two pairs of the hi-cut brief (item TU11) from Tilley.com They fit similar to my Jockeys, are comfortable to wear, and dry very quickly. I have even, on occasion, wrung them out in a towel and put them back on. Tilley is a Canadian company but I believe they ship worldwide.

Thanks for all the good recommendations; I am investigating them all. I have a size question for those women who usually wear cotton Jockeys but buy another fabric, whether microfiber or silk, for travel undies. I normally buy a slightly larger size than I need because the cotton shrinks. So how do the others compare in size? Do you buy the same size you buy in cotton, or go with a smaller size due to less shrinkage? This may sound nickpicky, but I've found you can't always go by the manufacturer's size chart. I want to get it right; I seem to spend a ton of money on shipping items that aren't quite right and sometimes can't even be returned. Thanks.

Good question. I wear Jockey cotton French style too in size 7. I started with a medium in the Orvis underwear as that's my normal pants size but ended up with large (must be sort of like bathing suits).

If you normally wear cotton at home, I don't see why you can't while traveling. Just take about 4-6 pair, wash them at night, and they should be dry by morning. Even if they are not completely dry, they'll be dry that evening.

I will second [or perhaps third] the recommendation for silk undies from WinterSilks - they have a number of different styles, and be sure to check the Clearance section for better prices. I generally buy undies a size larger than usual; if you have time you might want to get 2 different sizes [and styles?] and then order a couple more of the ones you like best. I also have a few microfiber pairs and a few lace pairs [from my racier days]; sometimes the microfiber take a bit longer to dry but the silk and lace have always dried overnight.

Just bought Ex-Officio brand undies from REI-wonderful!! Breathe, don't cling, wash and dry easy. They claim you can travel for months with one or two pair. I bought full cut briefs (very full!_ and boy shorts (perfect!).

I get my silk travel panties, long underwear and silk pj's from this website: kimallansilk.com

My husband wears the silk long underwear and boxers when we travel or when he goes downhill skiing.

The company is based in Vancouver BC, prices are in CDN$ and service is excellent, recommended by my favourite women's travel website : www.journeywoman.com

I heartily agree with Susan about ExOfficio undies. I traveled with three pairs to Paris last year, and they were absolutely terrific. I usually wear only cotton underwear, but I wasn't at all uncomfortable in the ExOfficios. And, yeah, they dry superquick.

I was intrigued by the exOfficio, but can't find the style I like. Do they come in the french cut? I don't like the way the fullcuts fit in the leg openings, and the bikinis look like they'd have a serious wedgie-factor.

Jockey Comfies Microfiber French Cut seem to be the ones I had a couple years ago; they were perfect. They're available online from jockey.com. When I bought the nylon ones recently, I had forgotten that I liked the microfiber better. Oh well.
My husband likes the Ex Officio quick drying ones; yep, 3 pairs for a 3-week trip. I agree, though; I didn't like the styles they had for women either.

OK, so Kent was right. This question begs a look by men on this sight (even though no others came forward). But I did ask my wife if I could read it first, does that count?

I buy panty liners when I get there; it makes the panty-washing chore easier.

The liners might be a good idea for some, but for me, that's just another thing to carry and I'm trying to cut down on "stuff." I'm awaiting shipment on some items I've ordered, so we'll see how they do. For the gentlemen lurkers: you're apparently getting some amusements from these posts, but for the ladies this is serious business. Someone once said on this site, when discussing shoes, that it is important to have "Happy feet." When discussing undies, it is equally important to have "Happy [insert body part here]".

'HANKY PANKY'is the only one I ever take. Light as a feather, comfortable, never a panty line, wonderful colors, dries very fast. Talk about packing light!

I love the Ex Offico ones also all year, though they are pricey they're sturdy. Magellan's frequently has a buy three get one free promo for those. No wedgies!
However, Soma (by chico's) has some lace "no panty line" in styles that are very similar to the jockey french cut, yet wash well in a sink and dry quickly. Sign up for emails and sales prices @ $5 a pair instead of $12.
I quit wearing jockey cottons- 2 days to dry and bulky.

DD,

I don't wear ganny apnties either, but I love tinny bikini
However when I travel I prefer to wear boy cut kind, or the bikini that are wider on the side (I don't know the name) . They are about 3 cm wide.
Since you are from Germany, or live there, I recomend you trying H&M or C&A for more stylish and youngish looking panties.
I never try the ones from Magellan. I find then quiet expensive on that side. We have here in the US a few discount stores, where I can purchase very nice lengerie for $2-3 .
I aslo like a brand called "Rampage".

Not to prolong this discussion for the boys, but I like the Hanes brand called "Perfect Stretch" - opaque bikini or high cut, made of nylon/spandex so they dry very quickly. Comfy too. $6.99 for two pairs at Target. Not sure where you could order them overseas, but they sell them on Amazon (product code = bpq2w).

Original poster here: I thought we were pretty much done with this topic, but I see we're still getting suggestions. I'm certainly not the only one who cares about this topic. Thanks very much everyone. All the suggestions were quite helpful. I received quite a few PM's as well, and several people wanted to know what I ended up with. There are a lot of good brands out there. It's a very individual matter and what works for me might not work for someone else, but here is my choice:

Several people mentioned shopping at local German stores, but I had already looked there before posting and didn't see what I wanted. Besides, as an American ex-pat whose income is in dollars but local prices are in euros, that can get pricey. Price was also a factor for me in the silk types although it is a very good fabric. I ruled out the Ex-officios and several other brands based on advice about fit, style, and the wedgie factor from private messages (which were a bit too blunt to post on a public forum). In the end (no pun intended), I chose Jockey comfies microfiber French Cut. I am familiar with the brand and know the style works for me, they are comfortable and stay in place as you move about, they dry quickly, and they are affordable. I can recommend them. The same ones come in nylon for those who prefer that fabric.

For you gentlemen: I purchased the ExOfficio men's briefs for my husband and he says they are comfortable. The waistband is a bit wider than regular briefs and does not "dig in." Unfortunately, they are not tagless, but the tags can be snipped off it it bothers you.

I hope this has been useful to everyone in their own search for the perfect undies. If your hiney ain't happy, the rest of you ain't happy.

Since my main focus for hand-washing is my undies, I shopped for something that dries quickly. I found a popular, inexpensive brand of nylon panties at Wal-Mart several years ago. I liked them so much that I went back and bought a bunch; now I wear them all the time. No clamminess, not stretchy.

For Karen--cotton takes longer to dry in humid climates. I use the same cotton underpants as DD and traveled with them to Ireland. I washed out a pair two days before I needed to wear them and still had to use the hair dryer on them before I could put them on.

Another place to check is REI. They carry breathable/microfiber underpants (for both men and women) and I believe they have French-cuts for women. Actually any retailer that sells to outdoorsy folks is going to have microfiber underpants in their line because of the breathability and quick-dry factors.

Hi everyone,
I love Icebreaker merino wool underwear in either hipster or bikini style - super comfy and quick drying.

Sometimes you can find them at Sierra Trading Post (they ship internationally, I live in Australia and order from STP frequently)
http://www.sierratradingpost.com

I also order from Bivouac Outdoor in NZ
http://bivouac.co.nz/
They have very reasonable freight charges.

Being a wearer of high cut, French style Jockeys for years, I just had to get into this discussion. I happened upon some Control It panties with the same cut years ago at Costco. I used them primarily for travel. They are nylon and elastane and have a bit of shaping in the rear. Most importantly, they breathe better (for me at least) than any cotton panties, and they dry faster. When I got new ones this year, I couldn't get the same ones as before, but I found this version of them online. They are Maidenform Control It Shiny Hi Cut Brief 12551. The Maidenform website doesn't have them anymore, but the link I tried to put above goes to herroom.com where you can find them. Of course I tested them before my upcoming trip and they are better than my old ones. I know everyone has their favorites, but I like these for all the reasons listed on the website.

Take a look at Barely There; they're microfiber, and I use them for home and travel. You can buy via the internet. I've taken them on many trips and they've always dried overnight, even in cool, damp weather. They also are far less expensive than the specialty travel undies sold by Magellan, etc; and they go on sale routinely.