Review | Organic Cotton Undies

(image via Only Hearts organic cotton collection)

I mentioned some time ago that I’ve been going through my underwear drawer, getting rid of panties & bras that don’t fit anymore, or that are worn out, and replacing as I need to with organic cotton versions.  My results/thoughts are below.  But first some explanation, and it will perhaps be TMI, so be forewarned.  Just being completely honest here…

I know I am not a special snowflake, body-shape-wise, but I do feel like it sometimes; I don’t see many women like me online or in print with saddlebags, hips, AND thick legs who aren’t plus-sized.  With regard to panties, specifically, I have what I can only describe as “extra bits of flesh” at my hips that I can basically grab in my fists that makes finding something that fits and doesn’t shift up or down on my hips VERY difficult.  It’s hard to explain, but there it is.

As a result, I had almost decided to just forgo underwear and go commando, because it’s been so tough to deal with, but thankfully, that’s not necessary.  My friends are very grateful 😉  Now, when I wear my skinny jeans, leggings, or anything fitted at all, I wear Hanky Panky thongs, of which I have several pairs and love.  Other hanky panky styles, that are supposed to have no VPL DO on me, when I wear fitted bottoms, so I just stick with their thongs, the “regular rise” most of the time.

What gets tricky is when I wear slouchy pants or dresses and skirts that float away from my body.  In that case, there’s nothing “holding” my underwear in place, so it’s important that whatever I wear FIT well and not move.  And so far, the only pair I’ve found to do that is the Only Hearts organic cotton bikini, they fit me so well, I feel like I’m not wearing anything at all.

I have one new Only Hearts organic cotton bikini and one of the regular “second skins” bikinis that’s several years old (and a size large) that is literally my most prized pair of panties.  So much so that I save them for situations in which comfort is paramount, like airplane travel.  Now that I feel like I’ve tried enough different pairs of organic cotton panties to be sure I like Only Hearts the best, I think I’ll just stock up on several more pairs of their bikini and call it a day.  They’re that good.  (and reasonably priced in my opinion, also made in the US)

I recently also tried Skin’s organic cotton high-rise bikini (medium) thinking it would be wonderful, because of the higher rise, and it is NOT.  The cotton feels very flimsy and insubstantial, and when I wore them with a dress, they moved ALL OVER THE PLACE and made me so uncomfortable, I was constantly fidgeting to “fix” them.

I wanted to like PACT’s boyshorts (medium) to wear with dresses/skirts, but those didn’t work well either.  The price point is very good ($20 or so for 2 pairs) and you can get them at Whole Foods while you’re grocery shopping.  I found that they ride up too much in the back, and the waistband digs in a bit, especially at certain times of the month…making them less comfortable than I like.  They’re not awful, but for boyshorts, the Hanky Panky version is better, although much more expensive.

Recap of what I’ve tried (all size medium):

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Only Hearts organic cotton bikini – perfect, can’t feel anything, like I’m not wearing them
Skin high-rise organic cotton bikini – very insubstantial and incredibly uncomfortable
Hanky Panky organic cotton v-kini – very good, still like Only Hearts better!
Hanky Panky organic cotton thong – very good
Hanky Panky organic cotton boyshorts – good, not great…
PACT organic botton boyshorts – rode up too much in the back, and the waistband digs in

More resources for organic cotton underwear:

Only Hearts organic cotton collection at Only Hearts
Hanky Panky organic cotton collection at Hanky Panky
Only Hearts organic collection at HerRoom
Organic cotton bras & panties at Rawganique
Eco-Friendly Lingerie at Rodale’s
Hanky Panky organic cotton collection at Bare Necessities (they have very FREQUENT coupon codes)
Kaight has some Only Hearts and in-house brand organic undies
Made in the US lingerie

Do you have any other suggestions for organic cotton panties? What are your favorite brands?