The word Panties

[*ROXY*]

Does it creep you or your SO out to use the word panties.. for me it has sexual undertones that make me think of fiction sites and bad womens novels but I also don't tend to use the word knickers. So pants/knickers or panties. What do you call them and are there other words that make you go eeesh

[~Joanne~]

Under wear. I don't think my GF even uses panties. It doesn't creep me out but I seldom use the word myself even though that is what they are called.

[Engendered]

Nobody says panties in Ireland, and I do find the word vaguely creepy when I see it used here. I don't usually refer to female underwear at all by a specific name.

[*ROXY*]

Just had to say loving the avatar, very pretty and natural

[ColleenA]

Nobody says panties in Ireland

And nobody says knickers in America. Same language at its foundation, but big differences in its utilization.

[Cheryl T]

Not at all... I wear panties 24/7 and don't mind the word at all. My wife on the other hand hates it. To her all is underwear.
Here when we go shopping there are always signs in the stores "Panty sale" or something of the like. Just listen to the V.S. commercials and hear that they sell "Bras and Panties".
Just a matter of taste...

[*ROXY*]

So do they use the word panties in the states more than in the UK ? tradionally over here they're called knickers ? I would love it if victorias secret came over the pond... I'd be very poor.

[Tara D. Rose]

That's the way it is. They are called panties in America and knickers in England. I do remember reading sexy fiction stories years ago, and just as soon as I read the word panties, I would get aroused. I could always tell if the story was from England just by the use of the word knickers, and also of the word randy. It may be just me, but I think a woman looks better in her panties than out of them.

[Gina X]

I love the word Panties it always sounds so girlie and sexy and I really don't like the word knickers even though it is native to these shores, Panties for ever !! LOL

[sean2435]

Great to see a fellow Irish member, hi Engendered! I love both words. I would use the word knickers. It is a sexy word when spoken by a woman with an English accent. If I go to the lingerie department I will always ask for knickers!

[kristinacd55]

I remember one time discussing with my wife and using the term and she said specifically "underwear" just for the reasons that your discussing because I was wearing them. And, I think panties is used a lot more in the US, you don't really hear knickers very much at all.

[BLUE ORCHID]

How about useing the term Silk Underware even though they are not silk.

[tappanty]

I love the word panties and I don't think it's creepy at all, that's what they are. Growing up girls and women seemed to use the term more, when referring to that particular piece of underwear. Now days, I have noticed the term underwear being used more than panties, but on occasion panty still gets used. To me, it is a more feminine term and more preferable, not to mention "underwear" can be a bra, a slip etc...it's to general.

[erickka]

My S/O and I call it underwear.

[jennifer1958]

I absolutely love the word!!

Jennifer

[Cynthia Anne]

The word panties to me is great! It discribes what I wear all the time! After all I love my PANTIES!

[Mistress Frillee]

I love the word panties. It doesn't creep me anymore, it use to sound weird at first to hear my gf use it. That was just me being uncomfortable. I have since embraced and owned the word panties. Now it turns me on. I love it when my gf uses the word panties in relation to me. She usually makes some remark about the color of my panties or the fact that when I bent down my panties are showing or something like that.
BIG turn on!

[Frédérique]

Does it creep you or your SO out to use the word panties.. for me it has sexual undertones that make me think of fiction sites and bad womens novels but I also don't tend to use the word knickers. So pants/knickers or panties. What do you call them and are there other words that make you go eeesh

The word can be both cute and creepy, no doubt about it. I used to have some knickers, but they were knee-length pants and NOT women’s underwear...:naughty

Try using the Japanese equivalent: PANTSU!!! :clap:

[Serana]

HA HA HA! It's my favourite word! XD And the japanese equivalent is awesome!

I certainly use this word for describing my underwear, I find it such a cute and adorable term for them XD;
It's only creepy if you let it be creepy IMO, and so long as you're trying to have a more innocent mind you shouldn't have to worry about such a thing~.

Though there are those creepy undertones about them that makes me laugh a bit. But it's a nice word all the same. ;D

Seri-chan~

[linda allen]

My wife and I referred to my male briefs as "underwear". Her panties are referred to as "panties". When I began wearing panties, I made it a point to call them "panties".

She now accepts me wearing boobs, skirts and blouses as well as ladies shoes so I don't think the word "panties" bothers her very much. :heehee:

[Georgia_Maine]

In my family we call them undies. Short pants (early 20th century) mostly worn by boys were not called knickers, but knickerbockers.

[Marleena]

In North America panties is commonly used. It describes feminine underwear. I find the word sexy because quite often they are designed to be sexy for women. No creeping out in this house we call them what they are.:)

[Roni Lynn 68]

In this house my SO calls them underwear. To myself I call them panties. To my SO I call them underwear. No since rocking the boat if you know what I mean? Now there is a point when we are romantically involved that she calls them panties. Thus we will leave well enough alone and call them uderwear everywhere but the bedroom or whatever room romance is happening. :o

[IngeInCO]

We say Drawls...lol But true

[*ROXY*]

Ok lovetodressup... can't fault your enthusiasm lol. Were all these messages meant for me ?

[RachelMondor]

Knickers. But I'm British.
My Dad only gave me 2 pieces of advice regarding sex & relationships- and one was, 'never trust a girl who chucks her knickers on the floor'.

[Lorileah]

and this is why some people call the unmentionables. I don't call them, I have to go find them myself

[Desiree2bababe]

Panties works for me although I seldom wear them unless they are thongs, usually though pantyhose dsoes the trick for me. I like the smooth no panty look under tight skirts.

[Bobbi McCarthy]

I love both the word and the article of clothing! The word panty is so inherently feminine. I researched the word's history and here is what I found:
According to Webster, panties is the diminutive of the word pants, used to describe the underwear worn by women and girls. The word is an Americanism and has its roots as far back as 1835–45.
It has only been a relatively short duration in history that people began wearing underwear. In fact modern panties’ ancestor, the bloomer, was born when our ancestors sewed up the leg of the chemise—a distant relation of the slip. The history of panties starts with the story of bloomers. The bloomer's chaste appearance can be deceiving though, they were crotch-less. The original purpose was modesty – covering up as much of the female form as possible. As hens are to the eggs so to bloomers are to panties. Typically bloomers are a divided garment to cover the lower part of women. The first ones were the brainchild of Elizabeth Miller but Amelia Bloomer made it popular during the 1850’s. These were long baggy pants ending at the ankles. It was largely influenced by the East and often came to be called the ‘Syrian’ style. In the late 18th century the bloomers got two other nametags – knickers and knickerbockers. Women wore them during sports events during those days of Victorian modesty. From the 1920’s bloomers began to get short as the hemline of skirts began to rise and importance came to be given from what peeped out from under them. Bloomers transitioned to a sleeker, shorter style similar to boy shorts. These original panties were made from silk or artificial silk called rayon. After that nylon came to be use.
It wasn't until the 1950s that shorter dress fashions necessitated the arrival of the next version of panties. This post-war period saw an outburst of female modesty dominated by the bra-panty culture. Somehow freedom for women and women’s rights became mixed up with exposure of the exquisite female form. Hence the urgency to establish and advertise this new iteration of the garment aggressively! Another explanation is that the post-WWII period saw a boom in business, advertising and women's fashion. Vanity Fair was a leader in this movement and the catalyst for panty sales and widespread acceptance began. That styling was what is now referred to as the "granny panty", it was high on top, low on the sides and made of breathable cotton. Materials again transitioned to silk, rayon and nylon well into mid-century. It wasn't until the 80s that newcomer Victoria's Secret began capitalizing on the Brazilian style thong. It marked the end of the panty as a bastion of womanhood.

[Gillian Gigs]

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Shakespeare was not talking about panties, but the point is that there is something about that word for many of us. In my case, I have noted that my wife never uses the word, panties, but uses the word underwear. I tend to say undies around her, but the sexual overtone to the word, panties, is deffinately there for me.

[ColleenA]

So do they use the word panties in the states more than in the UK ?

Apparently. As I said earlier, nobody says "knickers" in the States -- not in conversation and not in advertising/product identification. (So it's similar to other British vs. American differences such as Lift vs. Elevator or Flat vs. Apartment -- or even the States vs. America or the U.S.)

As others have mentioned, terms used in Ameica include:
- Panties (applied to female undergarments only)
- Underwear (applied to men's or women's undergarments, and even as someone said to such other items as bras, t-shirts and camisoles)
- Underpants (can be men's or women's)
- Unmentionables (women's -- a carryover from Victorian-type modesty)
- Lingerie (again, for women's items only and inclusive of other articles, such as bras)
- Undies. This typically will have either a feminine or a childish connotation to it.

Interestingly, that last comment reminds me of something I saw a few years back, though I cannot recall where. Comedian Amy Poehler said she objected to the word "panties" because as a diminutive of pants applied to women's clothing only, it infantalizes (a word I'm certain she chose carefully) women, treating them as less-than-equal to men. Given her comment, I find it interesting how many here have said the word "panties" carries a sexual tone for them.

[reb.femme]

Yep, knickers is a very British term for girls underwear, and I wear knickers. However, because of the predominantly US membership here I have used panties in my posts etc. It does sound strange to Brits because panties is not part of our everyday lexicon.....it is a stateside term. Sidewalk / path, boardwalk / pier etc etc etc.

I sound like the King of Siam (Yul Brynner)......if any of you are old enough to remember this :heehee:

Rebecca x

[Kathy_G]

As a Scottish person, my understanding of the word 'knickers' comes from the Edwardian name knickerbockers for trousers; knee-length or below-kneelength outerwear pants (elasticated at the calves, or 'elasticized' across the Pond) worn by really bold women cyclists of the day. Women who dared to wear trousers were truly frowned upon back then. The name was then shortened to 'knickers' which in general terms were silk or even common everyday cotton thigh-length or calf length underwear long enough to cover stocking tops.

As the years passed the 'legs' got shorter, until the elastication was well up the thigh. Then it disappeared completely and we were introduced to open-legged and much healthier French knickers. With the passage of time even the legs of the French-style knickers got shorter, until the name 'knickers' could really no longer apply. That is when the American description 'panties' (mini pants) or relatively miniscule pants, came to the fore. In the UK women's panties are still referred to as 'knickers', but by no stretch of the imagination are they truly knickers. That had long gone by the 1940s when women were wearing legless panties, over stockings with suspender belts (garter belts). Can you imagine a guy sliding his hand under a skirt to be met by knickers extending beyond her garters and almost down to her knees? The UK and the US are truly two countries 'divided by a common language'. Knickers? Naw, that description must be long gone, although commercial traders in the UK still refer to them as such. Legless women's 'underwear', as some of our more conservative American friends call them with or without elasticated legholes, are panties! By no stretch of the imagination can a modern pair of nylon or satin panties be called knickers. They are not knickerbockers. They don't cover your suspenders, if you wear such things. They are panties. End of story.

[reb.femme]

Knickers? Naw, that description must be long gone, although commercial traders in the UK still refer to them as such. Legless women's 'underwear', as some of our more conservative American friends call them with or without elasticated legholes, are panties! By no stretch of the imagination can a modern pair of nylon or satin panties be called knickers. They are not knickerbockers. They don't cover your suspenders, if you wear such things. They are panties. End of story.

If Ann Summers is a commercial trader (are we inferring out of date) then they are still knickers. http://www.annsummers.com/c/lingerie/knickers-briefs

In England, they are still knickers, panties is the US word I'm afraid. I have never heard a single GG in the UK call them panties and I've just canvassed my young nieces, 17 and 19 and they don't call them panties. They thought that hilarious, as Im sure knickers is strange to the US.....so knickers is it! :devil:

Rebecca x

Rebecca x

[BethCD]

:strugglinI call them panties. My wife who sometimes washes them and puts them away (God bless her) still calls them underwear.

Beth

[Michaela42]

HA HA HA! It's my favourite word! XD And the japanese equivalent is awesome!

I certainly use this word for describing my underwear, I find it such a cute and adorable term for them XD;
It's only creepy if you let it be creepy IMO, and so long as you're trying to have a more innocent mind you shouldn't have to worry about such a thing~.

Though there are those creepy undertones about them that makes me laugh a bit. But it's a nice word all the same. ;D

Seri-chan~

Okay, quit reading my mind! No, but seriously, for me the term panties brings to mind frilly and 'feminine' styles - and slightly creepy/naughty. When a woman says 'underwear' it makes me thing of not so feminine things. I know it is just me, but hey, you all should know by now that I have a 'few' hang-ups.

[Kathy_G]

Rebecca. I agree the Ann Summers organisation is a commercial trader, or perhaps more accurately a commercial trading corporation. But does that organisation really refer to them as knickers? They may well do, to stir the wantonness of their audience at house parties but, as far as I can tell, they talk more descriptively about thongs and briefs, boy shorts and such. In London and the Home Counties you may still use the antiquated 'knickers' description, but I very much doubt whether that word is still used by the general populace elsewhere in the UK. It seems to be an outdated description from a hundred years ago. But it doesn't really matter. These days a delicious pair of soft nylon or silky briefs are panties, whether they be ruffled tennis wear or plain satiny everyday bum-huggers. I cannot imagine a pair of colourful hip-hugging sheer nylon or satin and lace bikini or hipster briefs being anything other than 'panties'. They're not big enough to be old-fashioned 'bloomers' or knickers. It may well be an Americanism, but a pair of masculine flannel or corduroy trousers in the UK would still be 'pants' on the other side of The Pond. As I recall, men's denim jeans back here used to be called dungaree trousers. It is a matter of opinion, and please don't take this to heart. My observations are meant to be light hearted.

[Ressie]

The word Panties has some sexual connotation to me and I love it. I don't have a SO at this time, so that doesn't apply here. Being from the USA I would only say knickers if I were doing a British impression. Thank you John Lennon for introducing the word to us yanks in I am the Walrus. The history of panties & knickers in posts 29 and 33 is fascinating.

[KateCDTX]

Many don't like it, but I love the word panties. Underwear gives me the picture of plain cotton hipsters, but when I hear panties I think satin, lace, spandex, colour, ....

[Megan70]

And nobody says knickers in America. Same language at its foundation, but big differences in its utilization.
Agreed there, only time this country ever used knickers was referring to mens golfing trousers of the '20's that were toucked into their high knee socks.( Bobby Jones) Looked stupid.
But all dept stores in my state use the printed word 'panties" on their display counters and racks in the lingerie depts.

[Brianna612]

Panties or what ever you want to call them I Love them. my SO and myself share and she calls them panties also. How sexy they make us feel. I also say good nitie to her every night. One time we were tubeing behind the boat and a friend of mine lost his shorts very funny, anyway next time I took him tubing I asked him if he had his panties on in case he lost his shorts. Everyone just laughed even though I had mine on. Don't go without a clean pair of panties.

[Jilmac]

I could be totally wrong but I believe the word "panties" is a shortened and feminized version of pantaloons. Pantaloons were trousers worn by men in the 1700s and 1800s. In the late 1800s women usually wore knee length or longer undergarments under their ankle length skirts or dresses. Those undergarments were also referred to as pantaloons, as styles changed and undergarments became shorter, the feminized word became panties.

[Janine cd]

I love the word panties because this word brings me back to my youth and its feminine connotation.

[Lady Panda]

I like the word Undies ....lacy undies , satin undies , frilly undies, panties I use for cotton Panties ..

[lingerieLiz]

How about briefs, bikini, drawers?

[IngeInCO]

How about briefs, bikini, drawers?

Lol and we say drawls... Not drawers!

[Aloha Jayne]

Underbritches. As in,,,,eadible underbritches. Now if they just made them bisquit and gravy flavored. (larry the cable guy)

[bimini1]

Yes go old Skool & just say drawls or drawers and be through with it.

[avant1465]

"panties" "undies" or "unmentionables"..... they're all the same to me!!!!

[Cheryl T]

Then there's the old question...
Why are panties plural and bra singular...????

You wear A Bra...but a pair or panties????????? Go figure.

[avant1465]

Cheryl: Are you one of those who insists on wearing ONLY one panty at a time????

[charlytuna]

panties, underweare, underpants,bloomers, or what ever you call them they still the same thing underwear.

[Alice Torn]

Panties always seemd rather demeaning, and condescending to me! If i were feamsle, I would resent the word Panties! If women wear "panties", which to me has a sexual undertone, maybe men's undershorts should also be called men's panties.

[Pexetta]

In London and the Home Counties you may still use the antiquated 'knickers' description, but I very much doubt whether that word is still used by the general populace elsewhere in the UK. It seems to be an outdated description from a hundred years ago. But it doesn't really matter. These days a delicious pair of soft nylon or silky briefs are panties

I've heard, and read, women from all parts of Britain refer to them as knickers, pants or underwear. 'Panties' on the other hand I've only encountered in US contexts or amateur erotica.


the Home Counties

Now there's an 'antiquated' expression if ever I heard one... :heehee:

[lingerieLiz]

One that has been left out was pantaloons which I heard in the "Old South" which I think from what my gradmother told me was what was worn under the great hoop skirts.

[Aloha Jayne]

Then there's the old question...
Why are panties plural and bra singular...????

You wear A Bra...but a pair or panties????????? Go figure.

same with shirt and pants.... as in, when I go to the cleaners and tell them I have 1 shirts and 3 pairs of pant.

I just have to add that I have a panty fetish. The word panty or panties alone is enough to send me into a dither. Nothing more appealing than a lady in her panties.

[Claire Cook]

So what about pantyhose, panty girdles and panty lines -- are these just American-isms?

[Pexetta]

So what about pantyhose, panty girdles and panty lines -- are these just American-isms?

Well I can see this is a controversial subject, but in my experience: 'panty line' is certainly heard in the UK, usually in the context of VPL; 'panty girdle' too, by the people who sell them at least. 'Pantyhose' on the other hand is very strongly marked as an Americanism, I've never read or heard a British person use it unless they were writing for an international or US audience.

[Audrey34]

LOL, where I come from all undies (which is the term I use for panties) for females ad males was called "drawers". I can still hear my Mom telling me to "hurry up and get your drawers on, breakfast is ready!" lol... But yes, I use the word panties a lot as well as the word undies.
-Audrey

[Cheryl T]

Cheryl: Are you one of those who insists on wearing ONLY one panty at a time????

Not me...I wear PANTIES...lol.
I just ask the hard questions...I don't have all the answers....

I love the word panties. It's sexy, descriptive, feminine and a bit naughty all at the same time.
Underwear could mean any number of things from Panties, to a bra, or an all-in-one. I prefer to be specific and say I WEAR PANTIES....LOL.

[Cassandra Lynn]

Another confoozling one.......why do some use pantie in the singular?
Anyone knows that panties are plural and panty is just one............pair or not. :heehee:

Which of course begs the question, if your wearing or calling them undies how many are you wearing at one time?

Call them what you want, they are the underwear that is funtowear.

[Missy]

me and wife talk using panties even she calls my men underwear panties as for knickers do not use this or do we say underpants

[SweetHailey]

I love the word because it sounds so very distinctly feminine...but for my wife it's like nails on a chalk board to hear anyone say it. To here they're all underwear.

[Diversity]

I use the word underwear or undies. I agree with you, that the word panties is 'eeeshish'! :) It still makes me feel wierd saying the word 'bra'. But what else would one call it?
Di

[Beverley Sims]

Bra is ok but I have to agree panties, yecch!

[EllenJo]

Panties is the word for me. I love the word panties, pantyhose, panty girdle, lacy panties, Big girl panties, ect. I wear panties and my wife refers to them the same way since we often wear matching panties. For me it is just so feminine but then I am of the older generation. Underwear is what I use to wear.

[Tina B.]

Every since my wife asked me years ago if I needed any panties, I've used that name, and I like it, but Haines calls them briefs.
As far as the bra being singular and panties plural, I can't explain panties, but you don't really wear a bra, that is really just short for Brassiere
although no one uses the full name anymore. The things you remember when you get old is weird.
Tina B.

[Lorna]

"Panties" is in common use in the UK. I see racks of them, labelled as such, in shops and supermarkets. "Knickers" is also a widely used term here. Until the 1960s, "knicker" was also used in traditional boys-wear shops as a term for short trousers. I haven't come across any noticeable reluctance to use these terms.

[bobbimo]

Love Panties, and just the word is pretty exciting.

[Sarasometimes]

I like the word but I'm puzzled why something you typically wear only one of is plural? People go Shoe shopping? You need two of them? Pants? Shorts? But if you change out of your skorts you put on a skirt? Gotta luv the English language!

[rita63]

Its panties in Canada. Knickers makes me think you've been stealing underware or nicked them.

hugs rita

[Stephanie47]

When the free offer comes from Victoria Secret it says "Free Panty" The term underwear as relates to women, means boring cotton briefs. My wife wear underwear. I wear panties.

[jacques]

I think panties sounds more feminine than knickers. Strangely I usually call my male underpants knickers.

[Dinsdale]

Panties is not a commonly used word particularly when selling them in department stores etc here in Australia, Undies, Briefs etc , much more common and acceptable to women.

[AmyGaleRT]

Both I and my fiancee call them "panties." My ex-wife called them "underwear." Go figure. :)

As for why they're "a pair"...(Amy puts on her studious glasses :) )...supposedly, it became common practice to refer to things which were a single object composed of two joined components as "a pair," despite the fact that there's only one object. We see this, not just in "a pair of pants" (for the two legs), but in "a pair of scissors" (two scissor blades joined by a pivot) and so forth. This applies to panties (and jockey shorts, etc.) as well, despite the fact that the "legs" have become just leg openings over time.

- Amy

[Melissa_59]

Betraying my roots, but women in my family have called them "underdrawers", which always evokes amusing imagery to me. I also wonder if they refer to outer garments as "overdrawers" but I've never asked. I think "panties" is definitely a noun upgrade from "underdrawers".

[Rhonda Ann]

All my life women wear panties and men wear underwear. For my feminine I call them panties. It all depends on what you grow up with.
:battingeyelashes:

[MeganHenry]

I LOVE the word panties...lol :)
My wife well not so much...I'd prefer panties because that's what they are, we have compromised and it underwear. However in my mind...panties all the way. Panties is fun, frilly, exciting, refreshing...underwear on the other hand sounds like a tool you use lol. For what it's worth I wear panties! ;)

[Vanessa Amber420]

I just love hearing and saying the word panties...It reminds me of my feminine side...

[jackielou]

my woman perfers i call my bras and panties underware she is uncomfortable when i say my panties

[SusanCACD]

Since we are on the subject, why are panties plural and bra sigular?
Susan

[AllisontheGoddess]

It freaks me out but my SO loves to use that term XD

[LadyPilot]

Nothing get my attention faster than hearing "panties", "pantyhose" or "bras" not really sure why but I love to hear them being called that. My wife refers pantyhose as nylons other than that we speak the same language.

[Tina L.]

i love the word "panties" gf and i both call them panties

[monalisa]

Panties is just a wonderful feminine word which describes what I love to wear. Sounds almost naughty.

[MonctonGirl]

The only work I hesitate and try not to say is "panties".
I suppose because I didn't ever want people to know I love them. lol

[Brianne]

My wife says underwear and when speaking to her I say underwear. But I wear "PANTIES" every day !

[insearchofme]

Not at all... I wear panties 24/7 and don't mind the word at all. My wife on the other hand hates it. To her all is underwear.

This is the same for my wife. Funny thing, I wear a size 8 and she wears a size 7. As the panties wear the writing designating the size wears off making some of our panties look very similar (especially black ones). This morning while getting dressed she said you put a pair of your "underwear" in my dresser. Oh well, sometimes she does the same to me.

[Richelle423]

I'm glad my SO doesen't use the word "panties" she just says underwear or underoos, she still think it's a little weird. I hate it when she does laundry and hangs it in my shower and we get compa\ny and they use my bathroom and see " panties" hanging on the shower curtain that aren't her size but mine so I guess the "secret might be out " but her friends don't look at me weird..... yet

[il.dso]

Fun question and great responses.
Not really sure what I prefer to call them, but I certainly do love wearing them!
A great website to check out, by the way, is:
www.hewearspanties.com
Lots of good information and discussions.

[Barbara Jo]

It's like this.. ........

Both men and women wear "underware".
However, only females wear "panties". :)

[AngoraGirl]

The word is definitely a little awkward. But it also sound so feminine and that's why I love the word. Especially when I am wearing them! I never like when people call Bloomingdales bloomies though.

[May(be)]

Panties is weird to me. Neither my wife nor I use that word.
I prefer:
Underwear
Under-drawers
butt-huggers
banana-smugglers
Herbert Hoovers

or I am specific about the cut.

[Jilmac]

It seems as if the European countries call women's undergarments by different names. It also seems as if the word panties is the accepted term in the States. I believe "panties" is a shortened form of pantaloons which was a women's undergarment worn in the 1800s, and extended almost to the knee. My late wife would refer to hers as underwear but my daughters called them panties. I've known women in their 60s and 70s who call them panties, and I've also known much younger women who call them undies, so I guess it really boils down to a person's own preference.

I prefer to call mine panties.

[JennaGirl]

Definitely panties. SO complains because I have "better panties than her" which makes me smile....until she steals them from me!

[Tracie]

Panties is what I call them. "Banana smugglers" hehe

[JanM38]

Interestingly, my SO refers to my male underwear (which i wear on days i change at the gym at work) as panties, as well!

[Brenda Freeman]

Both my wife and I use the word panties, It is all we wear! And I love how women look in panties and me too for that matter! I think it is a common name for womens underwear in the US! I know knickers is used else where not so much here to my knowledge. I have loved the word panties since I was a kid and finally got my first pair later in life. And I agree with others why is one a pair of panties? It may be because I cannot imagine a crossdresser with only one pantie, my drawer is brimming colors material OK I may have a pantie(s) fetish too!

[Aubri]

I use the word, but for some reason it unsettles my wife when *I* use it when describing what I'm wearing. But in my mind, it's a descriptive term. My boxer-briefs are shorts (since I don't wear short pants often).

If it creeps someone out, my bad, that's on you. Honi soit qui mal y pense.

[Michelle.M]

Wow, you simply CANNOT be serious! Why all the venom over such a fun and harmless word? I was absent at the last Crazy Rabidly Angry Radical Feminist meeting. Was there a vote taken on this?

Yes, I say Panties. And tummy, and tush, and any other cute little word that pops into my DILLIGAF brain. I wear heels all the time (with nylons) and skirts or dresses nearly always. I check my makeup in public and fix my lipstick in a little mirror while I'm finishing lunch, and I just DO NOT CARE if the women who see me do that make snarky comments or if their husbands and boyfriends suddenly become unaware of the world around them and take an elbow in the ribs because of me.

Yes, my boyfriend calls me cute little pet names like Kitten and I not only don't mind it, I encourage it. No, I do not think it promotes harmful gender stereotypes. It's my personal life and not my professional life, and my personal life is more fun that the combined lives of any 10 women I know.

I've paid too dear a price to finally be able to live the life I want and to be who I am. If someone has a problem with my saying the word Panties then I guess they just have a problem!

Tough noogies.

I have 2 recommendations for that person -

1. Find a therapist and try to get a grip on your pathetic life.

2. Lighten up a little and have a margarita. First round's on me!

http://www.thefrisky.com/2010-04-19/quotable-christina-hendricks-wants-to-bring-back-the-word-panties/

[becky77]

Probably a British/American thing. But I know them as Knickers, panties sounds odd but only because it's just not used where I am.

[sabrinaedwards]

The word "panties" conveys such a feminine description of underwear or as the Brits say knickers. To me panties is such a great word, I love to say that I'm wearing panties. I'm wearing panties right now and I feel like such a girl.

[Slipstream]

I like it so much I think I repeat it my sleep. I'm afraid 35 years from now I'll be half sedated in some nursing home staring at the ceiling mumbling "Panties, Panties, Panties.......":D

[Alliex]

I love the word panties sounds so feminine! I think they are cute and sexy all at the sametime!

[Jessica Who]

We say panties and underwear, sometimes if a word has a certain connotation you can get rid of it by saying it over and over :)

[FaithGrace]

I love the word panties, I love wearing panties, I love seeing panties on women, I love shopping for panties, I love saying "panties"!

[busker]

Then there's the old question...
Why are panties plural and bra singular...????

You wear A Bra...but a pair or panties????????? Go figure.

because each side was a pant leg (as in pull up your pant leg please) and when you had 2 sides you a pair of pants. so when they got shorter, their were called panties.
definition of pant leg:pant leg - definition of pant leg by the Free Online Dictionary ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/pant+leg
Noun, 1. pant leg - the leg of a pair of trousers. trouser leg · leg - a cloth covering consisting of the part of a pair of trousers that covers a person's leg. trouser ...

[JanM38]

I love the word panties, I love wearing panties, I love seeing panties on women, I love shopping for panties, I love saying "panties"!

You and me both, sister!:battingeyelashes:

[fetishtop]

When I was a kid, boys wore "knickers," which were trousers that went down just below the knees and were held tight with elastic. One wore long socks, that is, thick cotton or wool stockings that drew up to below the knees, the tops of which went just under the bottoms of the knickers. "Knickers," in the U.S. I believe, is short for "knickerbockers," and are English in origin. "Plus fours" were knickerbockers with an added four inches of gathered fabric at the knees, to make that part of the garment blossom out, or to "blouse" more. "Briefs" are also used to mean panties here in the U.S. and in the U.K. And, of course, these days "thongs" are all the rage. What next?

[nevarrie]

I love the word panties, I love wearing panties, I love seeing panties on women, I love shopping for panties, I love saying "panties"!

I love how the word panties brings a smile to my face.

[cdxmatty]

Agreed!!! Panties 2016 :D

[Angela Campbell]

In my neck of the woods the term panties refers to womens underwear and the term underwear can mean either mens or womens. For girls either word is used. To me the word panties just sounds more intimate than the more generic word of underwear.

[Angela Campbell]

It's like this.. ........

Both men and women wear "underware".
However, only females wear "panties". :)

Not really...I know a lot of males who wear panties...like me.

[LaraPeterson]

I'm with slipstream. . .panties, panties, panties; I loves me some panties, and some bras, and pantyhose, and corsets, and high heels, and dresses, and skirts, and blouses, and makeup, and wigs, and on and on and on. Gotta love it, if you wear it.

[jackiebelle]

Panties is such a sexy word I love everything about them!

[Ressie]

Oh stop it girls you're making me blush! Isn't it strange how the human mind works? Just seeing the names of undergarments does something to me.

[DannyElle]

I personally love the word panties but here in Australia it is a word that is detested by most women. I notice that it seems acceptable in the US going by Victoria's Secret, HerRoom and other sites.

[Shananigans]

Lol I must be an incredibly specific underwear person. I usually state the style..."my thongs are doing the frontal wedge thing...I'm about to grab the scissors"..."I can't find my nude g-string...is it in the wash...what else am I supposed to wear with white pants?...This outfit is ruined"..."I know I wear a small now...so, these cheekies are a little big...but, I think I can just call them regular underwear now..."

I think when I'm referring to them in general, I use "underwear"...but, idk if I say "panties" sometimes....maybe? I do admit that it could come off a little creepy if a straight-up dude was using the word "panties." Idk why...I guess "panties" sounds slightly juvenile...maybe it sets off pedophile alarms in my mind. It may not be the alarm your looking for. But, if you're just using it around guys or maybe other mtf CDs that use the term, you probably don't have to worry about GGs quietly noting in their mind that you should not be touched with a 10ft pole. My list is long...and, I'm generally skeptical of proper male intentions with me...so, take this for what you will. But, I feel like being specific cant hurt. It gives you a visual of what you're talking about...which, could be good depending on what people might think you look like in a thong (or, "panties.") You might get admiring glances that you want...you might get creepy glances that just make you move awkwardly away from that person...or, you might scar people for life when they imagine you almost naked! Oh, the possibilities!

But, in general, it doesn't matter TOO much. You may earn the title "slightly weird" after using an inappropriate noun for your age/gender...for example, I'd die laughing if my grandmother referred to her "panties" (but, she doesn't because she's a lady). If you're a grown woman from the US, you probably use underwear. "Panties" might fall out of your mouth occasionally (figuratively), but it's probably not your "go-to" noun. If you're a man talking about your "panties" there's about a 97% chance you will come off slightly creepy, but there are always opportunities to redeem yourself in conversation so you don't come off as slightly pedo-ish. If I knew you were a CD, I'd probably just tease you and say, "Now, wait...you ARE a grown crossdresser, right? I just want to make sure this isn't To Catch a Predator and you aren't wearing Hello Kitty." (Not to knock Hello Kitty usage as an adult...actually, yes, I'm knocking it).

So, yeah, people are often a little cutesy when they say "panties." And, it takes some fly on the wall assessment if yourself to establish if you might be coming off as slightly creepy in female company. If you feel like you might be coming off a little strange, you might try to use "underwear." If the word "panties" slips out of your mouth, know that the women around you probably made a note of it and judged you slightly with a smile on their face (welcome to womanhood)...but, you generally can fly off the radar again if you carry on the conversation normally. If you think about it too much or apologize, you fail twice. So...try to get through that situation NOW that you know all of this. ;)

Or, don't talk about your underwear except to people who should know about it. You know...that's the best rule of thumb. I could call my underwear my "genital cloths" in front of my SO and he wouldn't find me any stranger than he already finds me. I could probably say it to my girlfriends, and they'd probably try to use it in a sentence a week later. So, there you are... How about you use whatever terms you like in the proper company?

True life...people rarely actually talk about underwear :( (But, it could also be :) because...sometimes...you really don't need the image in your mind of the person in his/her "panties"). P.S. in general company, the proclamation of your love for panties might come off as slightly strange (refer to the above sentence). And, I think people should do what makes them happy...maybe some people are blissfully unaware that they might be slightly socially inept...but, you know, whatever floats your boat...just know that "panties" aren't usually coming up that often in conversation, and if (IRL) you were to continue to tell me how prudish I am/declare your undying love for certain genital cloths, I'd raisemy glass to you and get on with my life... might even get you a VS card...or, just take my "underwear" off, put it in your pocket, and tell you to come up with a good noun for that prudishness. Then, we'd all buy a round of drinks and stop talking about underwear...I'd toast to that...and, toast to me going "commando"...I'd riddle you the proper word choice for going without genital cloths.

[tiffanyjo89]

I think, like Shananigans was posting, that using the term "panties" in general conversation is slightly weird for people above the age of, let's say, 35. Using it in a case of if someone asks what type of underwear you wear (like the boxers vs briefs thing, they are both underwear, but they function completely differently) calling them under the umbrella version of "panties" is okay, as long as you don't go crazy and say panties every five seconds. Heck, VS uses the term as an umbrella term for the cloth worn underneath pants, even though bras kinda count as underwear.

Also, like she mentioned, using a more specific term for things like thongs is appropriate in the right case.

[Shananigans]

I think, like Shananigans was posting, that using the term "panties" in general conversation is slightly weird for people above the age of, let's say, 35. Using it in a case of if someone asks what type of underwear you wear (like the boxers vs briefs thing, they are both underwear, but they function completely differently) calling them under the umbrella version of "panties" is okay, as long as you don't go crazy and say panties every five seconds. Heck, VS uses the term as an umbrella term for the cloth worn underneath pants, even though bras kinda count as underwear.

Also, like she mentioned, using a more specific term for things like thongs is appropriate in the right case.

Bingo. If its coming up in conversation often enough that you're worried about it, you're probably doing it wrong. But, I'm 25...the only person I really know that talks about her panties us my cousin...she's 5...and, she's very proud of her Beauty and the Beast panties...and, her lack of social grace for me needing to tell her that we don't talk about our "panties" in the line at Subway is OK...because, she's 5.

[a1stephie]

Gosh just stumbled across this thread...already five pages deep! I am glad I'm not the only one with a major fetish for this word (as well as the item). Being a Brit it was always knickers, which while I do *like* that word, something about panties is just so utterly fem, sexy, and quite frankly pervy in a good way. Like a porn flick goodness. Buuuut, as many others have posted on here, SOs quite often do not like that word. My wife hates it, indeed she and her whole family refer to them as 'underwear', which of course is so blah and uninviting. To her, 'underwear' is just something you wear, well, under your clothes. Very little sexual/erotic element to her. I have to avoid that word with her because I know she hates it (oddly enough most of her So. Cal gal pals do too, yet I hear girls from the Mid West use it a fair bit - what a turn on, eh, chums?).

I still have trouble saying it aloud myself, as much as I love the sound of it...



Also, like she mentioned, using a more specific term for things like thongs is appropriate in the right case.

This is one of my pet peeves with my wife - she refers to everything 'thong' as a 'Gee' (as in G-string). I have to grit my teeth and smile sweetly because I know what's good for me, but I so badly want to educate her properly on lingerie terminology!

[tiffanyjo89]

Yeah, plus little girls are known for pulling their dresses over their heads at places like church saying "Look at my panties. They have the day of the week on them." and stuff like that. If they only had video of that to be shown to all their friends later...much later...[must get blackmail ideas out of head]

Another thing, a guy using the term, especially in public (except for talking to SAs, the more specific you are with them on what you want, the better sometimes), but even in private situations, can come across as "invading the women's turf" by openly talking about something so private to women. Of course, like I said before, if you use the term to describe "switching" from briefs to "panties" (as an umbrella) then that works, somewhat. Saying you switched from briefs to underwear is a bit redundant sounding since briefs are underwear. BTW, I'm 23 and a guy, so for me to even be around when girls talk about their underwear feels extremely weird at times (and I can only recall one time that's happened, at least without at least one person in the conversation being my sister, and that's somewhat less weird because of our relations. Hey, live in a house with your mother, sister, and her having girl friends over a lot, and me being the quiet shy type that doesn't have friends over and my dad and mom being separated but hangs out in the living room or outside because you hate spending all your time in the bedroom, you hear a lot of girly conversation.)

[Shananigans]

This is one of my pet peeves with my wife - she refers to everything 'thong' as a 'Gee' (as in G-string). I have to grit my teeth and smile sweetly because I know what's good for me, but I so badly want to educate her properly on lingerie terminology!

Lulz...I just read your post and it just fit almost perfectly with what I was saying...

I mean, I think it probably means more to you than the general public...I literally was scratching my head to figure out if I say "panties"...and, then, I got even more confused at panties being a proper term for "lingerie"...since, you know, it's a term usually for the undergarments of a little girl...the ones that are little in the way that they don't wear "lingerie." But, there you go.

I don't think I am in the Rad Fem crowd...I'd also say that I'm sexually comfortable and probably spend more money than I should on lingerie...BUT, it still doesn't change the fact that the overwhelming majority of women aren't walking around, talking about lingerie, just dripping with excitement at the thought of their frilly little things.

That's just the straight up truth right there. My SO and I can call it whatever we want...but, my underwear choices aren't as exciting to other people, because it's likely they'll never get the chance to see it. So...why tease?...I figured we were cruel enough already? If I'm trying to be sexy with my undergarments, I'd just flash a little thigh high or top of the bra...I don't have to go blabbering on about my panties. But, I've never encountered someone just adamantly talking at me about panties and "panties" as the proper term for lingerie... I'd probably not find that person very sexual...maybe less sexual than before they started on about their panties, actually. I guess I'm less talk and more action, but there you go.

[a1stephie]

This may well just be a fundamental difference between a GG a cross dresser who started off with a lingerie/panty fetish - as you say, it just means more to us. I tried just now to flip the equation and imagine how I would feel if my wife was a female-male CD with a major men's underwear fetish. How would I react to her schooling me on if something was a boxer-brief, etc. and would I care if she kept using a term that irked me for a garment I don't typically give much thought to in everyday wear? Probably in a similar way to how she sees it with panties. And so, I do keep it to myself.

And yes, you are right, the term 'panties' does indeed refer to a girl's underwear, but of course has manifested into something else as well in today's lexicon. And you are right in how this has also incorrectly fallen under the 'lingerie' banner. It is so intriguing that so many of us can get so turned on, some intoxicated by this word, but there you go. It's a fact :) Most likely most women do not blab about their panties, it's probably a total fantasy on our part!

I remember being a kid and taken to department stores with 'proper' lingerie departments on shopping trips. I think it was all 'knickers' then though. I can't honestly remember when I first heard the word 'panties' but I do know that for some inexplicable reason, I was hooked on it! I even recall looking it up in dictionaries and feeling oddly aroused by that, like it was some secret little naughty thing in a mostly mundane book!

[tiffanyjo89]

Something that I just thought of...a local Walmart has a somewhat small rack of little girls underwear (including bras, for the just hitting puberty types who are still too young for the grown up stuff). This has a banner above it (on the shelf, but still in typical Walmart style) that says something like "Foundations." Well, those of you have been in Walmart know where the women's stuff is located is called "Intimates." In both sections (Hey, ADD guy over here...I notice stuff others don't just because I have lingering eyes) they have the multipack of Hanes and Fruit Of The Loom panties. I am going to guess that both sections have similar packs too (I'm not going to look in the girls section to see if they have packs of briefs, bikinis, and hipsters or just one of the three or whatever. How weird would that be? It's weird enough for me to shop for women's underwear, being in the girls section would make me feel creepy.)

Anyway, I'm sure that Hanes and FTL make their womens underwear and girls underwear out of the same materials with the same quality and even some overlapping just a touch in size (like the really large older girls who parents feel are still too young to buy the stuff with a woman modeling them on the package). The difference though is how people look at the departments. A mother (or even a father, I don't want to alienate the men who shop for their daughters, or sons...I don't want to alienate the boys who like the pretty stuff) shopping for her kid isn't thinking of how "attractive" the underwear is. For that age range, underwear is still very utilitarian. It serves only one purpose, to modestly cover up what should be covered. A grown woman or a teenager shopping for herself, though, is probably thinking a few different things about the types of underwear she buys.

These are (at least from my perspective of looking at underwear) what I think goes through a typical girls mind when shopping for underwear:
1) These are comfortable to lounge around in or wear when I want to go to the grocery store.
These would be the every day styles (not too sexy, but still fun).
2) These are going to be the one I don't mind tossing if I have a little complication.
These would be the cheapest crap you could buy and probably aren't all that comfortable, but are easy to part with.
3) These are the ones I will wear when I need something that doesn't show that I'm wearing them but I know I am wearing them.
These would be things like thongs.
4) These are what I will wear when I want to surprise him or when I want to feel sexy.
This is where the lacy numbers come into play. Other items of lingerie get added in as well.

[Sarah V]

Saying the word alone and thinking about it (repeatedly) it does sound kind of funny when you think about it. But I do not find the word panties creepy in the slightest at all, and I do rather like the word panties as I find it very feminine to say and to listen to it being said when used in conversation. That being said though, I don't use it a whole lot either. I stick to " my underwear", "my undies (for short)", or sometimes just "pants", as in the "matching pant" - which is de rigure in my book for a lady to have matching bra and pant sets.

[Shananigans]

Tiffany, I wouldn't stress out too much about what it looks like to find yourself in the intimates department. I mean, we know that there are tons of reasons why men might find themselves in those sections...I try not to assume anything. My SO found himself lingering around the feminine hygiene section looking for Monistat cream. The truth was that our pug had a yeast infection in his wrinkle above his nose...and, I'm cheap enough that I try to fix things at home instead of running to the vet. Could he have looked liked wildly out of place?...Was he just some kind guy shopping for his girlfriend?...Was he just bewildered at the amount of products out there to make your vag sparkle? (I think probably so on the last one... But, no one in a million years would have guessed he was shopping for a pug). So, same with underwear at Walmart...there's guys that are a little creepy, but there's also guys that just wind up there and get what they need (for whatever reason).

I'm actually unfamiliar with the underwear packs. I do know the younger girls in my family get their underwear that way, but most of the grown women I know just buy theirs separately. They have made a lot of things more reasonable in price...I wait for sales at VS or use coupons so that I spend less than $5 a pair. The reason I don't like the packs is because I have virtually no idea what is going on with the sizing. I went and bought a pack of size 6 underwear just for working out in (no one really wants to sweat up their nice underwear). But, the size 6 was literally like parachute panties.:.it was not for a size 6 woman lol. I should've read the back, but I didn't. And, I threw all the packaging away before I took the time to figure it out. So, now, I have these really random HUGE panties (there's that word). I could have bought some that I liked for less and with less hassle. Man, I hate underwear packages!

So, I really do like to buy underwear that I like...that I think is cute. You do just have certain staples that you just have to have...like nude thongs, white bikini cut, black anything. I always get sad if any of my underwear gets messed up, because those are then cast down as "that time of the month" underwear...and, I'm never at a place where I can do random tricks to try to save my underwear with peroxide or whatever is used for blood. So, it's usually the cute panties that fall into this category...and, eventually, I feel weird about wearing them and throw them away. There are some types of underwear that are just not practical and do not belong outside of the bedroom...for example, underwear that ties on to you...underwear that has some sort of jewels and craziness all over them...underwear that may or may not have a crotch. So, obviously, those are sexy underwear for special occasions. But, overall, I think most of us try to buy things that are cute..maybe even a little sexy. I'm a fan of Hanky Pankys...they're my "every day wear" sort of thing...but, I wouldn't feel embarrassed to strip down in them...I wouldn't feel "unsexy."

Really, the thing I don't spend time on is making everything match. I like to mix and match...I rarely buy things as a set. So, days that I have a lime green bra and a hot pink thong...it's an alright day...I mixed and matched. Days that I wear a set, might be really good days...I apparently have my crap together that morning. But, laundry day? Forget it. I'll wear literal bikini bottoms if it comes to it. And, I feel this is probably the same "fault" in underwear shopping that my friends have. We go through underwear so fast...we buy things separately...so, in the end, it doesn't necessarily match perfectly. But, it's just how things work out...not really ambivalence...everyone likes to spend money in things they like...but, sometimes Flow sneaks up on you and she doesn't care that you're wearing your matching set. So, now, your matching set is gone. It sucks and it's sad...but, that's the beauty of VS mix and match sales, I guess.


Something that I just thought of...a local Walmart has a somewhat small rack of little girls underwear (including bras, for the just hitting puberty types who are still too young for the grown up stuff). This has a banner above it (on the shelf, but still in typical Walmart style) that says something like "Foundations." Well, those of you have been in Walmart know where the women's stuff is located is called "Intimates." In both sections (Hey, ADD guy over here...I notice stuff others don't just because I have lingering eyes) they have the multipack of Hanes and Fruit Of The Loom panties. I am going to guess that both sections have similar packs too (I'm not going to look in the girls section to see if they have packs of briefs, bikinis, and hipsters or just one of the three or whatever. How weird would that be? It's weird enough for me to shop for women's underwear, being in the girls section would make me feel creepy.)

Anyway, I'm sure that Hanes and FTL make their womens underwear and girls underwear out of the same materials with the same quality and even some overlapping just a touch in size (like the really large older girls who parents feel are still too young to buy the stuff with a woman modeling them on the package). The difference though is how people look at the departments. A mother (or even a father, I don't want to alienate the men who shop for their daughters, or sons...I don't want to alienate the boys who like the pretty stuff) shopping for her kid isn't thinking of how "attractive" the underwear is. For that age range, underwear is still very utilitarian. It serves only one purpose, to modestly cover up what should be covered. A grown woman or a teenager shopping for herself, though, is probably thinking a few different things about the types of underwear she buys.

These are (at least from my perspective of looking at underwear) what I think goes through a typical girls mind when shopping for underwear:
1) These are comfortable to lounge around in or wear when I want to go to the grocery store.
These would be the every day styles (not too sexy, but still fun).
2) These are going to be the one I don't mind tossing if I have a little complication.
These would be the cheapest crap you could buy and probably aren't all that comfortable, but are easy to part with.
3) These are the ones I will wear when I need something that doesn't show that I'm wearing them but I know I am wearing them.
These would be things like thongs.
4) These are what I will wear when I want to surprise him or when I want to feel sexy.
This is where the lacy numbers come into play. Other items of lingerie get added in as well.

[Rachel2000]

I love the word panties, I love wearing panties, I love seeing panties on women, I love shopping for panties, I love saying "panties"!

I couldn't have said it better!!

[Nanaya]

If the word panties doesn't work, go for pantsu! Pantsu is the best!

[StarrOfDelite]

I think the only time in my life I ever referred to women's underwear as panties was probably when I was in grade school. Nowadays, if I'm referring to anything other than the utilitarian cotton stuff that I still call women's underwear, I would call the items thongs or bikinis, but NEVER panties. In my mind it's a fetish sissy's word nowadays. Not that there's anything wrong with being a fetish sissy if that's what a person is into. Different strokes, as they say.

[Melissa_59]

When on this site, "underwear". There seems to be a large population here that don't like girly sounding words.

I find that funny since my Mother, my sister, and both of my ex-wives called them "panties" and they most definitely are women. But there are others here who seem to think that it's too creepy to refer to "underwear" as panties. Most amusing.

~Linebacker Melissa