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Jul 08, 2023

10 Women On Why They Stopped Wearing Panties Underwear

If you spend a consistent amount of time on this platform, you know that if there is one thing that I like to write about, it’s vaginas (overall) and vaginal health (more specifically). And why not?

If you spend a consistent amount of time on this platform, you know that if there is one thing that I like to write about, it’s vaginas (overall) and vaginal health (more specifically). And why not? Vaginas (and vulvas) are a blessed thing — are they not? So, why not give them as much attention as they deserve?

Today, that’s just what we’re going to do. We’re gonna hear from 10 women who intentionally take things up a notch in the vaginal-attention-giving department by living their life sans any underwear down below. And although I’m aware that roughly 40 percent of women between the ages of 16-25 go commando and roughly 30 percent of women over 50 do it, what I wanted to learn was their reasons behind it.

Thankfully, these women (middle names were used) were more than willing to share — and honestly, they provided some solid arguments for why more of us should strongly consider not wearing panties either…at least every once in a while.

“I don’t wear bras or panties. I stopped wearing bras about five years ago and panties during the pandemic. Bras because I did research on how they can actually work against you when it comes to weakening breast tissue. Panties because — I was basically naked and working from home during shutdown, and I just felt more comfortable and stress-free that way. Since I mostly wear loose-fitting and flowing clothing, nobody knows what I have going on but me.”

Shellie here: She’s got a point on the bras. Some experts definitely say that they actually aid in weakening breast tissue. There are even science-based studies that say going without a bra can increase collagen and elasticity in younger women. Just something to think about. We even touched on the topic last spring for the platform via “Better Off Braless: The Benefits Of Not Wearing A Bra More Often.”

“Panties have always gotten on my nerves. Even though they’re supposedly supposed to prevent friction and discomfort, I always found them to be the cause. I ain’t crazy — when I’m on my period, I’ll wear them, but even then, I’m slightly triggered. The rest of the time, I like that my vagina is able to breathe. It also makes quickies a lot easier. I won’t get into how much public sex my hubby and I have had because, without panties, you feel sexy as hell. Bolder too.”

“The question that I get asked a lot is don’t I worry about wet spots on my clothes? Umm, if you’ve got so much discharge coming out of you that it’s drenching your outfits, you might want to see a doctor. Me? I don’t worry about that at all.”

“I’ve had C-sections with both of my kids — and when you’re waiting on that cut to heal? You don’t want ANYTHING touching it. Not even a little bit. It’s been since my younger child that I’ve gone without panties, and I’ve had less issues since then. I’ve only had one yeast infection. There’s been no odor. And I can’t explain it, but it seems that my pubic hair even feels softer.

"I do workout a lot, and some people ask me if it’s uncomfortable to wear those clothes without any underwear. Nah. I just make sure to take everything off immediately so that no sweat sets in. No panties [are] one of the best decisions I’ve made in life.”

“I used to be really insecure about my vagina. I didn’t look at it. Beyond the bare minimum basics, I didn’t do any upkeep. I just didn’t give it much thought besides my period and sometimes sex.”

“No one has to know that you don’t have drawers on but you, so I recommend that all women at least go a week without any on. It’s so liberating, and it makes me feel like I’m giving my vagina the low-key spotlight it deserves — even if no one knows about it but me, chile.”

“Listen, I’ve got a big ass, and I love it! Problem is, no matter what kind of panties I would buy or material they were made from, I constantly had the urge to pull them out of my butt. I don’t like how that feels, and I’m pretty sure that no one likes how that looks either, so — I did us all a solid and went panty-free. And I LOVE it!”

“It started out as a dare. My boyfriend dared me — us both, really — to go a week without any underwear. The chafing made him quit after the third day, but it’s been almost a year now for me, and I haven’t looked back. I feel more confident, sexier, and the health of my vagina has improved a lot. I still wear panties during my cycle and to church, just in case I pass out and don’t want to scare the church mothers. Other than that, nope. Panty-less is a mantra for me.”

“I feel sexy without having any panties on. What’s wild is I’m actually a pretty conservative dresser, for the most part, and that’s why I think not having any underwear on is so alluring. It’s like there’s a mystery going on that nobody knows about…well, few people know about. Mind ya business.” LOL.

“Meanwhile, I’m over here wondering why women wear panties at all. For what? What really are panties doing for you? They’ve always felt so confining, and then, once I found out that a certain amount of fecal matter remains in them, no matter how much you wash them out — yeah, I’m good on those things. When the topic comes up, sometimes people will ask if I’m nervous about sitting on park benches or at restaurants — I’m not naked; I just don’t have on any panties! I feel more secure knowing that fresh air is hitting it than some old discharge is just lying there. Eww.”

“Even though I don’t announce it to the world, whenever someone thinks it’s crazy that I don’t wear any panties, I think about how a lot of people who do don’t change theirs every day or they keep the same ones for years at a time. To me, that is what’s nasty. Doing something that’s traditional, if it’s not hygienic, makes absolutely no sense. You stay over there with your growing vaginal infection, and I’ll be over living my best life!”

Shellie here: She’s right. Reportedly 45 percent of Americans seem to have no problem with wearing the same pair of underwear at least two days in a row. Have mercy!

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You know what else I enjoyed about this article? Back when I was younger, I would sometimes hear older Black women speak on the topic with the approach that it was what white women do. Umm, clearly not. All of these women are Black, proud to be that, and have no intentions of returning to panties any time soon.

Welp, there goes another myth debunked. Love to see it.

Anyway, did they convince you to go panty-less? Either way, hop in the comments and let us know. We’d love to hear if you’re Team Panty or…not.

Featured image by Beeldbewerking/Getty Images

Different puzzle pieces are creating bigger pictures these days. 2024 will mark a milestone on a few different levels, including the release of my third book next June (yay!).

I am also a Professional Certified Coach. My main mission for attaining that particular goal is to use my formal credentials to help people navigate through the sometimes tumultuous waters, both on and offline, when it comes to information about marriage, sex and relationships that is oftentimes misinformation (because "coach" is a word that gets thrown around a lot, oftentimes quite poorly).

I am also still super devoted to helping to bring life into this world as a doula, marriage life coaching will always be my first love (next to writing, of course), a platform that advocates for good Black men is currently in the works and my keystrokes continue to be devoted to HEALTHY over HAPPY in the areas of holistic intimacy, spiritual evolution, purpose manifestation and self-love...because maturity teaches that it's impossible to be happy all of the time when it comes to reaching goals yet healthy is a choice that can be made on a daily basis (amen?).

If you have any PERSONAL QUESTIONS (please do not contact me with any story pitches; that is an *editorial* need), feel free to reach out at [email protected]. A sistah will certainly do what she can. ;)