Different types of briefs

Whatever type of lingeire brief you are designing, here is a run down on the styles I get asked to design the most.

Bikini

This style usually has a low rise with narrow sides. It has a full coverage of bum but sometimes a bikini style can have a ‘cheeky’ cut (coverage goes mid way across the bum cheek ). Regarding the word bikini in swimwear, it was named after the Bikini Atoll islands where the atom bomb was tested; the French designer Louis Réard obviously knew what an impact it would make when he launched it.

Boy-shorts/women’s boxers

The women;s boxer has the same shape as masculine boxer short but has been tweaked and designed for the feminine shape. The difference between a women’s boxer and a boy-short is that the boxers come low and tightly fit around the thigh whereas the boy-short finishes with usually 1/3 of the lower bum showing so is classed as a ‘cheeky’ cut.

Classic brief

These were popular in the fifties and eighties and are now lovingly called ‘grannie pants’. They cover the bum fully and can have either a high or low leg.

G-string

Shaped like a thong (no bum coverage) but at the sides and back elastic is used instead of fabric. Remember the early 2000s the uncomfortable phase of pulling your g-string up over your hip bones so they could be seen above your jeans. This led to lingerie designers designing diamonté backs for them. I remember designing jewel t-bar backs for Topshop and Next.

High waist brief

The legs can be high or low and the back can offer a full coverage or ‘cheeky’ style. The waist of this brief sits high either above, on or just below the belly button.

Hipster

This style is a cross between a bikini and a boy short and has a low rise and sits on hipbones.

Tanga

This is cross between a bikini and a thong, from the front it looks like a but back is narrow, it has more coverage than a thong but way less than a classic brief.

Tap pants

These are loose cut shorts which cover the thighs but are loose fitting around the leg. They can also be referred to as french knickers. Originally they came up to the natural waist line when they first came about in the 1920s.

Thong

This has no coverage of the bum, and just consists of a narrow strip of fabric at the back and a bikini style at the front.

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