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When I started this story, I wasn’t aware that not everyone likes to wear underwear with activewear.
There are a multitude of reasons: feeling like your butt is being flossed during squat sessions, having the waistband fall down while you run, or noticing that your normal underwear cause a visible panty line (VPL). (It’s totally fine, by the way, to have a panty line – there’s nothing ‘unsightly’ about it, but if you’re not a fan, that’s ok too).
Of course, some may also argue that there’s your vaginal health to consider. “I often see recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (otherwise known as thrush) in women who wear activewear often,” Specialist GP Dr Sam Saling tells marie claire Australia.
“This is because, with activewear, the non-breathable, moist environment creates the perfect conditions for some microorganisms to thrive. This same environment also causes the pooling of sweat directly between skin and clothing, which can result in an eczema-like rash.”
It’s not just skin rashes and eczema you need to worry about.
“I also see bacterial Staphylococcus spp-related conditions like boils, abscesses, and carbuncles in the groin area, and anecdotally see these increasing in our activewear wearing population,” she adds.
The good news is that it’s an easy thing to get around, by investing in the right underwear choices.
What Underwear Should You Wear Under Leggings?
“I always recommend wearing cotton underwear, or if you must wear synthetic underwear, ensure it has cotton lining. Ideally, I suggest changing out of one’s activewear within 30 minutes of finishing an exercise session,” she says.
“For those who wear activewear all day long and are prone to the above conditions, it may be in your best interest to change to denim, linen, or cotton fabrics for your all-day wardrobe. In fact, for my patients with a history of recurrent thrush, I try to wean them off their activewear habit entirely!”
We’ve done the research so you don’t have to; here are our favourite underwear choices that go perfectly under your leggings.
The Best Underwear For Under Leggings And Activewear
Unfortunately the best way to get no panty line is to don a g-string. (Or no underwear, be real.) However, we’ve done our darnedest to find both seamless gees and briefs that will be both invisible and comfy under leggings.
Boody Bamboo Seamfree G-String
$17.95 at Boody
Nala Classic Gee
$25 from Nala
A personal favourite, Australian lingerie brand Nala offers a great variety of truly comfortable underwear. Seamless and invisible under clothes, this style moulds to your body. Nala also has sustainability credentials locked down with fabric sourced from regenerative sources, like corn.
Berlei UnderState Seamless Full Brief
$19.95 at David Jones
Berlei is the reigning Queen of stylish but sexy underwear. With a brand legacy spanning 100 years, you would expect Berlei to nail it every time. Their UnderState range is Berlei’s answer to seamless and supportive underwear that hold you in and move with you.
B Free Seamless Cotton High Waist G String
$28.99 at The Iconic
Super-stretchy and seamless, these nylon undies with a cotton gusset are both flexible and breathable. The high waist allows for further support than other thongs with a narrower band.
Skims Fits Everybody Thong
$36 at SKIMS
Skims’ Fits Everybody range has some die-hard fans, and buyer beware you may stumble across your next favourite underwear amid the collection. This thong style is made from buttery-soft fabric for a second-skin fit. Perfect for wear under leggings, in true Kardashian style.
Calvin Klein Invisibles Micro Thongs 3-Pack
$59.95 from The Iconic
Calvin Klein is synonymous with comfortable underwear. This invisible thong pack is seamless and great value-for-money for undies to wear with leggings.
Lululemon InvisiWear Mid-Rise Thong Underwear 5 Pack
$99 at Lululemon
They’ve conquered activewear, but what about the underwear you wear underneath it? Lululemon’s seamless thongs get mixed reviews, but now two bodies are alike. This style is designed to align with Lululemon leggings, sitting approximately one inch below most waist-bands. Bear in mind, they’re also crafted for low-impact workouts, like yoga.
Bonds Hipster Refined Gee
$17 at Bonds
With a reinforced elastic waistband, this cotton gee will stay where you need it to during rigorous workouts. They’re also made with partly Australian cotton, which we love to see.
Posy The Active G Original
$38 from Posy
Camel toes can be a bugbear for many leggings-wearer. Enter Australian brand Posy, which claims to have solved to this problem for your next workout. Posy boasts a small but varied range of underwear that is perfect for wear with your tights. Bring back doing one thing, and doing it well.
Paire Full Brief Lipstick Underwear Pack of 3
$69 from Paire
The best part about Paire’s trademarked ‘Lipstick’ underwear, is that they come packaged in sustainable tubes, so you can chuck them in your bag in case of emergency. They also claim to be antibacterial — a great plus for underwear for leggings.
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