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A Fear of VPL

11 years ago by

Right up there with my fear of accidentally wearing foundation that doesn’t match my skin color is my fear of VPL (visible panty line)…

(Yes I know, the word panty isn’t my favorite word either, but try to stay focused.)

I am always double, if not triple, checking my backside before I leave the house (especially in white jeans!) to be sure that I’m not showing off some hot pink polka dots to all of the West Village. That was until I found the most comfortable, seriously invisible, seamless pair of underwear (panties) ever. I haven’t converted my entire underwear drawer over to these yet but I’ve got a few pairs that I wear with specific pants/dresses/skirts/men (hahaha). Now, no need to triple check!

PS: These are by Commando. My pair of choice (in case you really wanted to know): the solid girl short.

53 comments

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  • This is AMAZING. Thanks for sharing this with us, Alex!

  • big pants w/out the line. good! :)

    http://littleaesthete.com

  • It’s like going commando.. with Commando panties! Haha love them!
    New post on the blog: http://www.thedeepbluecory.com/2013/05/new-day.html

  • These are great! Victoria’s Secret also makes a great pair: http://www.victoriassecret.com/panties/no-lines-and-seamless/no-show-hipster-panty-pink?ProductID=68675&CatalogueType=OLS

    I have even worn them under running tights!

  • Parfait Alex, suis ok avec toi
    Mais que faire quand ton homme déteste ? Le mien trouve ça très moche…. Grrr
    xxx
    Loulou

  • My VPL fear isn’t about colours peeking through but about the double-butt – you know, when the elastic cuts each cheek in two… I worry my butt’s shape will forever encourage wanton and unwanted knicker movement. No matter how carefully I check my rear view before I leave the house, lo and behold by the time I reach work there it is in the lift mirror: 4 cheeks!

    http://kassiastclair.com/

  • Dominikaq May, 23 2013, 12:53 / Reply

    Anybody know where I could find seemless underwear in red? Nobody seems to have thought of that, think I’m gonna have to dye it myself :(

  • Same story! Intimissimi has had these for years now;)

    http://somebodyfromsomewhere.blogspot.com/

  • Kimiko May, 23 2013, 1:14 / Reply

    my absolute fave pair of seamless undies are made by Uniqlo! i’ve tried countless brands and always find they ride or shift into, ahem, some unpleasant positions but these sit perfectly. and for under $10 a pair? perfection!

  • I second this recommendation. Uniqlo ones are are great and aren’t absurdly expensive.

  • I second that! I’ve stocked my underwear drawer full of these ever since I discovered them 2 years ago.

  • Christelle May, 23 2013, 1:14 / Reply

    alex you’re like garance: perfect! :)

  • VPL sample sale is happening now at the soho location- had to peel myself away from the $15 panties and $25 swimmies !!!

    Some good deals to be had there ladies
    xx

  • Ce genre de culottes sont vraiment indispensables, surtout avec des vêtements blancs et/ou fins!

    http://www.laurablogmode.com

  • I also discovered them at Intimissimi, some time ago. The converting of the underwear is work in progress :)

    http://www.timelessdifference.com

  • Haha, hilarious article and thanks for the great tip ;) xx

    http://www.creativityandchocolate.com

  • For those who live in Europe! Intimissimi has great panties similar to these. Super comfortable, without sewing, and can be wore with really tight pencil skirts too :)

  • I agree, Intimissimi makes really good panties, totally seamless. I also like Yamamay, another italian brand.
    http://www.webelieveinstyle.net

  • Martha May, 23 2013, 2:34 / Reply

    I love the commando cotton! The cotton ones also leave no VPL. But the regular girl short was too skimpy for me, I would rather go full boyshort or thong

  • Charlotte May, 23 2013, 2:41 / Reply

    I love the pieces Alex writes! Great addition to the Garance Dore team!

  • Juliette May, 23 2013, 2:50 / Reply

    Those are nice! calvin klein has good ones too.

  • Love thema and need them in my life.

    xo
    http://pinksole.com

  • Chloé May, 23 2013, 3:05 / Reply

    C’est quand même pas hyper sexy …
    Je préfère les sous vêtements Princesse Tam Tam !

  • Chloé May, 23 2013, 4:45 / Reply

    Et les pasties ? On en parle ?

  • Ton choix est vraiment bon, en général, je ne prends que des sous-vêtements basiques, ou culottes comme tu dis, rarement des trucs vifs ou à motifs et je privilégie par contre les matières, celles qui sont légères ne marquent pas sous les habits (surtout en été), à voir pour ton prochain shopping !

  • Super bonne idée de parler de ca ! Mais cette forme rentre typiquement dans les fesses rondes (donc dans mes fesses et ca c’est vraiment désagréable). Le tissu reste bien placé sur les tiennes ?
    Et puis je ne porte plus que du coton pour cet endroit là, du coup j’en reste aux calvin klein basiques… et je cherche mieux !!

  • petit soleil May, 24 2013, 11:52

    ah moi aussi, j’ai le rideau se coince dans la fenêtre avec ce genre de culotte ahah, je suis pas la seule :)!! monop en fait des pas mal en coton ;)

  • Thanks for the info! I’ve been eyeing these for a while but wasn’t sure if it was just another pair of panties claiming to be seamless when it’s really not. Will be stocking up on these stuff! :0

  • Eluema May, 23 2013, 7:09 / Reply

    Most amazing thing when having a dance show! (perfect with leotard)
    I tested these from ballet exams to bollywood competitions and, God it’s perfect ! :)

    -Eluema

  • thanks for idea, I have phobia from strings on hips. yuck
    http://pilisstyle.blogspot.com/

  • Patricia May, 23 2013, 10:56 / Reply

    jajaja, VPL, every girl’s nightmare and headache ! I have a similar one, they are almost invisible if you don’t check too close, but I found they don’t stay well in the back under clothes due to the lack of elastic band at the seams, so before I find better “seamless” panties, I stick with thongs to eliminate VPL.

  • this is literally the only brand of underwear that I buy. they are perfect and the nude ones are practically invisible! I love them <3

  • Lansky Remy May, 24 2013, 2:46 / Reply

    Ahah! J’ai une culotte du même style que j’ai acheté au La Senza (un genre de Victoria’s Secret à la Canadienne), elle m’a coûté que 3$ (c’était à une vente d’entrepôt) & elle a été coupé au laser. Elle est brune et c’est EXACTEMENT la même couleur que ma peau j’hallucine à chaque fois que je la met, c’est comme-ci j’étais totalement nue, ahaha! Cela fait un moment que je l’ai et je l’a met rarement. Je mets des thongs lorsque je porte un jeans blanc par exemple ou encore j’ai des thongs qui sont aussi seamless. Bref, en somme ce type de sous-vêtements sont très utile et un must-have dans une garde-robe d’une femme.

  • Hahah, I also always triple-check if the VPL is visible – especially when going to work out. It’s a real fear! :D

    xx
    http://gita-oddsandends.blogspot.com/

  • Yes! This summer I’m all about white (yes, that’s my favorite trend) and I had to buy a lot of white plain underwear (not really my thing, I’m much more “cute patterns” girl). Intimissimi has a nice line of no-VPL panties. It saves my life.

  • annaqs May, 24 2013, 5:01 / Reply

    They ROLL and MOVE all around the place! And forget about wearing them wits a flared skirt! I have a couple of pairs from Intimissimmi. I don’t think they’re comfy at all. And when they roll, imagine the VPL! It’s a question of the firmness of the material, which is not great.

    After trying most of the choices out there, I think nothing beats good quality old school cotton lace. I’ve had a couple of pairs and they are great, firm, sit nicely on the butt, look great if accident happens and wind blows up your skirt. I also fidn that great fitting pants are for me the best choice for not showing the VPL :)

  • shopgirl May, 24 2013, 6:09 / Reply

    I do not have good experience with this cut, because it does not keep panties on the buttocks, but they crawl up. The last part should be cut lower so that it embraces the whole bottom.
    Much better experiences I have with lower cut pants, boyshort or even with short legs.

  • D’accord avec Chloé, vraiment pas sexy au moment de se déshabiller….. Et couleur chair c’est vraiment pas joli ! En bonne française, je préfère le sexy au confort.

  • Katherine May, 24 2013, 7:40 / Reply

    Commando makes the most wonderful opaque tights – love them to no end – just wish they came in 10 colours. Thrilled to know about the underwear. And here I thought I was the only one who hated the “P” word. Alex, love your posts – thank you for all the great info! xx

  • Katherine May, 24 2013, 7:54 / Reply

    Oops, just went to Commando’s site – thankfully the tights come in several colours .. must just be that Nordstrom only carries 3…

  • Renata May, 24 2013, 9:54 / Reply

    faut voir les culottes hope nudehttp://www.hopelingerie.com.br/categoria/1/7/0/MaisVendidos/Decrescente/21/1//0/0/nude.aspx

  • “Commando”? SAve yourself a lotof $$ and just skip this item of clothing.

  • Merci pour cette découverte :)

    xx.

  • **amAka** May, 24 2013, 3:18 / Reply

    I’m with Jett. Just go commando then you’ll never have to worry about vpl

  • Y-aurait-il un jeu de mot avec “going commando” ? je crois bien ! hahaha

    http://hidinginheaven.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-one-with-id-like-to-wear-iv.html

  • Handy, thanks Alex!
    (And they *must* be a referencing Friends ‘commando’, no!? http://youtu.be/4TSCV5wUOFE)

  • Ximena May, 25 2013, 8:52 / Reply

    Dear Alex, when are we going to be able to click on the Follow me on Bloglovin button of your own blog????? :)

    Not that I don’t love the fact that Garance is kindly sharing this space with you, but I would love to see what would you create for yourself. :)

  • D Kesten May, 26 2013, 6:11 / Reply

    Watch out, people might think then that you don’t wear ones. ;D

  • Sandra May, 26 2013, 11:41 / Reply

    Salut, je préfère la ficelle depuis que j ai trouvé la coupe miracle ou l’on ne sent rien entre… En fait, par hasard car au début c’était juste pas possible et histoire d impressionner Chéri…!

  • Je ne mets pas de fond de teint, mais j’aime bien ce fond teint pratique, surtout quand je suis toute blanche comme la neige !
    Bises
    Kyok

  • Sophie May, 27 2013, 9:12 / Reply

    Bonjour Alex,

    Suite à ce petit post sur la culotte, voici ma question :
    2013 : le string est-il devenu has been ?

    Au plaisir de te lire.
    Sophie

  • Totally agree with Shopgirl.

    These panties roll and move and don’t cover the whole of our buttocks. Most uncomfortable especially when they roll up as you move.

    I am still looking for the perfect no VPL panties.

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