Panties

Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, are often made of elastomer. Various materials are used, but are usually chosen to be breathable.

Panties are made of a variety of materials, including cotton, lace, latex, leather, lycra, mesh, nylon, PVC, polyester, rawhide, satin, and silk. Construction typically consists of two pieces (front and rear) that are joined by seams at the crotch and sides; an additional gusset is often in the crotch, with the waistband and leg-openings made from elastomer.

In the United States and Canada, "panties" is a common term to refer to female underwear bottoms.

In the United Kingdom and occasionally in other Commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, panties may be referred to as "knickers", "undies", or simply "underwear". The last two of these are gender-neutral terms and can be used for either male or female styles of underwear bottoms, the American English equivalent being underpants.

In Australia, male underpants are often referred to as "undies", although the word can also refer to panties.

The earliest known use of underwear that resembles modern panties dates back to 4,400 B.C. during the Badari period in Egypt. Around 3000 B.C. Sumerian women would start wearing underwear similar to briefs In Ancient Greece women sometimes wore underwear, resembling panties, called a Perizoma. Ancient Roman women would wear ancient panties called a Subligaculum. Underwear resembling modern day panties were first invented in the 1920s, when long drawers were shortened to be made less cumbersome, although they were heavily decorated and had to be fastened. The bows used for fastening still remain on some panties as a decoration to this day.

Between 1930 and 1947, panties were shortened further and made with cotton instead of linen. By the 1960s, wide-legged panties were used instead of a slip by most women in the west and were often manufactured in vibrant colors and prints.

Around the 1980s and 1990s, various bottom-enhancing panties such as thongs became a common sight and in the 2000s boyshorts and hipster styles were invented as well as more traditional types such as bikinis and briefs. These are the types of panties commonly worn today.