Panty Line
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In clothing design, a panty line on a human body goes at an angle from the high
hip In vertebrate anatomy, the hip, or coxaLatin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) (: ''coxae'') in medical terminology, refers to either an anatomical region or a joint on t ...
down to the
crotch In humans, the crotch is the bottom of the pelvis (the region of the body where the legs join the torso) and is the part of the body that includes the groin and genitals. Etymology ''Crotch'' is derived from ''crutch''; it was first used in 1 ...
. It is used as a reference line, for example, a
babydoll A babydoll is a short, sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown or negligee, intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed cups called a bralette for cleavage with an attached, loose-fitting skirt falling in length usually between the ...
can end either below or above the panty line (the latter option allows the companies to market a matching set with
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, ...
). The term is also used for the edge of the panties, in particular when it is visible through the
outer garment Outerwear is clothing and accessories worn outdoors, or clothing designed to be worn as protective layers outside other garments, as opposed to underwear. It can be worn for formal or casual occasions, or as warm clothing during winter. List of ou ...
.


Visible panty line

A visible panty line (also
slang A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...
VPL) is the situation when the outline of a woman's
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, ...
is visible through the outer
clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...
. The underwear may be seen as a ridge or depression in the clothes, or as a result of the clothing material being sufficiently clingy or transparent.
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
saw US women entering factories to help the war effort, in the process switching to blue jeans outfits, and puzzled about the proper undergarments for the new clothes. The garment industry had figured out the new opportunity, and in 1943
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...
ran a piece promoting the
rayon Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, is a semi-synthetic fiber made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose fiber, cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has t ...
jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
underpants with "nonexistent looks", boldly declaring the wash-and-wear barely visible pieces to be part of "simplification
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
is a twentieth-century word". The concern about VPL was born, and never extinguished since, as solutions kept creating new issues (compare
thong The thong is a Clothing, garment generally used as either underwear or in some countries, as a swimsuit. It may also be worn for traditional Ceremony, ceremonies or Sport, competitions. Viewed from the front, the thong typically resembles a b ...
s with the corresponding " whale tail"). Absence of visible panty line has been an important point in promotions and it was even a matter of
focus group A focus group is a group interview involving a small number (sometimes up to ten) of demographically predefined participants. Their reactions to specific researcher/evaluator-posed questions are studied. Focus groups are used in market researc ...
research on the proper tagline involving (absence of) panty lines. Sara Blakely built her Spanx company after experiencing the panty line problem herself. The origin of the term "VPL" is probably traced to barracks humor, the term ''VPL'' for 'visible panty line' as a mockery of overused bureaucratic
initialism An acronym is a type of abbreviation consisting of a phrase whose only pronounced elements are the initial letters or initial sounds of words inside that phrase. Acronyms are often spelled with the initial letter of each word in all caps wi ...
s, coined in an analogy with
water line The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. A waterline can also refer to any line on a ship's hull that is parallel to the water's surface when the ship is afloat in a level trimmed position. Hence, wate ...
. '' The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English'' claims that the phrase was popularized by
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
's 1977
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
''
Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer ...
''. Visible panty lines are considered to be things that are "showing, and ... don't look good". There are a number of ways to avoid panty lines: thick or textured fabrics, using "camouflaging" print, pantyhose, or
boy shorts Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic Waistline (clothing), waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genital, genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openin ...
. Hollywood
costume design Costume design is the process of selecting or creating clothing for a performers. A costume may be designed from scratch or may be designed by combining existing garments. "Costume" may also refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a ...
er Freer declares VPL a "number one undergarments problem" she is being asked to solve and recommends few solutions: stop worrying (as one actress stated, "I want people to know I'm wearing underwear"), wear either less-tight or more full-coverage garment. Since the beginning of the 21st century, female celebrities started to wear visible underwear. Year 2023 in particular saw the explosion of sheer dresses with just a very visible pair of briefs underneath (at the Saint Laurent 2023 spring show a third of the "looks" were following this trend). Fashion historian Chrisman-Campbell attributes this tendency to the need for celebrities to be watched and photographed that is causing racier fashion to proliferate. As a result, a deliberately visible panty line is turning to be more mainstream.


See also

* Bikini line


Notes


References

{{reflist Clothing controversies Undergarments