Style Thief: Underwear Week Special Edition

Welcome to Underwear Week, a whole week dedicated to your favorite bum-hugging clothesthings. As we said many moons ago, we feel a lady is at her best when she’s not wearing pants. And while our last adventure around this neck of the woods took us only as far as boyshorts, this time around we’re exploring the vast and many-flavored land of underwear. From edible panties to hoopskirts and history, we’ve got you covered. Just like your underwear.
underwear week

It’s Underwear Week! A very special week if there ever was one. To commemorate this holiday, I’ll be bringing you nine of my vary favorite queer celebrity lesbians (or gay-for-pay actress ladies) in their most lesbosexy underwear styles.

Jackie Warner

Are those technically shorts? Maybe, but I guarantee you there isn’t anything under them. Either way, Jackie Warner’s black sports bra and black boyshorts are an instant classic. Sometimes it’s really nice to be neutral of neutral. So whether you’re butch, small busted or even actually athletic, this look is as versatile as it is hot.

Jillian Michaels

JILLIAN MICHAELS

JILLIAN MICHAELS

If you prefer something just femme of Jackie Warner’s look, Jillian Michaels offers up an equally hot option. Her shorts are shorter and her sports bra is, well, less functional, but her look remains athletic, simple and sexy.

Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres


One of my top five TV moments of all time, Callie Torres’s underwear dance scene on Grey’s Anatomy cannot be appropriately appreciated in photographs alone. Callie Torres proves once again that there is potentially nothing on earth as sexy as someone dancing alone in a T-shirt and underwear.

Naya Rivera

NAYA RIVERA FOR FHM

NAYA RIVERA FOR FHM

Naya Rivera has blessed us with so many hot underwear looks that I had to feature her a second time. In a contrast to her usual matching set of balconette bras and panties, this look stands out because it’s just so real. For better or for worse, white cotton bikini-cut underwear is probably the go-to underwear for millions of women across the age spectrum. To me, there is something comforting and sexy in that alone. I wonder how many women out there right now are wearing white cotton bikini cut underwear and whatever shirt they wore to work that day.

Lindsay Lohan

LINDSAY LOHAN BY TERRY RICHARDSON FOR LOVE MAGAZINE

LINDSAY LOHAN BY TERRY RICHARDSON FOR LOVE MAGAZINE

Lindsay Lohan is an excellent model who can work any look; however, there is something standout about this style. I love how her retro high-waisted underwear feels just a little bit queer. Yes, she is wearing the omnipresent virginal white satin lingerie set that was probably worn by plenty of our grandmothers back in the day. Still, no one really dresses like this anymore. With the exception of Spanx and other “shapewear” high-waisted underwear is largely a thing of the past. I think there’s something spectacularly sexy in reclaiming super high underwear as an option. It’s like pretending old world Hollywood glamour could ever be as good as we imagine and pretend it might have been. I know, starting off our underwear styles with Lindsay Lohan does feel a little bit like starting dinner with chocolate cake, but I promise the best is yet to come.

Romi Klinger

Autostraddle Calendar Girls Romi Klinger

ROMI KLINGER PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBIN ROEMER

If you’re not quite prepared to go full on retro Lindsay Lohan, Romi’s look offers an alternative that alludes to that same classic pin-up feel without having satin fabric all the way up your waist. That’s probably not going to work with most of your jeans. Romi’s mid-rise hipster-cut lace underwear is flattering and, in my personal opinion, outrageously comfortable. The stretchy lace removes the need for uncomfortable elastic waistbands and, with that, panty lines. She pairs it here with a similarly retro full coverage balconette bra, but it could just as easily be paired with anything black and lacy.

Beth Ditto

Never one to play it simple, Beth Ditto’s look is both clashing and coordinating. The bright purple and dark turquoise are unexpected yet complement each other so nicely. It’s easy to get stuck on ideas about what underwear should or shouldn’t look like. I think this is particularly true if you’re on the bustier or smaller side and feel like you have fewer options. I love this look because it reminds me that underwear doesn’t have to be all about perfectly matchy matchy tan, white, red or black lace sets. Underwear can be as patterned and crazy as anything else.

Kate Moennig

EPIC

ICONIC

I have to be honest when I say this look is important to me. I know I probably sound silly, but I believe this underwear, and the whole slew of underwear Shane wore on the L Word, sends a very specific and earth shattering message. It says, “This is something I am wearing for the intentionally for the purpose of being attractive to queer women.” There can be no mistaking it. Yes, we also have “comfortable,” “athletic,” “cute” and “sexy.” Those styles are no less queer or less attractive. Still, I have to admit I find something important and powerful in plain cotton whitey-tighties that sends such a strong singular message. Plus it’s really hot.

Underwear is personal, fun and for every ounce about fashion it’s an ounce about comfort. What all these awesome women have in common is that they own the skin they’re in and the skivvies they’re in too.
Sure you can always stick to your same old underwear, but there’s not reason not to try something new. No one will see it but you. Unless you want them to.


If there’s a queer style icon you’d like to see stripped down in Style Thief, send me an ASS message, ask on my formspring, or tweet me @Ohheyitslizz

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Lizz

Lizz is a consumer, lover and writer of all things pop culture and the Fashion/Style Editor at Autostraddle.com. She is also full time medical student at Brown University in Providence, RI. You can find her on the twitter, the tumblr or even on the instagram.

Lizz has written 261 articles for us.

21 Comments

    • OH MY GOD I have seriously been looking for this bra since Romi’s photo shoot was posted.

      THANK YOU!!!

  1. Oh the femme side of things my favorite place to buy not every day underwear is Anthropologie. It’s super cute, affordable and flattering if you’ve got a body where one hook at the back of your bra gives you rolls…

  2. This is relevant to my interests. Everyone should have awesome underwear because then you get to walk around super confident because you know your butt looks awesome and no one knows-until you show them. :]

  3. Great post! My personal favourite underwear are the Low Rise Athletic Trunks from American Eagle. I find that American Apparel’s leg holes aren’t wide enough for my thighs and tend to ride up while cycling, but AE’s boxerbriefs have a nice thick band of fabric around the leg so they hold on and end right below your butt so you don’y get weird lines halfway down your leg. Plus they come in awesome colours!

  4. I love this Style Thief! I gotta start doing some of these on my blog :). This whole underwear week thing makes me so happy.

    • Ditto!

      I’m a huge fan of American Apparel boy briefs but the women’s made briefs aren’t available in stores. Those usually fit like a champ.

      Also, loved Romi Klinger’s look, want!

  5. Ha, this comes just as I had given in and decided to buy my first pair of boy briefs! Love the post.

  6. so like last time with the sneaker feature, this time at camp there should be somebody running around taking pictures of what nice and queer underwear everyone is sporting.i think I saw batman panties being worn last time.

  7. Aerie (by American Eagle) has some really nice femme/androgynous boyshorts and boybriefs, and some seriously cute bras.

    Also you guys ModCloth has glow-in-the-dark SPACE UNDERWEAR. Is it a bit expensive? Yes. But IS IT GLOW-IN-THE-DARK SPACE UNDERWEAR? Also yes.
    And it comes in brief and trunk options for ladies, so yea. :D

    • Literally ALL of my underwear is Aerie boybriefs. Cute patterns AND cotton AND 7/$25? Yes yes yes.

  8. My entire list of underwear criteria consists of: it covers my ass and doesn’t itch or dig in anywhere while moving around. But I kind of want Beth Ditto’s bra.

    Not that I’d ever wear it; it would show through white shirts, and picking a bra color to go with my shirt color is way more thought than I want to put into getting dressed in the morning. But I still like it a lot.

  9. American Eagle’s lace shorts are my favorite. In black only. Because architects only wear black.

    But I have always wondered, and maybe someone can help, what all Mila Kunis was wearing in that fantastic scene in Black Swan.

  10. I really, really need some briefs in plus sizes. Buying guys’ in extended sizes doesn’t really work. Stuff is too long or too narrow in places. If anyone knows of some legit briefs for plus size ladies, please let me know (think similar to the Autostraddle briefs).

    • JK.. there’s apparently a full on plus size undies guide coming out so I will hold my breath for that!

  11. Can we please not feature Jillian Michaels who bases her career off of abusing fat people? People on her show are worked to dangerous levels, have developed eating disorders because of her, and have been forced to work through injuries all while being verbally abused by her. Not cool.

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