The Panties Revolution. Menstrual underwear can absorb the same amount of fluid as four tampons

Period hygiene is entering a new era. The first phase of the revolution included environmentally friendly menstrual cups. One menstrual cup can last for many years, while the average menstruating person uses more than 10,000 tampons in a lifetime. Although women who have been convinced to use them assure that they cannot imagine their lives without them, there are still many myths surrounding such cups. The answer to these concerns is the second phase of the period revolution, menstrual underwear.

‘I have a client who spent her nights sleeping on a towel and in panties lined with pads. Additionally, she slept in one position, a light sleep, to control the situation. We had many conversations before she decided on menstrual panties. After two weeks she ordered another three pairs’, says Karolina Marcok-Olejniczak, founder of the online store Mam Okres. She highlights what a fast-growing trend it is: ‘When we started selling a year ago, there were far fewer companies with menstrual panties in Poland. Today, such underwear is the most popular choice among all the products we offer’.

PERIOD MIRACLES

The first mentions of menstrual briefs began to appear back in 2015, when Time magazine named Thinx underwear the invention of the year. The magic of this solution is simply several layers of different materials, among them necessarily one that absorbs liquids and another that prevents leakage. The exact recipes and production methods are kept secret by most brands. Manufacturers of period panties assure that one pair can absorb the same amount of fluid as four tampons.

The Polish Mirabelles brand offers panties that are supposed to last between 6 and 12 hours. Its founders Myriam Kijowska-Tran and Renata Miklewska first encountered menstrual underwear abroad.

‘Myriam used a menstrual cup but wasn’t completely satisfied, and I switched from reusable products to menstrual underwear and we no longer use anything else’, Miklewska says. She admits that the reaction to first encountering period panties is a very individual thing. ‘When we are in menstrual panties for the first time, we feel some anxiety. We don’t have the protection we’ve known all our lives, and we feel insecure. We then check several times throughout the day to see if everything is okay. When it turns out that it works, that I don’t have to care if the pad has shifted or the tampon is leaking, there is an unexpected feeling of freedom. In the first few months, I couldn’t wait for my next period to wear them again’, she recalls.

Although the primary purpose of this invention is to support menstruating individuals during their periods, women quickly discovered new uses for this product, such as ideal panties for those struggling with incontinence. Justyna Śmigasiewicz, co-founder of the brand Skrojone, which offers menstrual panties, has tested them herself and found that they can also serve women during the postpartum period. The basic premise of the Skrojone company is to create lingerie that is organic and healthy for the body.

‘I was looking for a reusable alternative to a menstrual cup that was leaking. I came across period panties online, which at the time were only available overseas. I tested them but they did not meet my expectations because all the available models were sewn from synthetic fabrics’, says Agata Bokiej, the co-founder of the brand. She emphasises that menstrual underwear is a field that is evolving rapidly. ‘We started in October 2020 with one model in three sizes, we now have eight designs at Skrojone, most of which are available in seven sizes. We are working on more options all the time’, she adds.

The wide range of such products is surprising. There are brands that offer classic, somewhat sporty models, but there are also sexy menstrual panties with lace and in interesting colours. Availability is also not a problem, even large lingerie store chains introduce them to their offer. Interestingly, many plus size people will be surprised to learn that it is easier to buy comfortable menstrual underwear than regular panties in a large size. Some stores offering reusable products also offer menstrual boxer shorts, which can be a good option for trans men.

The story doesn’t end with underwear. Menstrual sportswear and swimsuits are becoming more common abroad, and this trend is also reaching Poland.

‘Our first design was a sports model, to which we added a top last month, as many of our customers train in just panties (e.g. gymnastics, pole dancing). Every month we get more and more inquiries about menstrual underwear for swimming’, says Klaudia Kuźdub, co-owner of Sis Underwear.

The Clarkk brand has already announced the introduction of menstrual swimming briefs that will have the absorbency of two to three tampons. Monika Dabouzi, its co-founder (along with her husband), assures that this solution along with menstrual leggings and athletic shorts has been in testing since January. ‘We want to provide a variety of models for all women. That’s why we have a menstrual underwear model that fastens at the side to make it easier for people with disabilities to function’, she adds. Agata Bokiej of Skrojone also admits that they have the introduction of a menstrual bikini on their list of goals.

TRUST

Where is the catch? Mostly in our heads. Menstrual panties reviews circulating on the Internet are full of people who, despite their admiration for period underwear, have trouble trusting it 100%; they use the panties as a supplement to disposables. ‘I know that people who have very heavy periods also use them as a protection for the cup’, says Sylwia Sikorska, author of the blog ‘On the way to zero waste’. She adds that menstrual panties are her favourite method of protection during her period, but, like reusable sanitary pads, they are not the most convenient solution, for example, during a holiday camping trip. Such products require special care. After removal, most manufacturers recommend that menstrual underwear be pre-rinsed or soaked in cold water before washing. ‘The biggest drawback of this underwear is the price. This is the most expensive of the reusable solutions,’ adds Sikorska. To equip yourself with one pair of period panties, you need to spend from PLN 90 to 200.

According to Karolina Marcok-Olejniczak, however, it is a good investment. ‘Menstrual panties seem like an expensive deal at first glance, but after calculating how much you would spend on disposables over five years, you find that panties are cheaper’, she says.

There are also worthy causes behind some of these prices. Mirabelles proposes the idea of ‘solidarity pricing’ to its customers. ‘The concept originated from what is known as prepaid coffee, from the Italian “caffè sospeso”. It’s a gesture of solidarity that was born during World War II. People who were not affected by the crisis or poverty bought two coffees at the bar and drank one, and the other was for someone who could not afford it. In our store, we include the cost of manufacturing two pairs of panties in the product price. Then, for each pair purchased, we donate a second pair to menstrual poverty-stricken people’, explains Renata Miklewska. The brand has only been in existence since September, but it has already managed to donate more than 350 pairs of menstrual panties, which have mainly gone to foster care centres and, more recently, to refugee women from Ukraine.

In a discussion about menstrual panties, questions immediately arise from those disgusted by this solution: is it hygienic, what about the smell, and isn’t it like walking around in a soaked nappy? Karolina Marcok-Olejniczak, the founder of the Mam Okres store, regularly dispels these doubts by answering questions and comments from her customers. ‘Good quality menstrual underwear is as hygienic as possible. In such panties, blood can dry, they are made of natural materials, and they do not have the chemicals found in disposable pads. The smell we so fear comes from just that, and is created when blood reacts with the chemicals in such a product. Yes, such panties are a bit thicker because they consist of several layers, but they are far from being nappies’, she explains.

She adds that something that often stops women from buying their first menstrual panties is the stress of feeling blood flowing out of the vagina. ‘I didn’t like it myself when I was using sanitary pads. Once I started using menstrual underwear, I noticed that it completely stopped bothering me. I just feel more confident in my underwear. Regardless of the abundance of the period, I know I can do my own thing. I missed something like that during my school years’, says Karolina Marcok-Olejniczak. Arguably, this is also the thought that guides many of her customers who come in for menstrual panties for their daughters.

Summer menstrual swimming briefs are the number one choice in the Mam Okres store for mums who want to save their teens’ summer trips. ‘Beautiful weather, sea and... period. When you’re a teenager, there’s probably no thing that can spoil your trip more’, stresses the store’s founder. She particularly recalls a conversation with an older woman who admitted she wanted to buy panties for her 12-year-old granddaughter to help her go through her period in a more comfortable way: ‘The granddaughter knew nothing, the lady found us on social media and thought it might be a good surprise for the young girl. She stated that if this solution had existed 30 years ago, she would have bought menstrual panties for herself’.

 

Author: Katarzyna Seiler

Photo Mirabelles/press materials, Tailored/press materials

The text was published in „Wysokie Obcasy” a magazine of „Gazeta Wyborcza” on 23 April 2022