What are the different types of panties?

Think in two scales: rise runs from low to ultra high, while back coverage runs from string and thong through bikini, hipster, boyshort and short.

What is the difference between a thong, a tanga and a cheeky panty?

A thong narrows the back to a strip or tiny triangle. A tanga has a longer triangle back with high-cut sides. Cheeky styles cover more again, just below their full-coverage counterparts.

What is the difference between a hipster, boyshort and short?

They progress by leg length. A hipster has a higher-cut leg, a boyshort is straighter and lower, and a short extends furthest down the thigh.

What does panty rise mean?

Rise is where the waistband sits relative to your belly button: low below it, mid a little below, high at it and ultra high above it.

Which panties do not show lines under clothes?

Fewer edges can help, but fit matters most. Choose a pair that lies flat without gripping and a color close to your skin beneath light fabric.

What does seamless underwear mean?

Knitted seamless garments are made in the round without side seams. Raw-cut or bonded styles use a sealed edge instead of a folded, stitched hem. They solve different problems.

What is a gusset in underwear?

The gusset is the extra panel at the crotch between the front and back. Its material and construction provide comfort where a single layer is not enough.

How should panties fit?

Snug without gripping. The waistband should sit flat rather than roll, and the leg openings should lie against you rather than dig in.

Panty Styles Explained: Rise & Back Coverage

Question one

Rise: how high it sits

Rise is measured against your belly button, based on your proportions. It is about where the waistband lands—not how daring or covered the panty is.

Rise	Where it sits	What it is good for	Try
Low	Several inches below the belly button	Low-slung jeans and the least waistband possible	A string, thong or low-rise bikini
Mid	A few inches below the belly button	The everyday default under nearly everything	A thong, bikini or hipster
High	At the belly button	High-waisted jeans, a smoother line and more coverage	A boyshort or full-coverage short
Ultra high	Above the belly button	Wide-leg and vintage-cut trousers	Check the current rise filter for availability

Low rise is not automatically sexier, and high rise is not automatically sensible. Rise is about proportion, not modesty.

Question two

Back coverage, cheekiest first

This is what most people mean when they ask what style a panty is. Move from almost nothing to full coverage, then choose the rise separately.

01
String

The absolute minimum: a string is the whole back design.
02
Thong

A narrow strip or a tiny triangle, with no line beneath fitted clothes.
03
Tanga

A longer triangle back with high-cut sides and more cover than a thong.
04
Cheeky bikini

The everyday bikini shape with a little more attitude.
05
Bikini

Some cheek, some cover. The classic that works nearly every day.
06
Cheeky hipster

Real coverage, a flash of cheek and a waistband that sits on the hip.
07
Hipster

Full back coverage with a higher-cut leg and nothing to overthink.
08
Boyshort

A straighter leg that covers the seat and more of the upper thigh.
09
Short

Full coverage plus a little leg: the longest underwear cut.

Shop by shape

Three points on the coverage scale

Choose the amount of cheek first. Every product page gives you the rise and back coverage.

Next to nothing

String You Along Low Rise Lace Thong

A low-rise lace string with adjustable sliders and the least possible back coverage.

Shop the thong

Some cheek, more cover

Sweet Cheeks Mid Rise Cheeky Hipster

A mid-rise everyday shape that gives you coverage without covering everything.

Shop the hipster

Full coverage

Back For More High Rise Boyshort

A high-rise boyshort with a straight leg, made for ease, layering and lounging.

Shop the boyshort

Woman wearing the Daydream Low Rise G-String and matching bralette

Thongs all day long

Comfortable and still showing cheek

A good thong has enough fabric at the back to sit flat rather than cut in, a waistband that stays where you put it, and a gusset designed for the job.

Sweetest Lil’ Thing: a mid-rise lace everyday option.
Flash: seamless knit for close-fitting clothes.
The Out of Line: low-rise satin and lace when you want shine.
String You Along: adjustable low-rise lace with the least back coverage.
Daydream: a soft cotton-rib g-string with lace accents.

Shop all panties

Then pick a fabric

Shape decides the look. Fabric decides the feel.

Choose for the texture you want against your skin and the clothes you plan to wear over it.

Lace

Romantic Stretch Lace and Seductress Petal Lace balance delicate detail with stretch.

Comfy Cotton Rib

Soft, stretchy and lightly textured—the one that feels like something you already own.

Cotton modal

Smooth, cool, super soft and made for every day.

Satin

Easy drape, polished shine and a more luxurious feel.

Seamless knit

Knitted in the round for stretch and comfort, with no side seam rubbing or gripping.

Cotton where it counts

What is a gusset?

The gusset is the panel at the crotch of a pair of underwear: a small extra layer between the front and back. It exists because a single layer of lace or mesh is not up to that particular job.

Cotton is commonly used because it breathes, takes on moisture and stays soft through washing. Seamless panties handle the same job differently by knitting the gusset zone into one continuous garment. Check each product’s fabric composition for the exact construction.

More than underwear

Boxers, shorts and things you will answer the door in

Some styles sit outside the cheek scale because they answer a different question: do you mind being seen in them?

Boxers

Roomy, easy and unisex. Choose soft cotton modal knit for the couch or lightweight woven cotton outside.

Sleep shorts

Cut for sleeping and lounging, with no expectation that they disappear beneath anything.

The one in between

A high-rise short works as underwear and as a lounge short when you cannot decide which category you are shopping.

Shop the lounge edit

The honest bit

A better fit does more than less fabric

Visible lines come from the edge where underwear stops. A pair that fits and sits flat does more than less back coverage ever will. A too-tight thong can show more than a hipster that fits.

Under white or very fine fabric, choose a tone closer to your skin than your clothes. Beneath a slip or bodycon dress, fewer edges help—but getting the size right helps more than sizing down.

Use the size guide

Matching your panties to your bra

A mood decision, not a rule

Nobody is checking. A drawer that works beats a drawer that coordinates—but sets exist for a reason.

The full set

Romantic and Seductress are designed in matching custom lace from bra to panty to finishing detail.

Same tone, different texture

A lace bra with a smooth panty in the same colorway reads as intentional and works harder day to day.

Pair by mood

Plunge with a string, demi with a bikini, bralette with a boyshort. Match the energy, not the label.

Start from the clothes

And the rest of your wardrobe

The most useful way to shop panties is backwards: start from what you are wearing over them.

What you are wearing	Rise	Coverage	Why
High-waisted jeans or trousers	High	Any	A low rise under a high waistband can bunch in the gap.
Low-slung or straight-leg jeans	Low or mid	Thong or bikini	The rise stays below the waistband so nothing stacks.
Leggings	Mid or high	Any—fit matters most	Leggings show ridges more than fabric. A pair that fits wins.
A fitted or bodycon dress	Low or mid	Thong or string	Fewer edges mean fewer possible lines.
White or very fine fabric	Any	Skin-tone	Tone matters more here than cut. Match your skin, not the garment.
A skirt or dress you want to move in	Mid or high	Boyshort or hipster	Full coverage means never having to think about it.
Loungewear or pajamas	Any	Boyshort, hipster or nothing	Comfort is the only criterion here.

SYRN answers