This debate feels like a big deal. Those who have an opinion either way typically have a strong one, and each camp thinks the other is crazy. But you still need to know: should you wear underwear under yoga pants, or no?
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Personal comfort reigns when it comes to this issue. When it comes to our “delicates” in particular, we don’t want to feel distracted by anything so awkward in a yoga class when we’re bent into downward dog. Speaking strictly to comfort, most women would say, “Please let me wear underwear!” But really, if we’re honest, doesn’t it feel kind of fabulous to go panty-seam free and let that stretchy yoga pant cup naturally around us?
Let’s take a look.
Those who say you should definitely wear underwear under your yoga pants will say:
First of all, nasty. To put it delicately, there are serious moisture management issues here that cannot be ignored. Not only do you produce moisture naturally throughout the day, but those yoga pants risk feeling a little too good. It’s better to have protection, and not feel like you’ve had an accident after an hour of wearing your yoga pants commando-style.
In purely superficial considerations, in wearing yoga pants without undies there is a risk of camel toe that will make everyone uncomfortable. By going commando, that main center seam can ride up where you really don’t want it. You might risk wedgies wearing underwear, but camel toe in a yoga pose will be embarrassing for everyone.
Speaking of moisture management, you will have to wash your yoga pants way too often if you aren’t wearing undies. Especially if you spent a little extra to get the brand or fabric you like, you need to think about the damage to your pants for washing them more often, as well as the inconvenience of not being able to wear them for longer stretches.
Anyone who says “visible panty line” in complaint to wearing panties with yoga pants must have forgotten to pack her thong. With the right underwear, panty line drama doesn’t have to be a thing.
Those who say you definitely shouldn’t wear underwear under your yoga pants will say:
Thong or no thong, visible panty lines are a real thing. Even if you don’t have those funny lines across your butt, lines over your hips will still be a thing. And if your yoga pants are the type that leave nothing to the imagination, you could have trouble making your underwear stop from rolling and bunching along the sides in your pants as you roll around that yoga mat.
Wedgies are way too risky when striking yoga poses. It’s bad timing when trying to hold the pose, and bad timing to stick your hand in your pants to correct it. No matter the underwear type, the moves you do in yoga are not conducive to wearing underwear.
And in questions of health, your delicates need to breathe. By locking and loading in undies, and then in tight yoga pants over that, you risk infection if you don’t have at least a little oxygen flow. In the world of underwear and private parts, being smooshed is bad for you!
Breaking it down:
Those who say you definitely shouldn’t wear underwear under yoga pants are in the minority. The curious thing is, everyone who says anything about it is typically gung-ho. This question rouses the most passionate part of us.
This question is as much a matter of function as it is anything. Start by thinking of the underwear issues that bug you most. Is your caboose of the type that you always get wedgies? Do you struggle with moisture management more than you think other women do? If you want to be successful in your yoga routines, you have to ask questions around function to figure out what’s best for getting your yoga on.
Alongside function is comfort. If you have an immediate, knee-jerk reaction to the question, your answer is clear. Comfort can come in the form of how you like to be supported “down there,” and what emotionally feels right. There are components of comfort that go much further than the physical when we talking about underwear coverage. Be honest with yourself when evaluating this.
Lastly, this also depends on your yoga pants! Do you feel confident in them? Does the brand advertise being undie-free friendly? Are they tight enough that they risk major underwear lines or camel toe? There are so many options on the market that the pants alone could sway you from one camp to another. Shop for the pants that are right for you. And if you’re still indecisive on the question of underwear, try them either way for a good, long yoga session and see how you feel and how your pants perform.
