Women's Bikini (Panties)

Bikini describes where the waistband lands: a few inches below the natural waist, roughly on the hip bone rather than above it. Seat coverage stays moderate, the sides curve away, and the leg opening runs at an angle instead of straight.

A curved side seam is what separates this from everything near it, tapering from a wider back to a narrow point at the hip. Most versions measure a couple of inches across there. String versions push the same idea further, reducing the side to a tie or a thin band, which removes the side seam altogether and with it any chance of it printing.

Hipsters sit lower still and keep the side wide and straight, giving a squarer look across the hip. Briefs come up over the hip bone with a leg cut straight across the thigh. Back coverage is genuine here rather than symbolic. This is the difference from a thong, and there is no leg at all, which is the difference from a boyshort. Bikinis land in the middle of the coverage range, so they suit the most outfits with the fewest compromises.

Mid-rise jeans, most trousers and ordinary daily wear are the natural fit, because the waistband sits below a jeans waistband instead of stacking against it. Anyone who wants a waistband above the hip bone will find these slipping down through the day. Under high-rise jeans you get a few inches of bare skin between the two waistbands, which only matters if you notice it.

Hold a pair up against the light. Too narrow at the side and it will roll, too wide and you are really holding a hipster. Elastic should be covered in fabric or bonded flat if fitted skirts are the plan. A hot dryer turns a well-cut side into a wavy one within a season, so keep these out of it and let them dry on a rail.