Female-founded British underwear brand, Stripe & Stare, claims to make the 'world's comfiest knickers' and we haven't met anyone who's disagreed with that statement yet. They are one of life's little luxuries but I recently made the swap from my usual M&S and H&M knickers and now I get upset when my fancy new pants are in the wash.
They're silky soft, don't irritate and never ride up. They're so comfy, in fact, that you don't think about them all day, which is high praise for a pair of pants.
The secret is in the super soft, breathable TENCEL fabric and the wide 7cm gusset – most knickers are between 4.5 and 6cm. Also, these knickers are designed by women for women, with special care taken with the cut and design to ensure they're wedgie-free.
It's this thoughtful design that helped Stripe & Stare claim the joint best underwear brand crown in our Good Housekeeping Institute tests, with all three key styles performing well: The hipsters and thongs both scored 90/100 and the high-rise knickers were awarded 88/100. “These pants are going on my Christmas and birthday lists for the rest of time!” said one tester and we are in violent agreement.
Now we're going wild for the latest collection, which is all-leopard-everything.
This four-pack works out at £12.50 per knicker, but we promise they're worth it for the comfort levels alone. Smooth and soft, they come in a gift box (so are also a lovely Christmas present) and one tree is planted for every set sold.
They also come with a matching bra. Note that Stripe & Stare's bras are made from the same soft TENCEL fabric, but in testing we did find that they were more suited to people with smaller boobs, while the brand itself recommends them for 'light support'. It's the kind of comfy bra you can wear for days lounging around at home.
Most importantly, you can also get coordinating leopard print pyjamas. 'I would wear those out' was our lifestyle writer's comment when she saw them. The long PJ set is 'exceptionally soft' according to reviewers. They're also silky, breathable and lightweight. A gorgeous treat for cosy season.
We'll be hibernating in these until April.
We'll let you decide whether to wear them out or not...
Alison is head of content for the Good Housekeeping Institute, responsible for product reviews across homes, beauty, wellness, family and food & drink. She lives by the William Morris quote that you should “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Alison has over 15 years' experience as a lifestyle editor and has written features on everything from misophonia to how to dress like Claudia on The Traitors. She has also interviewed everyone from Dame Joanna Lumley to the Kardashians.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with Monty the cocker spaniel and refreshing the Sezane website every five seconds.