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There are certain things I’m happy to spend hours researching before I buy – a new coat, the perfect pair of jeans, even a candle that I’ll inevitably finish in a few weeks. But when it comes to underwear, I’ve always thought I knew what worked for me. Comfortable fabrics, a good fit and styles I’ll actually want to wear – surely that’s all there is to it?
Well, after speaking to the women behind one of this season’s most exciting underwear collaborations, I’ve realised there’s a little more to it than that.
Stripe & Stare has teamed up with fellow British brand Boden on a limited-edition capsule, bringing together Stripe & Stare’s signature comfort with the colour and print Boden is known for. The nine-piece collection includes original and high-rise knickers, thongs, bralettes and a cosy lace cami, with nostalgic stripes, playful hearts and one of Boden’s archival wildflower prints running throughout.
But what really caught my attention when I spoke to Katie Lopes, co-founder and CEO of Stripe & Stare, and Ann Ceprynski, Head of Print Womenswear at Boden, was just how much there is to think about when it comes to something we wear every single day.
From the fabric we choose to the shapes that work for our individual bodies – and even how confident we feel experimenting with print – here are the things I’m taking away from our conversation.
We’re shopping for underwear all wrong
Lopes has one particularly strong opinion about the way women shop for underwear – we should stop treating it as a last-minute purchase.
‘Most women buy knickers when their twenty-year-old pairs are so worn out and grey it has reached crisis point,’ she tells me. ‘Queue a quick panic buy which leads to pairs you put on begrudgingly every morning.’
Her solution is simple: give underwear the same thought you’d give any other important part of your wardrobe.
‘Nobody buys a coat or jeans like that,’ she says. ‘I’d like women to expect more of the thing they wear closest, all day, every day, and to give it the same thought they’d give a pair of shoes and not to accept compromise.’
It’s a point I hadn’t really considered in quite this way. We’re increasingly thoughtful about the clothes we buy – considering cost per wear, fabrics, versatility and whether something will genuinely earn its place in our wardrobes – so why shouldn’t the same apply to underwear?
Lopes also has one particularly practical piece of advice: try things on.
‘A knicker on a hanger tells you nothing – you have to find what works for your body shape,’ she says.
And she’s right. There’s no universally flattering or comfortable underwear shape – what works brilliantly for one person might be completely wrong for another.
Comfort isn’t about playing it safe
I’ll admit that I’ve always associated comfort with simplicity. The softer and plainer the underwear, the better, right?
Not necessarily, according to Lopes.
‘There’s a persistent idea that the comfiest knicker is the biggest, plainest one in the packet, and that anything with a bit of shape or a bit of lace is something you put up with,’ she says.
Instead, she says comfort comes down to a combination of shape, fabric and finish – from the seams and elastic to something as small as the label.
Having spent years talking to women on shop floors about what they actually wear, Lopes says she repeatedly heard about underwear that technically fitted, but still caused irritation through digging, movement or visible lines.
Her advice? Find the combination that works for you, then stick with it.
‘Try on different shapes – find the one that works for you, then stock up,’ she says.
And there’s another thing she wants more of us to pay attention to – the fabric label.
‘If it’s mostly polyester, it doesn’t matter how pretty it is; it’ll still be making its presence felt at four o’clock,’ she says. ‘Find a fabric you can forget about, a shape that works, and repeat.’
For Stripe & Stare, that means TENCEL™ Modal, which Lopes says is the fabric the brand has chosen because of its softness and breathability.
‘The fabric’ is, she tells me, the one thing she would never compromise on when designing underwear, even if it meant a style was less commercially successful.
It’s time to get braver with print
Then there’s the Boden side of the collaboration – and this is where things get particularly fun.
If, like me, you tend to gravitate towards classic colours when it comes to underwear, Boden’s approach to print is a good reminder that there’s no reason your underwear drawer needs to be entirely neutral.
The capsule features an archival Boden wildflower print alongside nostalgic stripes and hearts, all brought to life in Stripe & Stare’s signature soft fabric.
But why are we sometimes so hesitant to embrace print in the first place?
‘I think the fear is usually about getting it “wrong” rather than the colour itself,’ Ceprynski tells me. ‘Women worry a print will wear them rather than the other way round.’
Her advice for anyone who wants to experiment? Start small. A scarf, a cardigan or one printed piece worn with something plain can be enough to build confidence.
And if she could encourage every woman to be a little braver with one part of her wardrobe, there’s no hesitation.
‘Print, without question,’ she says. ‘Colour people tend to find their way to eventually, but print takes a bit more nerve. Once you wear it well once, you never really go back to plain.’
I love this idea – particularly when it comes to underwear. It’s one of the easiest places to have fun with colour and pattern because, ultimately, it’s something you’re wearing for yourself.
So, what am I looking for now?
After speaking to Lopes and Ceprynski, I’m taking away a fairly simple checklist.
First, find the shape that actually works for your body, rather than assuming that the same style will work for everyone. Second, pay attention to the fabric composition – comfort really does start with what’s next to your skin. And finally, don’t be afraid of a little print.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway, though, is that underwear deserves a little more consideration than we sometimes give it.
‘There is so much freedom and power in dressing for yourself – you should be able to put underwear on in the morning, feel great and forget about it,’ says Lopes.
And that, to me, is really the goal. Find the pieces that fit well, feel good and make you happy – then get on with your day.