Menses Defenses - Thinking THINX, Style Review
I have an unpredictable menstrual cycle and often have moments at work, at home, and out and about when I think “Did I just start bleeding out of my vagina?”. It’s annoying and inconvenient. Every day I worry about whether or not I have enough tampons squirreled away “just in case”. Could today be the day I make it home without staining another pair of work pants?
This week I splurged on a purchase from THINX, a company that sells underwear specifically designed to absorb period blood. They say that THINX can be used in combination with tampons and menstrual cups, and may even be used to replace them depending on your flow. Could this underwear be my solution? Could they at least mitigate my tampon dependency?
Today I received my THINX in the mail. In this post I will review the fit, comfort, and style of my THINX. I’ll also rate how good my butt looked in each style (sorry, no pics, but I assure you that this rating will be COMPLETELY UNBIASED). After extensive field testing, I will tell you how they worked, the good, the bad, and the bloody. I am not being compensated for this review, I just love talking about periods. However, if THINX decides to send me underwear or merch to review, I wouldn’t be offended.
For Heavy Days I purchased the Boy Short, High-Waist, and Hiphugger. For Medium Days I purchased Sport, and for Light Days I purchased Cheeky.
The way my body is shaped plays an important role in how these styles fit me and what I found comfortable. I don’t have a flat tummy like the underwear models featured on the THINX website. I have a beautiful, full tummy that is about 38” at its widest and my hips are about 40”. If you have measurements similar to me, you’ll probably get the most out of this fit and style review. If your body is shaped differently than mine, I think you’ll still be able to get some knowledge from my experience.
Heavy Days
Hiphugger, Size Medium
This pair of underwear is a bikini style with about 1.5 inches of lace at the top band. Super cute! There was great coverage for the absorbance band (you know, the part that’s supposed to soak up your blood) and it didn’t feel significantly thicker than the underwear I usually wear. My only problem with this style is that the lace band can’t seem to decide whether it wants to sit high or low. It doesn’t have enough fortitude to hug my belly, but when it slips down the material bunches in an unnatural way. I call this the spillover effect. This happens when I try on clothes that don’t sit comfortably below my stomach or high enough above the widest part of my belly that it stays in place (this is what made the low-rise jeans trend so distressing for me in middle school). Sometimes this issue can be solved by buying a size up, but sometimes it cannot. The spillover effects is distracting and uncomfortable and makes me feel like I need to constantly adjust my clothes, so unfortunately, this style is a no go for me.
Overall Style: 3/5
Comfort: 2/5
How good did my butt look?: 3/5
High-waist, Size Medium
These are like wearing a mesh paneled cloud. These are comfortable and have tons of coverage. They are breathable and sexy. These underwear make me feel like I should be wearing velvet and sipping a vodka cranberry. Plus, my belly-button just peers over the top, which is disarmingly adorable, just like me.
Overall Style: 5/5
Comfort: 5/5
How good did my butt look?: 3/5
Boy Short, Size Medium
I am sad to say that I did not like these. I think I may have purchased a size that doesn’t fit me well. These underwear, like the Hiphugger, were victim to the spillover effect. All this being said, the absorbance coverage was awesome, and I feel pretty confident that these underwear will give me full coverage from leakage. I also liked the fit and coverage on my butt -- it reminded me of my high school volleyball shorts.
Overall Style: 2/5
Comfort: 2/5
How good did my butt look?: 3/5
Medium Days
Sport, Size Medium
These panties remind me of the speedos my great-grandfather wears when he goes swimming in the Swiss Alps. And he looks dang good in them. These have a much lower cut than I am used to in underwear, but they sit below my belly and are totally comfortable. I’m used to wearing more high-waisted underwear to “hide” my body because of my internalized fatphobia, but the more I looked in the mirror, the more I liked what I saw. These are friggin cute and so are you!
Overall Style: 3/5
Comfort: 4/5
How good did my butt look?: 5/5
Light Days
Cheeky, Size Medium
I accidentally gave myself a wedgie when I put these on for the first time - they are cheeky! There’s about a quarter-inch of decorative lace lining these undies which is super cute. They fit comfortably on my hips, too. I picture myself wearing these on a sunny day in May, popping a few ibuprofen, and taking a long walk in the park to soothe my period cramps, all in style!
Overall Style: 4/5
Comfort: 3/5
How good did my butt look?: 5/5
For style, fit, and comfort, I have to say that my top picks are the High-waist and Cheeky. I would love to see another style for Medium Days besides Sport, but I think Sport is a strong pick, too.
Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon with gritty details and period thoughts with THINX.
https://www.shethinx.com/
