Why Mainstream Underwear Isn’t Designed for You

Most women's underwear are designed for aesthetics over anatomy. Here's why gusset width matters.

(Image by Billie via Unsplash)

Women have been told their whole lives that they should be wearing breathable cotton underwear for proper vaginal health. After all, breathable underwear is essential for maximum airflow to the vagina and prevents a host of bacteria. What women haven’t been told is how one small piece of fabric may be the actual factor towards preventing vaginal infections and discomfort: the gusset.

The gusset is the piece of fabric sewn into the crotch of women’s underwear that acts as a preventative barrier for irritation and discomfort. According to Gabriella Scaringe, the owner of the American underwear brand Cherri, the gusset is the only part of underwear that makes direct contact with the vagina, hence the importance of its size and placement. 

“It is important to have wider gussets in women’s underwear, not only for our vulva health and comfort, but for our confidence,” says Scaringe. 

Cherri’s brand is built around vulva-inclusiveness, with cotton underwear and gusset sizes that range between three to four inches. Scaringe founded the brand after she experienced recurrent vaginal infections, which she believed were caused by narrow gussets that irritated her vaginal area. In conducting her own research, which studied over 6,000 women, Scaringe found that the average vulva width was 6.4 centimeters. From that same research, she found that 78 per cent of the women felt insecure about the lack of gusset coverage over their labia. 

“I designed Cherri [underwear] for all vulva-owners, but especially for those with fuller labia or ‘outie’ anatomy, because traditional lingerie brands have never designed with them in mind,” says Scaringe. 

Underwear brand Hello Peachiee also takes a wide approach, with gusset sizes between seven to nine centimeters. In an Instagram post, they claim that mainstream underwear brands have an average gusset width between five to seven centimeters. 

So why are mainstream underwear gussets excluding the 56 per cent of women who have pronounced labia? Scaringe puts it simply, “Most mainstream underwear has gussets that are too narrow because they’re designed for aesthetics, not anatomy.” 

In 2024, Victoria's Secret released a blog post claiming that the gussets of their underwear have been redesigned to be wider so the fabric can move with the body, but their site lacks any exact information to support this claim. Meanwhile, La Senza’s current size chart simply compares pant size to underwear size, reducing hip width and vulva width into one category. 

When over half of women have wider or larger vulva anatomy, one would be inclined to believe that popular brands such as Victoria’s Secret and La Senza would accommodate their customers. Instead, women are left to buy, try and potentially be at risk of irritation or vaginal infections.

Vaginal infections are caused by an imbalance in the vaginal pH. According to Cleveland Clinic, a healthy vagina has an acidic pH balance, which creates an inhospitable environment that prevents infections. However, the reality is that three out of four women experience a yeast infection once in their lives, and about half of those women will experience two or more. 

Yeast infections burn, itch and cause general discomfort in the vaginal area. They can affect anyone with a vagina, but a study by the National Library of Medicine found that vulva-owners with larger labia are more at risk for infections because the labia are more likely to capture moisture and host bacteria. 

The equation is simple: narrow, tight gussets plus larger labia equals vulva irritation and vaginal infections.

In addition to experiencing physical side effects from ill-fitting underwear, women’s confidence can also be impacted. In Scaringe’s research, she found that 78 per cent of women felt insecure about the gap between their underwear and vulva. 

“When something as personal as underwear doesn’t account for the anatomy it’s meant to serve, it sends the message that some bodies are ‘off’ or ‘wrong’,” says Scaringe. 

Dr. Sherry Ross, an obstetrician-gynecologist and author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health. Period., believes vulva-inclusive underwear can allow women to feel supported by their own natural anatomy. In her opinion, underwear should respect the diversity of female anatomy, promote body confidence and empower women to accept their vulva. 

“The perfect vagina is actually a medical norm and not an aesthetic ideal,” says Ross.

While mainstream brands are profiting off beauty standards and insecurity, Cherri and Hello Peachiee have designed their products to advocate for vulva-inclusion. Ross encourages women to take the conversation beyond their own shopping experience and says women should speak up in their personal environments. 

“We as women need to champion each other and lead by example especially as we age. We need to start the conversation with our friends, our sisters, our children and anyone who will listen,” says Ross. “Inclusivity with underwear supports this mission and allows us all to stand shoulder to shoulder in promoting acceptance with diversity of vulva and vaginal anatomy.”

Gusset width is one topic of a larger conversation around vaginal inclusion; a conversation that requires women to step away from mainstream influences. It’s time to stop slipping out of your underwear and slip into empowerment.