Martha Stewart Wears Swimsuits Instead Of Underwear & There's More To Unpack Than You Might Think
Martha Stewart shocked audiences when she told Page Six at the 25th Old Bags Luncheon in Palm Beach, Florida, that she no longer wears underwear. Instead, the businesswoman said that she only wears bathing suits. "I like bathing suits. I like wearing bathing suits under my clothes just in case I want to go swimming," Stewart began. It's not just about swimming, though, as Stewart went on to complain about the discomfort of highly aesthetic underwear or the increasingly popular shapewear phenomenon. "Bathing suits are my underwear," Stewart went on. "I don't wear any of that structured stuff. No tight lace, no Skims for Martha. [...] I only wear Eres bathing suits under my clothes." Stewart jokingly worried that Kim Kardashian might get mad at her, then added, "No, she won't be mad at me. She knows I don't wear Skims."
We know that Stewart loves a good bathing suit, since she famously graced the cover of "Sports Illustrated" in 2023 as the oldest model the magazine has ever featured. While we love Stewart's energy, her comments about swapping underwear for swimsuits raises questions for us about the status quo around women's underwear. She's far from the only woman who has ditched regular underwear over these past few years. People reported a that women experienced a changed relationship with underwear after the pandemic, when many opted out of wearing bras and panties. And we can't help but totally understand.
The intimates industry is failing women
Even if Martha Stewart's primary reason for wearing swimsuits is more about being pool-ready than anything else, her aversion to regular underwear is understandable. There's a considerable void in the intimates market, particularly as underwear goes. On one end of the spectrum is lingerie, with its "tight lace," as Stewart noted. There's a time and place for sensually-charged intimates, but for many, this is not comfortable for everyday use. On the other end, there is typical, everyday underwear, like hipsters and briefs, but even those contain many flaws.
Many popular brands make their underwear out of synthetic materials like nylon to help wick sweat or Elastane, to create no-show styles. However, these aren't the best fabrics to come into contact with more sensitive areas. "If you wear underwear that doesn't allow air to flow, such as those made from synthetic fabrics, yeast and other bacteria can overgrow because they thrive in dark, moist areas," Dr. Diana Hoppe, OB-GYN, told HuffPost. And it's not just materials that present problems. So do the shapes. Thongs can irritate and chafe delicate genital skin."Thongs made from synthetic material that traps and retains moisture and can disperse fecal material into the area of the urethral opening can potentially increase vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections," Dr. Felice Gersh, MD OB/GYN, told Healthline.
Cotton is ideal, and 100% organic cotton is best for the highly sensitive. However, those appear to come at a higher price point than underwear made from synthetic materials. What's more, CNN reported in 2023 that women's underwear was taxed higher than men's underwear, meaning, that it still costs more.
Martha isn't the only woman leaving behind traditional underwear
After Martha Stewart admitted that she wears Eres swimsuits in place of regular underwear, we took a look at the brand she favors. Though the items are on the pricier side (a typical swimsuit costs between $500-$600), they are highly rated. The swimsuits offer light structuring for comfortable support, but beyond that, they're meant to feel like a second skin. For many women, traditional underwear does not feel like a second skin.
The world of shapewear is its own issue entirely, with its goal of contouring and "perfecting" the appearance of the body by compression. But even day-to-day intimates often fail women. Just scan the world of Reddit and you come across numerous threads with people complaining about discomfort from underwear that falls apart or causes chafing and itching. "I seriously dislike underwear," one user wrote in the group r/unpopularopinion. "I do not care if it is a granny panty, brief, bikini, thong, cheeky, hip hugger or a boy short. They are all uncomfortable..."
In the group r/adhdwoman, another user wrote, "I cannot stand the feeling of panties. They go up my ass and are either too tight around my cooch or loose enough to go up my cooch." They added that boxer-style underwear was too visible under their clothing, so that was nixed too. It seems thoroughly unacceptable that when it comes to both comfort and health, women have so few choices for suitable, functional underwear. One option is to stop wearing underwear altogether, but that doesn't feel like a viable solution. An alternative akin to Martha Stewart's bathing suit solution; sports bras can offer more comfortable support, especially if you choose the right size.