One of the most common problems you’ll encounter when buying new underwear is size.
Here’s the unfortunate truth: most people simply do not know how to shop for underwear the right way.
First, you need to figure out the right size. The cheap one-size-fits-all underwear may be convenient, but the chances that it’ll sit the way well-fitted underwear is supposed to are slim to none.
Plus, you need to know which style you're looking for (yes, underwear has style and some will fit you and make you feel comfortable much better than others).
And then there's the whole issue of which fabric to choose.
Now the upside is that most of the information is free – all you need is the internet and you can do all the research about how to shop for underwear the right way.
Until you do though, you might find yourself in a situation where you bought new underwear tempted by the “10 pairs for 10 bucks” type of sale – and now you’re sitting surrounded by underwear that’s either a size too big or a size too small.
Now if it’s a size too big, simply washing and drying might be enough, since that often tends to shrink underwear. And even if they still don’t fit, as long as the waistband isn’t too loose, you still might be able to wear them.
But if the undies in question are a size too small – well, then it might become a tad bit complicated. That said, there are ways to still make it work though.
Here's how to stretch underwear to make it fit
First Things First: Is Your Underwear Stretchable?
Now, before you even start with trying to stretch your panties, you need to figure out if the material it’s made out of is stretchable in the first place. Don’t worry, it usually is, but it never hurts to check.
Cotton underwear for example is extremely stretchable, so much so, that if you want your undies to serve you for a long time, it wouldn’t be prudent to buy pure cotton – while very eco-friendly and hygienic, it loses shape far too quickly.
So most who know stuff about panties would advise you to buy cotton with some elastic mixed in.
Silk fabric, on the other hand, might not be stretchable. This is a very case by case thing since silk thread and fibers can be somewhat stretchable if mixed with spandex (or other similarly stretchy synthetic fabric).
So if you buy pure silk, you might not be able to enjoy the underwear in question in day to day life (no need to throw it out though, there’s always bedroom and they come flying off pretty quickly there), but if the silk is blended, you might be good to go.
Don’t be afraid to ask about how stretchable the material is to the shop assistants/online store owners/producers: you might not get a straight answer, but it never hurts to try.
What Part of the Underwear Do You Need to Stretch?
Here’s the thing about mass-produced cheap undies: they’re sewn in a way that would fit a mannequin perfectly, but a lot of actual living-breathing people would suffer. This is because mannequins tend to be perfectly proportionate while living people are… not.
If the problem with your undies is that the waistband to leg ratio is bad (it fits fine around the waist but squeezes the things too much – or, on the contrary, fits fine around the bum, but the waistband is loose), then fixing the problem might be simpler than anticipated (though it depends on the underwear – more on that below).
If your waistband is fine and it’s the material around the thighs you need to stretch, carefully grab the parts that are too tight and bring them down until you feel them loosen.
The idea is to crack the stitching and stretch the leg elastic.
Breaking the threads might sound a little scary, but the reality is it happens on its own to most of the underwear somewhere down the line. If your panties start feeling loose after a while – this is probably the reason why.
We’re simply speeding up the process a little so that the tight parts can fit better.
If it’s the other way around – the underwear fits nicely around the butt and thighs, but the waistband is a little too tight, then it can be broken in a similar manner: grab the waistband and start manually stretching it until you notice the stitching break.
And yes, if it wasn’t very clear from what I’ve written: you need to be wearing the underwear while you do it, to make sure everything fits right.
What to Do If Your Underwear Is Too Small
If your problem is that you bought underwear that’s just overall a size too small… Well, it comes back to the fabric’s ability to stretch. A cotton-elastic bland might get looser over time, pure silk will likely not.
The advice given above is likely to work in this case to make at least some of the parts of the underwear fit better, but you’ll likely have to bear with tightness for at least a few sessions for them to start fitting you better.
After that, it’s usually pretty easy to see if your endeavor was a success or a failure.
Do keep in mind that most stretching tricks are NOT likely to work on high-end lingerie.
You’re likely to just ruin the stitching altogether or at the very least significantly shorten its lifespan due to the broken stitching.
So while doing this to a 10 for 10$ sale undies is fine, always pay attention to sizes when you shop for quality lingerie. You’re not likely to get any shortcuts with those.
