Knicker styles, from full coverage to the most revealing

The types of knickers are classified along a single axis, the back coverage. The different types of women's knickers range from the most covering to the least: shorty, boxer, brief, tanga, string. Two additional types of knickers address a need rather than a shape: menstrual knickers and shapewear.

Choosing a cut of knickers depending on the outfit

Under a skirt or dress, the shorty and the boxer are the most stable because they don’t ride up while walking. Under fitted trousers or thin materials, the tanga and the string prevent visible panty lines. Under everyday jeans, the brief remains the best compromise between coverage and discretion. The rise, low, classic or high, should be chosen based on the trousers rather than body shape.

Knickers for specific needs

Two cuts fall outside this classification. The menstrual knickers, equipped with absorbent layers and a waterproof membrane, are chosen based on the flow level rather than the shape. The shapewear and shaping knickers work by compression and are selected based on the area targeted: tummy only, tummy and hips, or full silhouette. Both exist in several of the aforementioned cuts.

The seven cuts of knickers in our category

From the most covering to the least: the shorty descends on the thigh and doesn’t ride up while walking, the brief covers the back fully while being cut away at the sides, the tanga reduces the back coverage without going to the string, and the string removes the back seam. The boxer adds a wide band that is often visible and is commonly worn at home. Two cuts are excluded from this classification based on function rather than shape, the menstrual knickers and the shapewear, which are chosen based on one’s level of absorption, and the other based on the area and degree of compression.