Hipster

A hipster sits low, on the hip bones rather than just under the waist, and has a wider side panel than a bikini brief. The leg opening runs almost straight across or curves only gently, so the side stays deep and the garment looks like a band around the hips. Rear coverage is full.

The low rise is the point. It keeps the waistband below low-rise trousers and skirts, and the wide side spreads pressure so it digs in less than narrow bikini sides. It suits wearers who dislike a high leg or want a flatter line at the hip. Lace hipsters with a wide lace band are a staple of matching sets.

The name comes from hipster trousers, the low-slung cut of the 1960s, and the panty has tracked low waistbands ever since, most visibly during the low-rise jeans of the early 2000s.

A bikini brief sits higher and has narrower sides and a higher leg. A boyshort also has a straight leg but extends lower, onto the top of the thigh or the bottom of the buttocks, and looks like shorts. A hipster's leg line stays at the crease of the hip.

Before buying hipsters, check the rise of the trousers you wear most. The hipster's whole purpose is to sit below a low waistband, and Wikipedia's panties entry places it on the hips, slightly below the navel. If your jeans are high-rise, a hipster will sit well under them; if they are very low, check that the hipster sits lower still.

Rise against your waistband

Put on your lowest trousers and note where the waistband lands. A hipster's top edge should sit at or just under that line, so it does not peek out when you sit or bend. Low-rise jeans often have a front rise of roughly 7 to 8 in (18 to 20 cm), and those leave little room even for a hipster. Mid-rise trousers, around 9 to 10 in (23 to 25 cm), cover one easily.

If the waistband shows when you sit, look for a lower-cut hipster, or switch to a bikini cut with a dipped front.

Hip shape and the roll question

The wide side panel is why many wearers prefer hipsters to bikini briefs. A narrow bikini side concentrates pressure into a thin line, and on soft or curvy hips that line digs in and creates a roll. The hipster's deep side spreads the same tension over more fabric, so it lies flatter.

Signs of a poor fit:

• Waistband rolls down at the sides: the size is too big, or the rise is too low for your hip shape. Try a size down or a higher rise.
• Waistband leaves a deep groove: the size is too small. Go up one size.
• Leg opening rides into the hip crease: the garment is too small through the hips.
• Back creeps up during the day: the rear panel is cut too short for your seat. A brand with fuller back coverage will fix it.

Lace band or bonded edge: what shows under what

A hipster crosses the back horizontally, so its leg line sits on the curve of the buttocks. Under a pencil skirt or tight knit dress, a stitched elastic edge will show there. Choose a bonded or laser-cut microfiber hipster for those, whose edges lie flat and leave no ridge.

Wide stretch-lace hipsters are the other route. Lace bands lie flat if the lace has enough stretch, and they show less under textured fabrics like denim, tweed or knits. Under loose skirts and linen trousers any hipster works.

The site's bikini brief vs hipster and hipster vs boyshort exhibits show where the cut sits between those two neighbors.

Who makes them

The hipster is a staple across mass ranges and lingerie houses. Wacoal describes its hipsters as moderate coverage with a low rise that sits at the hips, and sells them across several fabric lines, including the lace Lace Kiss Hipster and the b.tempt'd b.bare Hipster, as well as microfiber and rib versions. That spread is typical: most brands offer the hipster in at least one smooth fabric and one lace.

Fabric and care

For daily wear, look for a cotton gusset and a body in cotton, modal or microfiber with some elastane. Modal is softest but pills with friction; cotton breathes and lasts; microfiber gives the flattest finish under fitted clothes. Lace hipsters should be laundered in a mesh bag to stop the lace catching on hooks and zips. Wash on cold, skip the dryer and replace a pair once the waistband stops springing back.