A new period-proof underwear brand is setting out to change how we view our period panties — and they’re helping women around the world at the same time. According to the makers of Thinx, 100 million girls in the developing world are dropping out of school because they don’t have the right resources for their periods. Instead, they are using things like leaves and plastic bags that send them into hiding for a week.
Thinx founders Antonia Dunbar, Miki Agrawal and Radha Agrawal set out to solve that problem, along with another personal frustration most women can relate to.
“We started sharing personal underwear mishap stories and our frustrations over the current options in the underwear market,” they write on their website. “We began to wonder, why isn’t there a pair of stylish underwear that didn’t give us anxiety during the month over unexpected leaks, stains or embarrassment?”
Preach! We dread that time of the month, mostly because our cute lingerie options are limited to a few pairs of frumpy underwear that — let’s face it — aren’t exactly appealing to anyone.
The trio’s idea evolved after a trip to Africa when Miki met Amahle, a teen who couldn’t attend school during her “week of shame.”
“Through Amahle’s story, we learned that girls all over the world needed a solution for those days of the month. In today’s day and age, to have girls missing school and then dropping out because they fell so far behind simply because they didn’t have the right resources every month was an unfair reality for far too many,” they add. “We couldn’t let this happen. We had to do something.”
Photo credit: AFRIpads and Thinx
So they designed underwear for women’s time of the month and after your undie purchase (undies which look way sexier than you’d ever expect period panties to look), the company will provide seven reusable sanitary pads to one girl in a developing nation. The hope is that providing this essential tool for personal hygiene will keep these girls in school.
Even more, the company teams with AFRIpads in Uganda to make the reusable pads, providing local Ugandan women with jobs.
Photo credit: AFRIpads and Thinx
Thinx panties are totally adorable and durable, made with moisture-wicking material, and each pair is designed to hold up to six teaspoons of liquid. They’re also leak- and stain-resistant and anti-microbial.
The styles range from sexy lace thongs for your “light days” ($24) to trendy hiphuggers for your “heaviest” days ($34). The most expensive pair, the Luxe, will set you back $47. It looks like the only color option is black right now, but hopefully they’ll evolve their color selection over time.
Can you really change the world with some really cute undies? It doesn’t hurt to find out — and you just might help keep a girl in school in the process.
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