Big moments with a little undergarment: A history of the thong

Love them or hate them, it’s easy to see why thongs are popular. They offer just enough coverage without adding visible panty lines to an outfit. With thong-sized panty liners and THINX thong period panties now available, thongs are more wearable than ever.

And there’s no doubt that they have the potential to make a pop-culture fashion statement. Here are some of the thong’s biggest moments in the spotlight.

1939. As the World’s Fair approached, then-Mayor of New York City Fiorello La Guardia worried that the local nude dancers were too exposed. The dancers were required to wear thongs to provide (a little) extra coverage.

1974. Rudi Gernreich, fashion designer and feminist, turned skin-baring bottoms into high art. He popularized a unisex thong bathing suit in 1974, and even patented his design a few years later.

1981. The thong was too hot not to bring to the masses and Frederick’s of Hollywood did just that. They’re the lingerie institution that was established thirty years before Victoria’s Secret and is credited with the advent of another love/hate undergarment: the push-up bra.

1989. “Baywatch” flipped the thong for their risqué lifeguard suit design. The style is now known as the “frong.”

1999. C’mon, don’t pretend you haven’t had “Thong Song” in your head this whole time. Sisqó’s epic single was nominated for four Grammys at the turn of the millennium.

2000. The following year, Britney Spears wore a thong over leather pants in, “I’m a Slave 4 U,” heralding the exposed-thong trend (one of many questionable fashion choices of the decade).

2015. Frongs have come back in a big way thanks to celebs like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and Kylie Jenner.

2016. From model Ashley Graham’s reminder that they work for every body type to Rihanna’s regrets over not bedazzling hers for the red carpet, traditional thongs are still celebrities in their own right.

Thongs not your thing? Here are a few tips for feeling sexier that don’t involve getting cheeky. Whatever you wear under there, make sure your birth control is covered.

XOXO,
Bedsider

P.S. We’ve got answers to all your questions about virginity and its mythical guardian, the hymen.