Why ladies must keep their underwear on all the time

Panties. [GettyImages]

Respect ladies when they throw something out of fashion. The petticoat was a mark of feminine gist two decades or so ago, when a lady began to wear it, mostly at the advent of puberty and more when they joined high school. Ladies knew how to let the lace of their petticoat to peep below the skirt as she moved. When she stood still, it was fully hidden, it was a skill that marked a ladies’ entry into womanhood.

At this stage, the colour of a girl’s panty was sacred. Boys would bet and go to every length to find out the colour of girl’s panty and prove it. Mirrors were hidden in desks for this purpose and when it was confirmed, boys would celebrate. So petticoats, in a way, made it difficult for boys to snoop and see the colour of the panty a girl was wearing.

Then one day, I woke up and found the petticoat was nowhere to be seen. It had become a precious commodity, like illicit drugs. You had to look hard to see a lady in one. I had literally slept through a revolution. However, the panties remained even as the petticoat industry collapsed. The panties transformed from the normal briefs to bikers and later to G-string. That biker like panty made petticoats unnecessary for some ladies.

The petticoat became an undergarment in Britain from around 1830.  It is the British who exported the tradition of wearing it to their empires abroad.

A “chemise” was also an underwear. English borrowed the name from Italian word “camisia” which is where Kiswahili coined “kamisi”, the word for petticoat. It was a light dress worn on the skin to absorb sweat and body oils. If a lady was wearing a tight skirt, the trace of the leg band of her panties could be visible. Petticoats helped to conceal this.

Then the emergence of biker like full-brief and tummy control panties made the need of petticoat as a concealer unnecessary. The revolution came with the G-string. This thin string holding a tiny piece of clothing is a watershed in ladies’ underwear. Men even asked if it was necessary in the first place, they can tie shoelaces on a piece of cloth and wear.

Ladies heard and smiled, now they go around without underwear. This was popularised by a popular morning show radio presenter and one time presidential aspirant Kingwa Kamencu. Word on the street now is for ladies to go back and wear underwear. That is after a young lady was filmed with no underwear while asking surprised men, who wears panties nowadays?

Earth tones

Ladies are a huge market; if you can meet their beauty needs, you are in business. However, experience teaches us that their fashion trends are as dynamic as the Information Technology industry. One day an item is a revolutionary invention; the next moment it is an antique worn by old ladies.

Underwear for men is very necessary, especially as one grows older, to hold the vital organs in place. Even men exchanged utility of briefs for comfort of boxers.

While ladies’ panties come in many colours like Joseph’s magical coat, men’s boxers tend to come in cool earth tones. These dull colours don’t reveal their level of cleanliness, so men can wear on boxer for a few days.

Is it important for ladies? In recent years it got the name “flag” and “fishing net” that had to be lowered because it conceals goodies. Panties are extremely necessary for the days when ladies have their menstrual flow. It holds sanitary materials in place. In their clean days, they now have the discretion, to wear or walk “commando”. On the other hand, ladies don’t have this privilege. They must change and wash their panties every day.

The anatomy of ladies’ reproductive organs makes panties very necessary. Panties made of absorbent material absorb moisture. This helps to keep the vaginal area dry, which is important in minimising infections. It also makes it easy for a lady to monitor the health of her vagina through the colour and smell of the crotch area.

Panties also provide another protective layer after clothing. If any unwanted materials manage to go past the clothes of a lady, they have to find ways around the panty to contaminate the vaginal area. The area between the thighs is a high-friction area, so panties help in minimising friction for ladies.

Panties also support what mothers gave their daughters. A lady’s behind looks more rounded when in a panty. On the contrary, un-pantied ladies walk like their behind is waiting to drop in bits and pieces. This improves posture and confidence as well the general aura of femininity, which is good for confidence.

When men meet a lady without underwear, it signifies some level of ratchetness. It can misdirect attention and destroy a good evening just because one was misunderstood.

Now the whole ladies’ underwear clothes are called lingerie. A cool name that moves ladies’ underwear from utility wear to beauty and comfort accessories. You killed the petticoat, hold on, panties are vital, don’t throw them away just yet.