In a world where every red carpet-bound celebrity seems to be baring all in skimpy, scratchy thongs, writer Annette Kellow, 41, from London, celebrates her trusty big knickers which, she claims, men find oh-so-sexy…
Sitting on a stool in a swanky wine bar with my then-boyfriend, I casually sipped my cocktail.
We were about to get a taxi back to his place. But my satisfied smile soon faded as something dawned on me that sent a shiver down my spine.
I was wearing the biggest pair of granny pants known to mankind.
Massive bloomers, high-waisted whoppers, elasticated beauties . . . call them what you will, but the granny pants I wear are not for the faint-hearted.
I debated whether I should go to the bathroom and quickly chuck them in the bin, but with a chill in the air, I didn’t think it was an appropriate move.
READ MORE ON BIG KNICKERS
When the Uber arrived, I bundled in with my former beau.
What should I do? I began to panic. I couldn’t possibly let him know my super-sized secret.
With no other option, I prayed he’d had so much to drink that he simply wouldn’t notice.
But the following morning, he turned to me and whispered: “I actually think your big knickers are really sexy.”
I couldn’t believe it. My life was now replicating a scene from Bridget Jones’ Diary, just as Daniel Cleaver murmured, “Hello Mummy”, to Bridget’s enormous pants; here I was in exactly the same situation.
I was mortified, yet also strangely relieved.
Maybe my gigantic granny pants weren’t as bad as I thought?
The psychology is simple: Your partner seeing you feel comfortable, relaxed and happy, is, of course, the foundation of any good relationship. And a good job too, as I’ve left my teeny-weeny thong days well in the past.
While celebrities including Margot Robbie, Olivia Attwood, Myleene Klass and Dakota Johnson have recently paraded their cheese wire G-strings under see-through dresses at awards ceremonies, I’m firmly in my sturdy pants era, enjoying comfort to the max.
This may seem ridiculous to the barely-there knicker wearer — and a few years ago, I would have been horrified by my choices, too.
In my twenties, I would don itsy-bitsy thongs daily, because every celeb and all my mates were wearing them.
We thought we looked amazing, even if they felt like dental floss on my derriere and chafed like nobody’s business.
Worse still, they would peek out of the top of jeans and I never, ever felt relaxed in them.
Then I went on to Brazilian knickers, sort of like a wider thong, thinking these would relieve the distressing digging-in sensation.
I instantly coined these “bum-eating knickers”, as it felt like they were giving me a constant wedgie that I could never quite pull out.
It wasn’t until I was pregnant at 33 and complaining of nothing fitting me that my mum, Grace, suddenly had an idea.
“You’ll need these,” she declared, handing me a gigantic multipack of granny pants.
They came in an array of mumsy colours and patterns, including baby pink, floral and forest green, all with twee little bows on the front.
I was horrified.
They were enormous, like the kind of undercrackers you see on your elderly neighbour’s washing line, wafting in the wind.
“It will only be for a few weeks,” I thought to myself as I looked down at my enormous stomach.
But, seven years later, I’m still smugly sporting them.
My trusty cotton/lycra “full briefs” come in at around £8 for a pack of five from M&S.
Large knickers are available from any major retailer that stocks lingerie, including Next, Tu at Sainsbury’s and even Ann Summers.
If I were to wear a really tiny, sexy little thong and come in the bedroom wearing lace, he’d say, ‘What are you doing? That’s just not you’,
Emily Atack
Earlier this year, credit service Clearpay revealed searches for big pants had risen 42 per cent among baby boomers, and 35 per cent among Gen Z.
People may laugh, but these are a staple in my wardrobe, even if they are hidden most of the time.
These unsung heroes prioritise comfort and are flattering to any silhouette, even giving a seamless look under tight dresses.
I love how the high waistband can withstand any big dinner, as they don’t cut in while quietly securing the bum, tum and hips.
I’ve always dressed girly with a vintage twist.
I love sleek pencil skirts and flared pin-up dresses, all worn with my super sturdy pants underneath.
And while many prefer to show off their assets in thong paradise, I know I’m not alone in my Bridget Jones briefs era, as some A-listers are jumping on the big pants bandwagon too.
Last week, Drew Barrymore held up a huge white pair of nana knickers on her TV show, and announced to her 1.39 million viewers: “The bigger the underwear, the better I feel.”
The audience went wild, with Drew yelling: “These are my underwear, I don’t like tight and constricting. I don’t even own a pair of G-strings.”
Majorly sexy
Skimpy knicker emporium Victoria’s Secret has even released a report showing a marked increase in searches for “big knickers”, finding that 77 per cent of women now prefer full-coverage briefs.
And gorgeous Rivals star Emily Atack also recently confirmed what many are afraid to say — that big pants are majorly sexy in the bedroom.
Speaking at Stylist Live: The VIP Edition, a lifestyle event held in London last month, the actress revealed that her partner Alistair Garner “really loves” her bigger pants and is turned off by skimpier underwear.
“If I were to wear a really tiny, sexy little thong and come in the bedroom wearing lace, he’d say, ‘What are you doing? That’s just not you’,” she said.
Some celebs are taking it one step further by stepping out in large knickers while out and about.
At this year’s Paris Fashion Week, model Hailey Bieber dressed in her big knicker best — albeit silky ones — with Charli XCX seen sporting large pink bloomers too.
The good news with granny pants today is you can buy them as luxe and glam or comfortable as you wish.
There are so many colours, fabrics and styles to choose from: Large silky knickers, patterned pants and just plain old white no-nonsense undies (my personal fave).
For me, the big knicker resurgence is not just down to the comfort factor.
It is women wanting to reclaim their power by deciding what makes them feel and look good, rather than what they feel they should be wearing for others.
The movement is snowballing, even if some celebs are still trying their hardest to show off with excruciatingly tiny pieces of string.
Loads of women I know are slinging their scratchy thongs in the bin and embracing big pants as the new Rolls-Royce of underwear.
My big knicker choice may seem unusual to some, but it makes sense to me.
And while that boyfriend is long gone, my subtly sexy granny pants are definitely here to stay. I’ll keep wearing them with pride.
