Brief History: Grace SooHoo is the designer/creator of Period Undies by Simple Necessit-Ease Inc. It officially launched in 2006 with a small but successful test group. Period Undies are designed for women ages 12 to 40 with the goal of protecting clothing from those accidental moments while menstruating. They are available in natural, pink, blue, black, white with lace.
Product: Bikini Brief in NaturalDescription: The Period Undies are 95% cotton and 5% spandex. The lining is 100% cotton. They are described as high quality cotton with Lycra blend panties with "ultra slim, waterproof, breathable, poly coated fabric liner". They are machine washable but line drying is recommended. They are available in sizes xs to xxl.
Packaging: Plastic overlay within a cardboard display wrapper
Price: $14 or 2 for $22 US
Comments: The product quickly arrived in discreet packaging. When I first opened it I couldn't believe how small the panties were. The packaging said xxl but these definitely are not xxl. The xxl fits more like a xl. It's not like I like my underwear baggy or anything. Also this bikini cut does not take into account the pooch that plus size women have.
Sizing aside, that didn't stop me from testing this the next time my flow appeared. I wore them with the specific intention of having an accident. The first thing I noticed when I put these on is that they are kind of noisy. The safety panel makes a swishing noise which is distracting. I got used to the noise and decided I was the only one who could hear it. Then I doubled checked with my husband and he said he could once I brought his attention to it. You know that noise your pantyhose makes when your upper thighs rub? Kind of like that except higher.
The accident finally happened. Not huge or anything but enough that the average woman would worry about if she were out and about. It left an obvious spot on the inner lining but did not go through. Success.
I didn't rinse like the product recommends because like any woman who has ever had an accident in the middle of the night, rinsing in cold water isn't going to be high on my list. I threw them in the hamper and forgot about them until laundry day. I didn't add any special cleaners other than the regular and you can't even tell there was a stain there. Now, I'm not recommending you do this, I'm just saying. They don't look like they shrunk. According to the promo material these panties are "processed and tested extensively for durability and can effortlessly withstand rigorous, multiple machine washing and stretching." But they should be line dried. As for workmanship, the Period Undies are well stitched. I stretched and tugged pretty hard and still didn't split the stitching; even at seams. The cotton is fairly flexible in front but the back poly liner is firm and doesn't stretch as much. The material is definitely soft as is the elastic trim.
I can definitely see this product being a gem for any woman -- one for every day of her period (or the few days leading up to her period when she knows it is coming) especially if she is prone to accidents. They just need to work on the cuts for plus sizes and extend the sizes to at least 4x.
The website appears to be marketed toward slim teenagers even though the product can be worn by any woman menstruating between the ages of 12 and 50 (I think women struggling through pre-menopause would love them too). The five bikini styles are available in sizes up to xxl but the website definitely doesn't consider the plus size menstruating woman or any woman over 25 for that matter. While I think this product is awesome in concept, I don't think they are appealing to every woman and in particular the plus size woman at this time.
Visit Necessit-Ease for your own BFF Period Undies.
Disclosure: Necessit-Ease provided one pair of Period Undies to me free of charge.
