I Haven't Worn Underwear In 25 Years

I haven’t worn underwear for 25 years. I made the decision in my 20s after buying a pair of practical undies. You know, the kind that you can slide on with a T-shirt if you want to overeat from the comfort of your sofa after work. They were supposed to feel oh-so-fine.

But I hated them. Just like I hated every other pair of underwear. These were supposed to be comfy and stretchy but they still cut into me in all the wrong places. I’d even sized up, and they felt like sandpaper around my love handles, under my butt, and between my legs.

The feeling of wearing underwear had always bothered me, and it seemed that I wasn’t the only one (I’d asked my friends and sisters, and apparently, they, too, wanted to rip off their underwear as soon as they put them on). But no matter what I did, what fabric I got, or what size I tried, panties were never comfortable.

Not only that, even if I splurged on a cute lacy pair (I’m scratching down there just thinking about that) for sexy time, they went unnoticed and would end up floating to the ground in under two seconds.

Underwear was doing nothing for me. So, I broke up with them — and I haven’t gone back.

At almost 50, I’m still a free-vag’er, and if you think I’m going to start covering my fabulous middle-aged vulva with another coating of fabric, you’re wrong.

Yes, this means I do more laundry. After all, you can’t walk around all day in a pair of pants or a dress with nothing between your clothing and your privates and slide them back into your drawer.

And I know what you’re thinking, but I have that problem solved: I have a bidet at home that I’m practically in a relationship with, and I never go anywhere without my flushable wipes.

You’re wondering about that time of month, I’m sure. How can I walk around bleeding without any underwear? Don’t I wear pads, and if so, how?

The diva cup, that’s how. I’ve never leaked with the diva cup, and now I have an IUD, so there’s no bleeding. With the exception of wearing mesh undies after giving birth (now those are comfy drawers; I asked for extra), panties have not touched my lady bits.

Now I get to tell you why going pantiless makes me extra happy: My vagina smells better. True story. You don’t have to believe me, but until you go without wearing them for a week and perform a sniff test, you’ll never know.

I never get razor burn or bumps, and I shave down there a few times a week. Not just my panty line either — I’m talking the whole kit and caboodle.

And get this: As someone who used to suffer from chronic yeast infections as a child, I haven’t had one since I ditched the drawers. Not even a hint of one. Going panty-free actually promotes better circulation and blood flow, and we all want our vagina to be circulating normally. It’s also been proven for those who get regular yeast infections that going without underwear can make a difference.

But of course, my favorite part about not wearing underwear is how comfortable I am all the time. I don’t get wedgies. It saves time when getting dressed. And there’s nothing like feeling a breeze on a summer day when I’m wearing a dress. If I’m wearing something extra flowy and perhaps a bit short, I’ll wear a fitted slip underneath my dress because I don’t give peep shows for free. But there’s no way I’m wearing panties every again.

If you’ve been feeling constricted, free your vag. There’s a whole world out there for her to see and feel.

Katie lives in Maine with her three kids, two ducks, and a goldendoodle. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, at the gym, redecorating her home, or spending too much money online.