Gale Epstein is the president and creative director of Hanky Panky, a company she founded with her friend Lida Orzeck after designing embroidered handkerchief lingerie for Orzeck as a gift. Epstein's lingerie and sleepwear designs, available in boutiques and specialty stores, have been featured in Elle, InStyle, Marie Claire, Oprah and The New Yorker. The Wall Street Journal also ran a front-page story on the cult status of Epstein's most famous garment, the thong. Hanky Panky sells more than three million thongs per year.

Somewhere between the G-string and the panty brief falls the thong. For devotees, there is no turning back: The only underwear they'll ever wear is a thong. But others have not yet been converted, primarily because they imagine themselves pulling improperly fitting panties from their nether regions.

And there you have it - the biggest obstacle to wearing a thong is not below the waist but above it: Many women just can't accept the fact that a thong can be sexy and comfortable. The truth is that the right thong can be more comfortable than any other panty, and it will rid you of panty lines (especially important in this day of Lycra everything). Beautiful and efficient: You just have to know what to look for in a thong and what to expect.

Step 1: Face your fears. Many women have a mental block against the thong because they fret about the way they are going to look in one. Somehow, you have to get beyond that. If you judge the appropriateness of any garment you wear by backing into a mirror in a brightly lit room to examine every square inch of your posterior, you probably won't have a stitch in your wardrobe. Why hold yourself up to that kind of scrutiny? Treat yourself with a little more kindness, and get beyond the judgment stage and into the comfort zone.

Step 2: Look for a thong made from the softest, most comfortable fabric. I prefer stretchable lace because it is extremely forgiving, which means it adapts to a wide variety of body shapes and sizes and moves with you. Pick the thong up and drape it over your hand: It should be pliable and extremely light (our best-selling model weighs only half an ounce, the same as about four cloves of garlic) and every part of it should feel soft to the touch, particularly any decorative detail or stitching.

Pay special attention to the edges of the thong. I recommend a thin line of stretchable lace instead of an elastic band. It has just the right amount of modulus, or elasticity, to stretch against the skin, ensuring a good fit without binding and eventually chafing.

 


 

Step 3: The secret of the thong is to find a gusset that fits. The gusset (or crotch lining) of the thong must be cotton - that much everyone knows. But did you know that everything revolves around that piece of fabric? It is critical to fit. The gusset of a thong can't be too short back to front (or you know exactly what will happen). But it also cannot be too narrow from side to side.

If there's a secret to comfort in wearing a thong, that's it. The gusset must be wide enough (and soft enough, yet not too bulky) to lay flat against the body when stretched and not roll in on the sides, causing an uncomfortable ridge in your most sensitive body area.

Step 4: Buy one, wash it and wear it. If there are areas of discomfort, you will have to determine whether it is the style of that particular thong and, if so, use the problem areas as a guide on the next trial purchase. But if you have followed these steps, there is every chance that you will wind up with a sexy and comfortable undergarment that eliminates panty lines and, under it all, bestows a sense of liberation.

Excerpted from "The Handbook of Style: Expert Fashion and Beauty Advice Every Woman Should Know" by Francine Maroukian and Sarah Woodruff. Copyright © 2007. Reprinted by permission of Quirk Books.

Available for $16.95 at www.quirkbooks.com in the United States and at www.amazon.com anywhere in the world.