Skirts + Summer = Hurray! But what to wear underneath? That can be a conundrum. Avoid thigh rubbing, accidental wardrobe malfunctions, and swamp butt with my tips on what to wear under your summer skirts!

Big shout out to my assistant, Kat, for asking me to share my thoughts in this post. As NYC residents, Kat and I walk almost everywhere. And walking in NYC in the summer is hot, humid, and gross. Wearing a skirt is a great way to ventilate down there, and let the cool breeze caress my legs. Not to mention, I looooove how a dress or skirt looks. It’s one of my favorite styles of clothing to wear! Swishy full skirts, graceful midi skirts, and even daring mini skirts – huge hurray from me. But wearing a skirt also comes with a few hazards:

1. Wind from nature. Wind feels good on my legs but it can also blow my skirt up and give passersby an up close and personal look at my undies.
2. Wind from the subway. THE WORST. Whether you’re walking over a grate, going down the stairwell, or standing on the platform, an approaching train can be a skirt-flipping-panic-inducing situation. Especially if you’re hands are full and you can’t hold your skirt in place.
3. Sweat. Can we just call it what it is: it’s swamp ass. It’s that sweaty, icky, sticky feeling of sweat soaked underwear sticking to your lady area and sucking the fun out of summer.
4. Rubbing. Sweat + thighs + walking = ooohhh noooo. I know about .05 people who actually have a thigh gap, and even those people experience some kind of ugh over this issue. It’s a problem we all face, ladies.

Here are some solutions for the common problems above:

1. Slip

Slips are an underused undergarment. A slip saved me from showing too much in my wedding dress, and it’s saved me many times again. Slips provide a few awesome things: modesty (just in case that dress is accidentally see-through in the sunlight), a layer between you and your skirt (helpful so your skirt doesn’t stick to your butt and legs), and a base layer in case of wind (I’d rather accidentally show my slip than my thighs and underwear).

A few great slips to try:

• Commando – I wore their seamless half slip with my wedding dress. It has little weights at the bottom to keep it from riding up. They have a wide variety.
• Free People – They have a fantastic selection of full and half slips, including basic and fashion styles. Try a lace style. If it shows a little bit, make it part of your outfit.
• fullbeauty – this site has lots of basic slips in many lengths and culottes (which look like old timey undies!) in sizes for fuller figures.

2. Shorts

Wearing pants gives you that layer between your thighs that you’re just wishing for when wearing a skirt. In the Fall and Winter, you can wear tights, but Summer requires a different method. Shorts provide a few amazing functions: They’ll provide some coverage if a gust of wind comes by. They’ll also help you avoid thigh rubbing and chafing. And they can enhance your look!

• Cotton bike shorts – There’s something to be said for good old fashioned, cotton bike shorts. Cheap, breathable, and they come in a zillion colors.
• Thigh Society – This Canadian company makes shorts specifically designed to eliminate “chub rub”. Made of a special moisture releasing material, they are not intended to be shapewear. So you and your thighs can breathe easy.
• Jockey Skimmies Moisture-Wicking Shorts – These moisture-wicking shorts also help you avoid chafing with a cotton panel design. Plus, you can enjoy ventilation thanks to the mesh panels that run down the outer thighs.
• Hanky Panky Lace Shorts – I love the combination of breathable and pretty lace. Not only are you avoiding chaffing and sweat, you’re looking cute while doing it. Hurray!

4. bumbrella

One of my favorite solutions, the bumbrella is a mini slip with a built-in panty or thong. In one of my favorite posts to date, I’ve got a whole review of this fun little product that includes a video, photo shoot, and a puppy. I wear bumbrellas regularly with skirts of every length. Truly a lifesaver and sooo comfortable to wear!

5. Cute panties

True story time! I was once wearing a beautiful DKNY dress, with a flowing, silk skirt. I went walking up Lexington Avenue in NYC, strolling past a diner on the Upper Easter Side where patrons were sitting in booths and enjoying their food. Because of how the booths were situated, these patrons just happened to be about eye level with my thighs. And a subway car just happened to breeze by underneath me. And my skirt just happened to go up to about my head, giving said patrons a full frontal view of what was underneath.

Of course I was embarrassed, as I scrambled off of the subway grate and grabbed at my skirt. But I was also very relieved, because I was wearing a super cute pair of underwear. That’s right! I thought, “well, at least if they were going to see it, they saw something cute!” So, if you think there’s a chance that someone else may see what’s underneath (subway grate or not – ow ow!), why not wear something pretty! Bonus: even if no one sees them, YOU know you’re wearing something sassy, and that feels great. Hurray!

6. Breathable

If you’re not afraid of the “omg they might see this” option, there are a few less covered methods that can keep you cool down there. For instance, you can always go sans underwear! This is a little too risky for me, but I have several friends who loooove to go commando.

If that’s too little for you, try a pair of breathable lace or mesh panties. OnGossamer makes whisper thin mesh panties, boyshorts, and thongs that let the air flow through! Try a few different brands and see what feels good for you.

Another option to stay fresh underneath your skirt is to try undies made from an odor blocking and moisture wicking material. Miel makes thongs, panties, bralettes (like the blue set I’m wearing above), and camisoles (like the red one I’m wearing at the very top) designed with scientifically advanced materials that do just that. This sweet science makes them soft, comfortable, breathable, and fresh! In fact, I wore them while in the heat of Mexico on my Hurray Vacay and felt a-ok.

{Pssst! Here’s a hurray for you: Get 15% off of your order on the Miel website all summer when you use code miel4kimmay. Code expires September 1st, 2016).

7. Alternative solutions

• Built-in shorts: In the title photo above, I am wearing a skirt that has built-in shorts, made of the same material of the skirt. Is that not the COOLEST? What’s more, I bought this skirt at a discount store in Queens for $6. I also recently went to a dance party with a friend who bought a fun dress that also had built-in shorts. She got hers at Mandee, an inexpensive junior’s store, for a really low price, too! To be honest, I had a hard time finding anything online, but I KNOW that these exist out there. If you find something, tweet at me! (PS: I’m also wearing a camisole from Miel, which is made of the same material as the anti microbial underwear!)
• Bandelettes: These little thigh bands are designed to cover just the area of your thighs that rub against each other. They’re almost like wearing just the top of a thigh high stocking. They feature two rows of stay up silicone that hold them in place, and claim to be super comfortable without digging in. I haven’t tried these myself, but I’d be willing to!
• Body Glide: A favorite of runners to avoid thigh chaffing, this is also a hot item among those with thicker thighs and a firm dislike of rubbing. I have yet to try this, but it has a very loyal following!

Hurray for summer and skirts! Which method will you try? Which tips made you say hurray?

PS: The photos in this post were taken by Becky Yee of Around Digital Media. As always, I never photo shop or alter my body. It’s my commitment to you to show what a real body looks like, and my hope that you’ll feel inspired to embrace and love your body just as it is, too.

PPS: Miel was a sponsor of the Hurray Vacay, which means they paid to participate in my campaign and for content like this. Their brand name means “honey” in Spanish, and they are a wonderful brand with great products, and owned by two sisters. I’m so thankful to them for making the trip possible!

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