Underwear for Yoga Pants, Seamless and No Show

What underwear to wear under yoga pants

Yoga pants are tight, stretchy and usually thin, and they get pulled even tighter every time you bend, lunge or sit cross-legged. That is the worst possible setting for regular underwear. A sewn elastic edge pushes a small ridge into your skin, the stretch fabric drapes over it, and the line shows from across the studio. Pants in grey, heather, sage or any light color add a second problem, because they also show the color of whatever sits underneath.

Three things fix it. Bonded edges instead of sewn elastic, so the edge is as thin as the fabric. A cut that matches your pants, so there is no edge where the pants pull hardest. And your real size, because a pair that is too small cuts in and makes a line however well it is made. The six styles in the grid above were picked for exactly that, and the three seamless ones do most of the work.

The No-Show Seamless Thong, Bonded Seamless Hipster and Seamless High-Rise Brief are laser-cut microfiber, 76 percent nylon and 24 percent elastane, with a 100 percent cotton gusset. That much elastane means they stretch with you in a forward fold instead of pulling or rolling, and microfiber dries far faster than cotton once class warms up.

Best underwear for each kind of yoga pants

Your pants	Best pick	Price	Why it works
Thin, light or heather grey yoga pants	No-Show Seamless Thong in Nude Deep or Blush	$12	No back edge at all, and a skin shade does not show through pale fabric
Black or dark yoga pants for class	Bonded Seamless Hipster in Black	$12	Full back coverage, flat wide sides that do not dig in during a squat
High-waisted yoga pants or leggings	Seamless High-Rise Brief	$12	The waistband sits under the pants band, so there is no line at the hip
Hot yoga, spin, a sweaty run	No-Show Seamless Thong	$12	Least fabric, quick-dry microfiber, nothing to bunch between the cheeks
Loose or flared yoga pants for lounging	Cotton Boyshort or Everyday Cotton Thong	$12	Soft cotton modal for long, low-effort days where a soft edge will not show
Fitted yoga flares worn out to brunch	Smoothing Bodysuit in Nude Deep	$54	One smooth layer from bust to hip under a fitted top, no waistband line

If you only buy one style, buy the seamless thong. It is invisible under every kind of yoga pants, light or dark, high rise or low, and it is the pair that stays in place through a full class.

Is a thong or a hipster better for yoga pants?

A thong is the more invisible choice under yoga pants, because it has no back edge for the fabric to show. A seamless hipster is the better pick if thongs bother you: its wide, flat sides spread the edge across more skin, so it does not cut into the hip, and under dark or thicker pants it disappears as well.

The honest tradeoff is coverage versus visibility. Under a thin pair of pale grey pants in bright studio light, even a bonded hipster can show a soft outline at the back of the thigh when you fold forward. Under black pants of normal weight, you would need to look very hard to see either one. Plenty of people keep both: thongs for light pants and hot classes, hipsters for black pants and long days.

If you are deciding between cuts in general, not just for workouts, the thong vs cheeky vs bikini guide compares coverage and fit side by side.

What color underwear is best under yoga pants?

Wear a shade close to your skin under light or thin yoga pants, and black under black. A skin shade blends into the shadow of the fabric, while white is brighter than skin and shows as a pale shape through grey or pastel pants. Under black pants, black underwear is the safe match.

Our seamless styles come in Nude Deep, a warm caramel brown that suits medium, tan and deep skin, plus Black. On fair skin, the No-Show Seamless Thong in Blush is the closest match. If you sit between two shades, take the deeper one. A slightly darker pair hides in the fabric, a lighter one glows.

The same color logic applies to every pale bottom you own, and the underwear for white pants page goes through it for jeans, linen and wide-leg trousers.

How do I stop panty lines in yoga pants?

Switch to seamless underwear with bonded edges, wear your true size, and match the cut to your pants. Most panty lines come from sewn elastic or from a pair one size too small that digs in. A bonded edge lies flat, so stretch fabric has nothing to drape over even in a deep squat.

Check your size before you blame the style. Measure around the fullest part of your hips and compare it to the panty size chart: XS fits hips of 34 to 35 inches and XXL fits 46 to 48 inches. If you are between sizes, size up in seamless styles. They have enough stretch that the larger size still sits smoothly, and the smaller one is the one that cuts in.

Also look at where the line is. A line across the bottom is the leg edge, which a thong removes. A line at the hip is the waistband, which a high-rise brief or a hipster with wide sides moves out of the way. A line at the waist of high-waisted pants usually means the underwear rise is higher than the pants band, so drop to a mid-rise hipster.

Is it better to wear underwear with yoga pants?

For most people, yes. A thin seamless pair with a cotton gusset keeps your pants cleaner between washes, absorbs some sweat at the crotch and is more comfortable for a full day. Going without is a personal choice and works best with thick, opaque pants that have a gusset of their own.

The hygiene argument is simple. Yoga pants are usually washed less often than underwear and are made of synthetic fabric that holds odor. A pair of underwear between you and the pants is the cheap layer you replace every day. A cotton gusset is the part gynecologists recommend for everyday wear, and every pair we sell has one.

If you sweat heavily in class, the best underwear for women who sweat guide compares quick-dry microfiber and cotton for heat, and the no show underwear for leggings guide covers running tights and everyday leggings.

Build a workout underwear drawer

If you take three or four classes a week, you need more workout pairs than you think, because they go into the wash after every session. Five seamless pairs cost $45 with pack pricing, which covers a full week of classes plus a spare. Three pairs cost $32. Pack pricing applies automatically in your bag to any panties on this page, in any mix of cuts, colors and sizes.

A practical mix for most people is three seamless thongs for class and two bonded hipsters for the days you wear yoga pants as everyday pants. Wash them cold in a mesh bag and lay them flat to dry. Heat from a dryer is what breaks down elastane, and elastane is what keeps the edges flat.

Orders over $50 ship free in the US in a plain mailer, in 3 to 7 business days. If you would rather have fresh pairs arrive on their own, the Panty Club lets you pick the cuts and the shade once, from $14 a month. You can also start from the ready-made panty packs and swap colors in the bag, or browse every no-line style on the seamless underwear page.