Try it on: Junonia

Like many women, I cannot wear a skirt or dress without a layer underneath to protect my inner thighs from the much-dreaded chub rub, the delightful chaffing that happens when friction meets skin. When it's cooler out, I just wear Spanx or tights and those do the job. But when it gets warmer, I definitely want cotton. I know that cotton/spandex bike shorts are pretty easy to find but I feel like regular bike shorts would be too thick to layer when it's 110 degrees with 100% humidity. No thanks!

I've been looking for a good option and so far, the best candidate I can find are the cotton lace under-bike short from Junonia. At $25, these are more expensive than any panty I've ever purchased and are a little bit of an investment. But I am willing to pay for quality and I've heard nothing but good things about Junonia's products.

I ordered two pairs, in black and in ivory. I tried on the black pair right out of the package (I'm impatient!) and I noticed that the lace at the thigh and waist were a little itchy. Luckily, that went away after washing. I do wish they made the same shorts without the lace, just as on option to wear under closer-fitting knits when you want a more streamlined undergarment.

After wearing these a couple of times, I can say that they're very comfy and do exactly what I want them to do. I really like that there's a double layer of cotton right in the inner thigh, where you need the most protection and are bound to see wear first. These are made of nice, soft cotton so I don't see having to replace them any time soon.

The only downside I can think of is that they tend to stretch out a tad after a couple of hours. If you're between sizes at all, go for the smaller size. These aren't shaping garments by any means. They're definitely intended to provide cottony comfort that's perfect for warmer weather.

I'd recommend these if you're looking for reliable chub rub protection this summer and don't mind splurging a little on quality undergarments.

Comments

[a.]

wow, I've been wondering if these are worth it for awhile now! thanks for trying them and reporting!

[Kate Harding]

I just got my Quikwik satin boxers in the mail today! Haven't road-tested them yet, but if they do what they say they'll do, they'll be worth the $40. And if the cotton ones are just as good, according to you, those might be my next pair. ($25 seems cheap when you just blew $40 on undies.) I wasn't wild about the lace, though, which is why I went for the others. Hmmm.

[lnz]

This is weird because I've been on the hunt for some bike-shorts for the past two weeks. I went to Sports Authority and REI today and of course they didn't have larger sizes. My last pair was danskin from freaking wal-mart and now they don't have them. I'm definitely ordering these! Timely!

[jenny]

I just wear antiperspirant in the chub rub affected areas. woo.

now if only i could master the summer shoes with no socks without getting foot rub!

[Jenn D]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this. I put up with Spanx in the summer months, and hated how sweaty and contained my thighs. Like microwaved sausage. This is great!!

[OTM]

I have these! They are definitely worth the money and I second Colleen's recommendation. I do have two caveats that might be specific to my weirdness:

1. On the white ones (not the black ones), the stitching where the lace is sewn to the shorts is too tight. It's like they accidentally sewed it with a straight stitch rather than a stretch stitch. This is uncomfortable, but I think probably a manufacturing defect rather than a design flaw. On this same pair, one leg tends to ride up a little so I end up with skin-on-lace chafing. I would like to note that while this is uncomfortable, it's still better than chub rub.

2. Since the shorts are cotton rather than something really slick, some of my clothes get hung on the fabric of the shorts. I will walk down the street and notice some creep as my skirt climbs up the cotton of the shorts. This is... not exactly okay. I can fix it by wearing a slip or by just making sure that I wear grippy dresses on cooler, Body Glide-friendly days.

Junonia sells a pair of mesh no-chafe shorts that I'd like to try. I also had my eye on the boxer styles. Kate, I'm interested in what you think about those after you wear them.

[Colleen (Pretty Pear)]

I do get a little clinging if I wear a clingy fabric on top of the cotton shorts but eh lol Just about anything is better than the disaster that would happen if I walked around with naked thighs for more than five seconds.

I'm totally laughing at microwaved sausage!

Jenny - I think Dr. Scholl's or some company makes a gel you can put on your feet to prevent rubbing but I just use a tiny bit of Monistat's anti-chaffing powdery gel stuff and that does the same thing.

[Kate Harding]

OTM, I've been wearing the QuikWik boxers all day, and they get a definite thumbs up. And they are slick enough that no slip is required! Also totally comfy, stretchy everywhere, but not, so far, stretching out of shape as Colleen said the cotton ones do.

Plus, yay for wicking fabric. Now granted, it's not that hot today and I haven't been moving around that much, so the jury might still be out. But I recently invested in some pettipants, thinking those would solve my chub rub woes and indulge my pathological need to wear a slip (until now!), but... TMI warning... you sweat those up and they start to reek by noon. It's really not good. No such problem with the boxers.

[Eden]

I put a thin layer of antiperspirant on my inner thighs when I wear a skirt or short shorts and I've avoided chub rub ever since I started doing that. It obviously cuts down on sweating plus it keeps the rubbing to a minimum. Just use it where you get the rash, not all over (of course). BTW: The stick antiperspirants don't work quite as well as the ones that ooze the product through tiny holes but they do work.

[chubborific]

I'm a LBBW (little big beautiful woman) and wear a 14 or 16. Admittedly, I have thunderthighs with just a bit too much flesh in the inner region. I have a Vanity Fair slip that looks like a pair of shorts. It's great because it's lightweight and satiny so slinky dresses and skirts don't cling to my ample behind. See: http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/intimates/slips/womens/PRD~c7353/Vanity+Fair+Petti+Leg+Slip.jsp

[chubborific]

Oops.
Try this instead.
http://tinyurl.com/4dszqr

[chubborific]

Ooooh...and I found one in up to size 6X!
http://store.fitritefashions.com/lrom106.html

[Kimocean]

My personal savior for thigh burn issues have been Luvees (www.luvees.com). I tried both styles. I couldn't get the thigh coverall to stay up on my legs but I would highly recommend the panty coverall style. The satin patch at the inner thigh insures a silent smooth glide between the thighs and the lace is soft and not at all itchy and best of all it's breathable so you feel as if you hardly have anything on under your dress or skirt. I throw on a pair of regular panties underneath them so that I don't have to wash them as often.

I've tried all the deodorants, creams and powder tricks out there with no success but these have absolutely changed my summer wardrobe because it made dresses and skirts a possiblity for me!

My only complaint is that they don't offer the black ones on the site. A note says they're available at Torrid but I can't find them there :( I'd buy several more pair if I could find the black ones!

[Sarah]

I do what Inz does - wear a little antiperspirant between my thighs. The spray kind is the easiest to use. It's great - lasts all day and doesn't add extra heat or bulk.

[Pat]

I'm with Kimocean! I just purchased several of the Luvees panty style (rather than the thigh coveralls). They are AWESOME and pretty, too -- made primarily of soft lace except for the crotch and thigh-rub parts which are cotton on the inside and satiny stuff on the outside. I suspect they're the coolest option, with all that lace. They also stay in place beautifully.

[Elissa]

I'm a fan of dusting powder. It's so nice to be able to keep everything relatively dry in the summer (especially in SoCal!), and it does a pretty good job of protecting against chaffing AND (my favor part) it doesn't dry out your skin.

I use Lush's Silky Underwear dusting powder. AMAZING! I discovered it when I lived in Boston (and walked everywhere) about 5 years ago.
http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/00305?expand=Skincare

[debutante]

Luvees changed my summertime life! I've tried everything and they are the only thing that has worked for me. They stay in place--never ride up. They are light enough that it hardly feels like you are wearing anything extra under your skirt. And they are a heck of a lot sexier than wearing biker shorts.