8 Tips for Upgrading Your Underwear Drawer

And don’t worry—the process isn’t nearly as daunting as it sounds, especially when there are helpful guidelines (like this one) to follow. If you want to give your underwear drawer a quick detox or build a new collection from scratch, these 8 tips will help get you started.

Upgrading your underwear is an incredibly underrated form of self-care. Who doesn’t love the feeling of treating themselves to some super-flattering new lingerie? But there are many more reasons we should upgrade our underwear than just aesthetics. Did you know that underwear should be replaced every six to nine months for health reasons? It’s true—to promote good health and hygiene, you should be replacing your underwear frequently. Underwear can lose its shape over time too. Not to mention old, ratty underwear does not look cute! 

Convinced it’s time for a refresh? Dive into our top tips for giving your underwear drawer an upgrade below. 

First thing first, you’ll need to go through your underwear drawer to see what is in need of upgrading. We recommend creating organised piles and discarding pieces as you see fit. This process will make it easier for you to narrow down your lingerie shopping since you’ll know exactly what you need.  

 If it’s been a long time since you last had an underwear clear out, don’t be afraid to be a little ruthless. If you still have underwear that’s a few years old and looks worse for wear, consider upgrading those pieces. Any underwear that is torn, stretched out, ill-fitting, or just plain uncomfortable should be gotten rid of. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re not bogged down by the sight of it in your drawer. 

Speaking of an overflowing drawer…Be mindful of how many pairs of underwear you keep. The point of clearing out your underwear drawer is to minimise it in some way. That doesn’t mean you have to go down to the basics and only have seven pairs of panties for each day of the week. But reconsider whether you need the 30 pairs overflowing in your drawer. 

When it comes to bras, it’s okay to hold onto the styles you don’t wear as often (such as an adhesive silicone bra) because you never know when you’ll need it under a tricky outfit. As long as your bras make you feel good, are in good shape, and are reached for relatively regularly, you can absolutely keep them in your collection.

Now for the fun part. Once you’ve identified what to replace, make a wishlist of your favourite underwear styles. At this stage in the process, you can be as practical or impractical as you want since you’re not buying anything yet. Start browsing and begin adding your favourite styles to your wishlist online!  

To be ultra-organized, you can even make a list of any gaps in your underwear collection you’re keen to fill, what qualities you like about your existing pieces, what functional criteria you need from your underwear, etc. While this might be extra, we find that this step is helpful in narrowing down your lingerie needs and wants, so there is nothing you don’t forget. 

Plus, it helps to set your standards high. Fill your wishlist with the best of the best since high-quality everyday essentials will be worth the money in the long run. At Bendon, we have an unbeatable range of bra and underwear styles to suit every style, so we recommend starting here

While you could be imaginative and free-flowing with your styles during the wishlist process, when it comes to shopping and committing to new underwear, you want to be selective. Take into account what styles from your wishlist make the most sense. Remember the styles that work for you and make you feel your best and the ones that don’t. You’ll also want to think about what works under your clothing. If you find yourself reaching for neutral colours such as black and beige on most days, then adding a few more neutrals to your collections makes perfect sense rather than bold prints. 

Although it’s still important to have a few lingerie pieces you love to wear even though they might not be super practical—there’s still space in your collection for them too! But try to be as selective as possible to ensure you have the best lingerie collection suited for you.  

Opening your underwear drawer should make you feel emotions like calm, happiness, and confidence. Not flustered, confused, or frustrated. Your underwear drawer should be filled with styles you love to wear that work seamlessly into your lifestyle.  

There are no hard and fast rules on what you should and shouldn’t wear. Instead, we think it’s essential to find what makes you feel your best. Once you introduce new styles that work for you, you’ll have an underwear drawer you love to go through.

While we love a sophisticated lace sexy lingerie set, it might not be what you choose to wear every day. That’s why your underwear drawer should have a healthy selection of quality basics you can reach for every day. For example, if you rock a t-shirt bra daily, your lingerie collection should have a few different styles of t-shirt bras to choose from. This also goes for go-to underwear styles, whether that's thongs, briefs, or tangas.

Once you’re happy with your wishlist, it’s time to get rid of your old underwear and introduce your lovely new styles into your drawer. This is a sure fire way to level up the contents of your underwear drawer. Plus, it makes you feel like you have your life together (even if it’s just one small drawer). 

Another tip for upgrading your underwear drawer is to ensure you have the right underwear for every outfit. We’ve all been there when we found the dress of our dreams, only to be caught short without the right underwear. To avoid this fashion mishap, we believe there are a few staple styles every woman should have in their lingerie collection.   

Strapless, backless, & multiway: No matter the outfit, whether strapless, backless, plunging, or racerback, these multi-functional bra solutions are bound to come in handy.    

No-show and seamless panties: To avoid any visible panty lines, we suggest always having a few pairs of no-show panties in your collection. These thin, seamless styles are made from ultra-smooth fabric with laser-cut edges and zero seams. They also come in a range of different cuts, from thongs to briefs. The result? Undetectable VPL even when you’re wearing tight-fitted clothing.  

Everyday Bras: On a day-to-day basis, you want a comfortable, well-fitted bra that wears beautifully under clothing. Luckily, at Bendon, we have so many everyday styles to choose from. We love an unlined or non-padded bra because it’s a style any woman can wear, regardless of breast shape or size. Because these bras don’t have any added lining in the cups, they’re lightweight and comfy enough for long days. T-shirt bras and bralettes are other great everyday bra styles to keep in your upgraded underwear drawer. You can also browse our roundup of some best-selling bras—they’re customer favourites for a reason! 

Of course, everyday pieces will vary from wardrobe to wardrobe. The trick is making sure you have an underwear option for every piece in your closet, this includes bras for white tee-shirts, special occasion outfits, tight-fitting skirts, etc.  

To keep your underwear looking fresher for longer, it’s also important you care for your lingerie properly. Throwing all your delicates into the washer and then on a hot tumble dry can leave them looking worse for wear. In fact, not properly washing and drying your bras and underwear causes them to lose shape, get discolored and stretched out, frayed, etc.  

Take better care of your upgraded lingerie and keep it looking fresh by giving it the care it deserves. For in-depth laundry help, check out our guide for lingerie care 101. 

Inspired to upgrade your underwear drawer? Go and get started! And come back to Bendon to shop our selection of underwear and bras suitable for every spot in your collection. 

• Lingerie Care 101 
• 9 Tell-Tale Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Bra 
• Bra Fitting 101