There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
On Trial: Parade Underwear
The Tester: Melanie Yates, who owns underthings in 50 shades of nude, but nothing that falls under the ROY G BIV spectrum
The Brief: Until Parade's posts caught my eye on Instagram, I admit, I'd been sleepwalking through the underwear-purchasing process. My criteria for good underwear are not demanding. It needs to be inexpensive and comfortable. The pairs I own are all pallid in color and nondescript in style. They tend to wear out after a few dozen washes. It wasn't always this way between me and my lingerie drawer, but it's safe to say that the thrill was gone.
Parade's underwear, by contrast, seems like a rainbow burst through an overcast sky. This female-owned company's branding is joyful, sexy, and more size-inclusive than the average lingerie brand (the brand currently offers sizes XS to 3X). And backing up their body- and sex-positive image, the brand also donates 1% of all orders to Planned Parenthood. But the products themselves are what really have me head over heels.
Parade's product lineup includes five main styles — a thong, brief, cheeky, hiphugger, and boyshort — and each one is available in a vibrant palette of colors. My box of samples from the brand included one of each style, and my favorite one by far is the cheeky. It looks like a cross between a brief and a thong, and it's detailed with mesh along the sides. The material is not only silky-soft but very breathable, too.
All of Parade's underwear is made from a proprietary recycled-nylon material called Re:Play, which is an Oeko-Tex-certified fabric that's free of harmful chemicals. I've found it to be very comfortable through the day — the less I have to think about my underwear while wearing it, the better!
While the nylon is stretchy and may loosen up over time, in my experience with wearing them, all of Parade's underwear styles run true to size and don't shrink in the dryer. The only critique that I have is that some of the styles have a small seam around their leg bands, which can be visible through form-fitting pants.
Until recently, Parade only made bottoms, but as of April 21, that all changes! The brand recently launched a Bralette collection that's available in two styles: Scoop and Triangle. The brand put in the work to make sure their sizing and fit are just as comfy and inclusive as their other underwear. In addition to the XS-3XL sizing range, the brand also offers Support+ options to accommodate those with smaller rib cages and larger boobs. We're happy to see that each size of both bralette styles is adjustable and provides the appropriate amount of support in the cups, band, and straps.
Finally, as I previously mentioned, frugality is my love language. So the fact that Parade's bralettes are just $28 and their underwear styles are just $9 max might be my favorite part!
Closing Argument: Comfy, colorful, cost-effective, and eco-conscious, Parade underwear is the total package — and it's making me raise my standards, too. After all, the only person you have to please when you get new underwear is you, and don't you deserve the best?
