What Is an Underwear Gusset, and Why Does It Matter?

There’s a part of your underwear that probably gets very little consideration when you’re deciding which pair to buy.

It also happens to be one of the most important.

The gusset is the section of fabric that sits directly against the vulva, usually running from the front of the underwear through the crotch towards the back. And while it might look like a fairly unremarkable piece of fabric, its material, shape and construction can make an enormous difference to how your underwear feels and performs.

So, what should you actually be looking for?

Why do women’s underwear have a gusset?

The gusset creates an additional layer between intimate skin and the main fabric of the garment. That's particularly useful because the fabrics that make beautiful lingerie aren't necessarily the fabrics you'd choose to have sitting directly against sensitive skin all day.

Mesh, lace and stretch fabrics can give underwear its shape, movement and appearance. The gusset gives designers the opportunity to use a different fabric where softness, breathability and comfort matter most.

In other words, the outside of your underwear and the part touching your most intimate skin are doing different jobs.

What should an underwear gusset be made from?

The skin of the vulva is sensitive, and what sits against it for hours at a time matters.

During perimenopause and menopause, some women find themselves dealing with more sweating and moisture. Others experience almost the opposite: vaginal and vulval dryness, increased sensitivity or irritation as oestrogen levels change.

This is one reason natural fibres are so often recommended for underwear. The Australasian Menopause Society recommends natural-fibre underwear as part of general vulvovaginal care during menopause, while other clinical guidance recommends cotton or silk underwear where vulval skin is sensitive or irritated.

At Wicks, we use GOTS-certified organic cotton against the skin because it is beautifully soft and breathable. Our lining also helps wick moisture and has anti-odour protection, but moisture management is only part of the story. For women experiencing dryness or increased sensitivity, having a soft natural fibre sitting against intimate skin can simply feel more comfortable.

It's worth making an important distinction here. Underwear can't treat vaginal dryness, which is an internal symptom and may need its own treatment. Choosing organic cotton against the external skin however, is more about making yourself more comfortable and keeping you fresh all day.

Why does the shape of the gusset matter?

Fabric isn't the whole story. A gusset also needs to sit in the right place on the body. Its width, length and shape determine where you have coverage as you move, sit and go about your day.

This becomes even more important when you're designing absorbent underwear. A tiny panel in exactly the wrong place isn't particularly useful, regardless of how technically impressive the fabric inside it might be.

Different styles can therefore require different gusset designs depending on the level of coverage and protection they're intended to provide.

What happens inside an absorbent gusset?

This is where a seemingly simple part of your underwear can become surprisingly clever.

In Wicks underwear, the soft organic-cotton fabric against the body is only the layer you can see. Depending on the style, additional functional layers sit discreetly underneath it.

Our All Day Fresh styles use a discreet absorbent layer without a waterproof barrier. They're designed for everyday freshness and those little moments when you simply want your underwear to do a bit more.

Our higher-absorbency styles add additional protection, including a waterproof barrier, for women who experience regular light bladder leaks, unpredictable periods of perimenopause or just days when you need greater reassurance.

The idea is that all of this functionality happens quietly inside the garment.

Does a functional gusset mean functional-looking underwear?

Absolutely not. And this is probably the part we're most interested in at Wicks.

For a long time, additional functionality in women's underwear has tended to announce itself rather loudly. More absorbency has often meant more bulk, more obvious technical fabrics and garments that look primarily designed around a problem.

We don't think this approach is necessary.  A gusset can be technically sophisticated while the overall piece is still elegant or beautifully cut.

Functionality can live underneath the lingerie rather than becoming its entire personality.

The part of your underwear worth paying attention to

The next time you're buying underwear, turn it over and actually look inside.

What fabric will be sitting against your skin? Does the gusset look wide and long enough to sit where you need it? Is the fabric soft and breathable? And if you're buying absorbent underwear, what exactly is happening inside those layers?

Because the most technically important part of your underwear might just be the bit nobody ever sees.