I Tried Anti-Chafe Thigh Bands, and Here's What I Thought
To say I was a little apprehensive to try this new "thigh shapewear" would be an understatement. Not because it scared me or because I was afraid of the outcome, but simply because it was something new. You know when you hear of new technology and go through a million questions in your head? It was like that.
Despite all my hesitation, I decided to give Bandelettes ($16; amazon.com) a try, a whole-hearted fair try. For those of us who have the issue of thighs rubbing, also known as chafing, we've tried everything under the sun. Creams, biker shorts, Spanx—you name it. I even have a girlfriend that swears by deodorant—but that's an entirely story in itself!
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The concept seems easy enough: two bands placed around your thighs, preventing them from rubbing together and irritating your skin. Recently, I attended the Spring 2017 Chromat runway show at New York Fashion Week, and there they were (seen above, on curve model, Hunter McGrady). This wasn't my first brush with them (in fact it was probably my 5th or 6th!), so I took this as a final sign. I absolutely had to give them a try.
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Let's start off with my initial reaction: It did feel a little weird having my thighs covered but having air hit me between my underwear and the bands. As a girl who is shaper shorts obsessed, it felt very different not having full coverage. I did find them comfortable though. My personal tip: size down! I went with my usual size, but I found they could have gripped a bit tighter. But still, they didn't slip down.
They wore comfortable throughout the day under my dress, and I was sure to try them on a day where I knew I had a lot of errands. Not only did they prevent chaffing, they also felt really good against the skin as I didn't experience any irritation from the silicone (placed on the inside at top and bottom to prevent slippage). I actually found myself enjoying them.
I tried the style seen on Hunter above, but there are also lace versions available as shown on the runway at Chromat. Same idea, just sexier. So with those versions, I do think they can be a bit more decorative if you're a fan of garters and sexy lingerie.
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Overall, if you're on the hunt for something new for chaffing, I'd say give these a try. They are priced reasonably at $16 and are a simple solution. At the end of the day, it does what it promises and it's cool to try something so innovative that hasn't been on the market before. I will be wearing these again and would like them to be in rotation with my go-to undergarments!
