Stripping Down Panty Fetishes

Which happened first, the desire for the underwear or the ability to obtain it? Here are some reasons why panty fetishes are so prevalent.

Among the Merriam-Webster dictionary's most endearing definitions of "underwear" are "knickers," "pretties," "tap pants," "drawers," and "unmentionables." Our cultural preoccupation with undergarments, particularly undergarments traditionally associated with women, is reflected in the sheer number of terms we have at our disposal. While there aren't many statistics on fetishes, one Italian study indicated that 12% of respondents preferred underwear during sex.

Naturally, distinguishing between "acceptable" kinks and those that have gone too far is another cultural fixation. It's common, even expected, to love a gorgeous person wearing attractive underwear, but what if your fascination with the underwear extends beyond just admiring someone else's?

What Is a Panty Fetish?

I recall being both shocked and curious when I heard that individuals sold their worn underwear when I was a teenager, long before I was involved in the field of sex education. Used panties are arguably one of the most well-known fetishes, along with foot fetishes, and are most likely to be the subject of a popular joke.

We've all probably heard the term "panty sniffer," most likely because this fetish catches people's attention. Maybe it's the intimate aspect of our underwear, or the fact that so many individuals can identify with being attracted to their partner's aroma.

Additionally, it's a fetish that has frequently been the focus of television exposés or "explainer" articles. The well-known panty vending machine in Japan is among the most well-liked anomalies. In Japan, it was possible to buy worn underwear from vending machines. While this is fascinating, it is exaggerated how standard these machines are. Old underwear was occasionally offered, but this practice has largely been discontinued. In reality, even while panty fetishes are authentic, the entire thing may be a bit of a mistranslation!

According to an article by J.T. Quigly in Tech in Asia, there is a slight deliberate mistranslation at work: "The addition of two kanji characters makes it instantly apparent to a native speaker that the panties are not, in fact, used." In this instance, Kakou refers to the fact that the underwear was made to look worn, much like jeans that are marketed with holes and frayed edges right out of the factory.

What we refer to as fetishes are called paraphilias in the field of psychology. Five hundred forty-nine different forms of paraphilia are listed in one scholarly article. Furthermore, despite more than a century of research, we still don't have a clear understanding of what leads to paraphilia. They unquestionably predate the ease of access to pornography and the capacity to locate and converse with like-minded individuals. Put another way, fetishes—such as a penchant for old underwear—are simply a distinctive aspect of a person's sexual identity.  

The Hidden Essence

In his book "Perv," Jesse Bering goes into great detail regarding paraphilias and draws a crucial distinction between new and worn fetish objects:

The object's physical attachment to the erotic target's body, as if it had absorbed the person's secret "essence," is what fetishists find so stimulating. This is a crucial point. A shoe fetishist is unlikely to be attracted to brand-new, never-worn shoes. If you have a fetish for men's underwear, you will pull out your favorite porn star's semen-stained briefs that you won online the next time you feel like it instead of tearing into the plastic wrapping of that brand-new pair of Fruit of the Looms you bought at Target.

Here, Bering raises yet another crucial aspect. In addition to already being used, the most valuable fetish items also gain value based on who uses them.

My college buddy claimed that her dates always stole her good underpants, so she stopped purchasing them. So that she wouldn't mind when they were gone, she stopped spending money on good underwear.

Justin Lehmiller also discusses this desire in his book Tell Me What You Want. Clothes like bras and underwear are often among the most popular fetish items since they come into contact with the breasts and genitalia, giving them erotic meaning.

How People Buy Used Panties

There are several options for individuals who enjoy the experience of buying secondhand underwear. While many people shop on websites that link people with this fetish to dealers, some people purchase them straight from sellers they've connected with online.

As a result, customers may shop and choose safely. One of the biggest of these markets, Sofia Gray, adds new merchants every month!

An Online Solution

However, what if you don't have a connection or a partner from whom you can steal underwear? Fortunately, some websites link buyers and sellers so that the internet can help. As a result, those with specialized hobbies can connect with others and lessen the loneliness that comes with having preferences that are not common.

In addition to offering panties and other fetish items, you can frequently find out more about the folks they're from or even make particular requests.

The Reasoning Makes Sense

Why, therefore, are used underwear so attractive? Lehmiller outlines one notion regarding the formation of fetishes. The majority of fetishes appear to be taught, as those who possess them can frequently link their passions to a very particular sexual encounter in which their fetish object just so happened to be present during a very powerful climax. This phenomenon, which psychologists call "one-trial learning," describes how humans occasionally pick up links between a stimulus and a reaction on our first attempt.

Perhaps the prevalence of panties as a fetish object is not surprising given that theory. Used underwear is available to many people long before they have sex partners. Stories about early adventures searching through laundry hampers for underpants can be found on websites like Quora and Reddit.

So, is access to the underwear more critical than interest?

One of those timeless questions we may never be able to answer fully is this one. The good news is that as kink becomes more and more common, it's becoming simpler for people to express their interests to partners or online strangers and to have their imaginations and wishes fulfilled.