Underthings for Sensitive Peeps
What to wear under your clothes when you have sensory and/or medical issues that need extra support
For highly sensitive people, what you’re wearing underneath your clothes can be a real point of contention. Tags poking into your skin, the edges of underwear or underwires digging into you, fabrics that don’t breathe making you sweaty and claustrophobic, the toxic chemicals in most new clothes leading to headaches, fatigue and so on…you get the point.
But at the same time, many of us HSP’s (Highly Sensitive People) often have additional medical issues that could make certain undergarments really helpful–compression garments if you have POTS, lipedema or are post-surgery or are post-partem, for example.
And many autistic folks, while they may be very particular about fabrics and removing pokey tags from clothing, often also have a sensory preference for feeling ‘held’ by their garments, similar to how babies feel safer when they are swaddled in their blankets. Personally, I want to feel supported without feeling squeezed to death, ya know?
I have had more experience than I would like in the past year navigating these issues. Firstly because I am in perimenopause and have become increasingly intolerant to being uncomfortable in anything I am wearing (not to mention my body is changing and this has meant needing to buy some new things).
And on top of that, I had a hip replacement this spring, and my doctor advised me to wear compression socks for a good long while. Immediately after the surgery, I also went into a POTS flare that was more severe than anything I had ever been through before, and this led me into looking into compression clothing for abdominal blood pooling as well.
I got uncomfortable as soon as they told me they would give me compression socks at the hospital following surgery. I kept my mouth shut, but inside I was thinking “No way in hell am I going to wear some itchy, scratchy, synthetic skintight socks for at least 12 hours a day for 6+ weeks! No way!”
So after a year of navigating some of these issues and figuring out my options and what has worked for me, I thought I would share some of the products that I thought could be helpful to others who may be in the same boat. I am not collecting a commission from any of these companies–just sharing what I have found personally helpful:
Alpaca Compression Socks- These are made by Hollow and are appropriate post-surgery. They breathe well! They are knee high and can also be worn under a longer skirt when it’s warmer and leggings would make you too hot. They’re 50 bucks, but post-surgery that is worth the money because it reduces the risk of DVT and you will continue wearing them long after your recovery.
Onesie/bodysuit - Ok, these have been around a long time as shapewear, but are starting to get more popular for POTS and other conditions. In fact, there are now brands like Supacore that have products specifically designed for medical issues.
The thing is though, not everyone has the same kinds of POTS, and some people need more support in one part of their body than the other. So I wouldn’t advise spending a ton of money on these kinds of garments if you’re in the trial and error phase or don’t have a medical professional to consult with about what would make most sense for you.
The other thing is that the vast majority of the onesies and other garments (leggings, compression shorts, etc.) are made of 100% synthetic materials, so they won’t breathe well, will hang onto odors, and the toxic chemicals used in manufacturing are going to cling to them for a really long time. If you’re getting hot flashes all the time, wearing something like that could easily feel unbearable.
Personally, I have never invested in any of the garments designed especially for medical purposes since I can’t stand the feel of synthetics on my skin and I overheat easily, but I have been reading on POTS forums that the cheaper shapewear stuff works just as well (and sometimes even better because it’s less bulky/awkward).
The compromise I landed on was this bodysuit from Quince for $29. It’s OEKO-TEX certified, meaning no toxic materials are present, and it’s mostly nylon (which to me is the lesser evil when it comes to synthetics). Go with the neutral color rather than black if you’re very sensitive to chemicals, as black on synthetic fabrics always takes multiple washes in hot water before the smell is gone.
I haven’t worn this a ton–it feels like a lot of work to put it on– but I can say it has not caused any rashes on my skin or made me terribly uncomfortable when I did wear it. It has an open gusset in the crotch so you don’t have to take the whole thing off to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t think it was big enough, so I cut out a larger hole so I didn’t even have to think about a little pee getting on there accidentally…ewww! It’s been working out fine.
Bras - Bras are especially tricky if you are highly sensitive and have a larger bust, and/or have a fluctuating cup size due to water retention that comes and goes from MCAS or PMS or whatever. Luckily there are soooo many alternatives to underwire bras that still offer impressive support these days, although it took me a while to find something that worked for me.
My top pick is the Evelyn Bobbie Defy Bra Tank. It is surprisingly supportive and comfortable, and because it is also a cami there is nothing digging into you anywhere, which also creates a very smooth look in back. It’s not tight though, so it doesn’t feel like shapewear and it isn’t going to reduce your measurements in any way–just smooths everything out. It is also OEKO-TEX certified so you don’t have to worry about toxic chemicals.
I don’t think this will be my top pick in the heat of the summer though, as it is still synthetic and I won’t want an extra base layer when it’s really hot. They do have other bras though without the cami, so that’s where I will look next.
For now, I have my merino wool sports bra for the summer months from Merino Ridge. I am not linking it because I am sorry to say they are not carrying this bra anymore. That’s unfortunate because it is hard to find a good supporting merino wool sports bra for larger busts. If you are smaller busted though, there are many merino bras out there to choose from.
Tank top/cami - Speaking of summer, who doesn’t need a tank top or cami in the warmer months? Yummie has a shaping camisole that is surprisingly inexpensive that is made from (somewhat) natural materials (tencel and viscose). This offers mild to medium compression (it would not be medical grade), and I think the more breathable fabrics are going to be a godsend in summer. I’m wearing it right now and I honestly forgot I had it on, which is more than I can say for the really tight synthetic ones I used to sometimes wear when I was younger. Ugh, I just can’t anymore…
If you don’t want or need compression and are smaller busted, Merino Ridge has a merino wool tank with a built-in shelf bra, and merino is my favorite for feeling good against the skin, breathing well, wicking away moisture, repelling odors, etc.
But if you prefer cotton, Pact is always a good choice, and one of the best choices if you are highly sensitive to chemicals as it is certified organic cotton.
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At the end of the day, if I had to come up with my own line of perfect underthings, here’s what I would be looking for:
Comfortable
Non-toxic
Natural materials
Different options for level of support depending on where it is needed most
Smoothing–no weird bulking under the clothes like some medical compression does
Reasonably priced
I do have to say that there are so many more options out there now than even a handful of years ago. Even as I started putting together this article, I came across a company that sounds like it hits most of my bases (although not in terms of price). Cean uses 70% breathable, plant based fibers, is non-toxic, and claims to be ‘Wearable Wellness’ (which is a term I’m still chewing on).
Hmm. I have to admit it almost sounds too good to be true, and it may be. They claim this stuff helps with lymphatic flow, and I’m trying to work out how that could be. Lymph is primarily moved by moving your body. There are also some great lymphatic herbs. Clothes that do this? How does that work exactly? Or is it really just shapewear for women who want an excuse to call it good for their health so they can justify spending the money?
At the same time, I do try to keep an open mind and would be willing to give it a try if they weren’t so danged expensive (their leggings are $138) and I didn’t have so much stuff already. And to be fair, there are a number of reviews on the site from customers with the same health issues we have discussed in this article who are very happy with what they got (although I noticed a lot of people saying to size down for better compression).
So while I’m not going to try out this brand just yet, I do like seeing more options like this coming out. If enough people demand these kinds of features, we can move away from the toxic, plastic-based clothing, and instead wear things that are going to support us and feel comfy rather than stressing us out more by making us sick and jabbing at us all day long. Prices will come down when there is a big enough market to make these kinds of under garments in larger batches, so spend your dollars accordingly!
Arika Rapson is a holistic herbalist, coach and educator writing from Lopez Island in Washington state. Get her posts delivered directly to your inbox by subscribing to her Substack: ArikaRapson.Substack.com