I’ve been wearing men’s thong underwear for many years and by now, I’m able to tell which styles, brands, and sizes will be appropriate for my body type. However, I’ve noticed some inconsistencies between manufacturers with regard to their size charts. I’m hoping that this post can help to clear up some information and be helpful for those who are selecting their thong underwear.
For reference, I’m about 5’7” tall and about 153 pounds and I’m fairly muscular and athletic. When buying pants, I usually take a size 31” or 32” waist depending upon the manufacturer. This should be fairly straightforward information to assist with purchasing thong underwear based on size charts, but unfortunately it isn’t.
Not every manufacturer of men’s thongs interprets and distributes size charts the same, and that can be quite confusing. This isn’t just limited to thong underwear. This can also apply to pants, shirts, and anything else. Women have been going through this for many years, and I suppose it’s now time for guys to experience the same thing. I can only presume that this is partially motivated by manufacturers manipulating the size charts to help consumers feel better about being able to select a smaller size than they’re accustomed to, thus feeding their ego to be able to feel good about suddenly wearing one size down from what they normally wear. Unfortunately, this is a flawed concept as in the end, it only makes for more unhappy customers who will ultimately wind up wearing their regular size.
I discovered this recently when purchasing several pairs of thong underwear from Jockey, specifically the Jockey Sport Stability Pouch Microfiber Thong. While the actual thongs are extremely comfortable, stylish, and durable, Jockey’s size chart was incredibly misleading. I normally wear a size large in just about any thong. According to Jockey’s size chart, a large corresponds to a 36” to 38” waist. As my waist is around a size 31” or 32”, it seemed logical that I should order a medium given that the size chart shows that a size 32” to 34” waist would take a size medium, so that’s what I ordered. Sure enough, the medium, while reasonably comfortable, proved to be much too small after wearing the thong for a whole day. I then tried a large and it fit absolutely perfectly. I’ve since purchased three more pairs of this thong and absolutely love it, so no complaints there. This has happened with several other thongs, including the Jack Adams Filament Thong. I initially purchased it in a medium per the manufacturer’s size chart, but have since discovered that the Jack Adams size large fits me perfectly.
By contrast, I once tried a multipack of off-brand thongs that I purchased off of Amazon only to discover that when using their size chart, I wound up with a pack of comically oversized thongs.
I’ve since decided to stick with the size that fits me best, which is a large. I’ve discovered that regardless of what the manufacturer’s size chart indicates, I will always take a large. If that doesn’t fit right, then the issue is more likely with the cut of the thong rather than the actual sizing. When reading a size chart, if I notice that the waist measurements seem to be far off from what I’m accustomed to seeing or if it appears that I would wear an “in-between” size, I will usually pass on that brand for fear of wasting money on a thong that will be unwearable.
My recommendation based on my personal experience is to opt only for thong underwear with a sizing chart that aligns with most of the other garments you wear. If you normally wear a size large in underwear and your waist size falls squarely in the range indicated in the manufacturer’s size chart, then go for the large. If the indicated waist sizes don’t align with the measurements you’re accustomed to seeing, then either pass on that style or accept that there’s at least a 50% chance you’ll experience some fit issues. If this happens and you find yourself in between sizes, always size up rather than down. I’ve also found that the major more well known brands such as Jockey and Calvin Klein tend to have more standardized sizing than smaller boutique brands. If you’re purchasing a thong from one of the larger more well known manufacturers, ignore the size chart and go with the size you normally wear.
It took several years of trial and error as well as uncomfortable experiences with tight thong underwear to learn how to gauge which size to purchase for the best fit. You may need to experiment with sizing a bit too, but hopefully this guide will help you to choose more accurately and with fewer returns as well.
