Not too long ago, if someone said the words ‘period’ and ‘panties’ in succession, I would have imagined something along the lines of those big ol’ knickers from Bridget Jones’ Diary – a big, practical pair that most menstruators own and whip out at ‘that time of the month’ for extra comfort and protection.
But now, period panties have become something else entirely.
Basically, it’s a combination of panties and leak-proof component that acts as a menstrual pad, which is sewn in the underwear itself, resulting in a more seamless appearance.
A number of companies making these magical menstrual panties have cropped up in recent years, and UK-based WUKA Wear (short for Wake Up and Kick Ass) is yet another one of these companies offering a more eco-friendly feminine hygiene product, which we were eager to try.
Made out of a dark-coloured soft, breathable fabric, WUKA looks like any regular pair of panties at first glance. But at the crotch, beneath the moisture-wicking top layer are several layers of menstrual protection: an absorbent and anti-bacterial layer that takes and traps in bloody outflow, and which can hold up to 4 tampons (or 20 millilitres) worth of blood.
The washable pants which could be worn up to 8 – 11 hours, are even said to last for up to two years, and could save women thousands of ringgits over a lifetime.
WUKA has been successfully crowdfunded via Kickstarter; each pair costs £29.99 retail (USD $41, with free shipping to UK), but they are still taking pre-orders at a discount of £25 (or USD $34, free UK shipping, and there’s a discount of 33% off for orders of 5 pairs) until the second week of March, 2018.
To find out more information or pre-order, visit WUKA Wear.
