I Tried Camila Coelho's Built-In Thong Jeans As An Anti-Thong Person

I not a thong person. I’ve always opted for underwear with more coverage and I only have a couple versions of the stringy style in my lingerie drawer. Save for special occasions, they’ve barely been used.

As a market editor and fashion influencer, I’m always observing new trends, but I tend to shy away from the more revealing styles myself. Much to my dismay, thongs are the star of the fashion lexicon at the moment. Celebs have worn visible thongs under sheer skirts and dresses, hiked up above low-rise jeans, and peeking out of backless dresses.

The trend continues to gain traction and evolve — the latest iteration being pants that have an exposed thong built right in. This design gives the illusion of a thong, but the thong-style waistband is actually part of the pants’ construction. It provides all the lingerie vibes with none of the chafing. Celebs like Kendall Jenner and Julia Fox have been spotted wearing whale-tail trousers, giving the look the cool-girl seal of approval.

I have never shown my undies for the sake of fashion (unless you count a high school wardrobe malfunction involving a teeny-tiny denim skirt), but my curiosity got the best of me when I saw a pair of high-rise thong pants on Revolve. The Camila Coelho-designed style inspired me to try something so outside of my comfort zone.

I reached for exclusively cropped shirting to let the pants star. To run errands around SoHo with my toughest style critic (my mom), I wanted a more casual everyday look. I paired my thong pants with a fuchsia muscle tee from Aritzia, a bright yellow shoulder bag, and comfy sneakers. To my shock and delight, Mom loved them. She told me they remind her of the ‘90s and “dial up Internet.”

In true New York fashion, running errands built-in thong jeans was nowhere near the most unusual thing Manhattanites saw that day. For the most part, I didn’t get any weird comments, but one woman did tell me she thought I should know my underwear was showing.

When I changed later that day to go to a fancy cocktail bar with friends, I tossed on a cotton tube top from Zara, glossy Louboutin pumps, and added an even tinier cropped moto jacket. The look was a hit. I got stopped on the street by a stranger who wanted to buy a pair of her own. And when a total stranger takes the time to compliment your look, you know it’s really good.

An exposed thong (faux or not) felt daring and risqué to me. After putting them on for the first time, I couldn’t help but tug at the thong portion of them, feeling timid about the lingerie-inspired detail. But I was genuinely surprised by how cute I felt with my whale tail exposed. I felt so confident, in fact, that since then, I’ve found myself perusing the internet for a second pair. Who knows, I may even buy a lace thong after this. I’m a whole new woman.