Tommy John women's underwear review 2023: Air and Second Skin collection

For 10 years, apparel brand Tommy John has produced the underwear, undershirts, and loungewear that guys can't get enough of. Though the company has primarily focused on growing its men's business from a simple undershirt to a whole line of clothing, it's been fielding requests for women's underwear since its launch.

The number of requests kept growing, but co-founder Erin Fujimoto says that the real turning point was seeing a Facebook photo from a woman wearing Tommy John boxer briefs, with the caption, "Tommy John underwear is the most comfortable underwear I've ever worn."

Fujimoto told Business Insider:

The fact that this woman was saying she couldn't find a pair of underwear that fit her better and was more comfortable than our men's boxer briefs really stuck with me. Clearly there was a hole in the market for comfortable, functional underwear that was designed to solve the unique problems women face. I knew then that we had to design something for her.

The 3 F's — fabric, fit, and function — have dictated the company's approach to men's undershirts, underwear, and other apparel, and the strategy was no different for solving the problems women face with their underwear.

According to Fujimoto, it took two years of extensive research, development, and trials to get it right. As a busy working mother, she values function and comfort, and she personally wore every single prototype manufactured to ensure that it solved for bunching, rolling, and visible panty lines.

Second Skin is a soft, micro-modal fabric that comes in four styles: Thong, Cheeky, Brief, and Boyshort. This proprietary fabric doesn't pill and continues to look new even after many wash and wears, a just-short-of-magical trick that Fujimoto says is accomplished by singeing the fine micro-modal fibers together to prevent little balls from appearing.

The underwear couldn't have received warmer welcomes from our team. We went in with biases about what traditional women's underwear is and came out wondering why we ever put up with that lackluster standard.

We received pairs of this new underwear to test. We've been jealous of all the great underwear the men on our team have been enjoying, and now that we're getting our moment, here are our thoughts.

Malarie Gokey, Insider Picks senior editor:

All too often, women's underwear is designed to be sexy instead of comfortable. Tommy John made a name for itself by creating supremely comfortable underwear for men that needs no adjustments, and that philosophy has translated perfectly to Tommy John's underwear for women.

The Air material is an ultra-light, mesh, anti-microbial stretch fabric with seamless, bonded edges that promise no visible panty lines and comes in three styles: Thong, Cheeky, and Brief.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Second Skin Brief is the most comfortable pair of underwear I've ever worn. The breathable material is silky soft, the wide elastic waistband is smooth, and there is actually enough fabric to give full coverage everywhere you need it. I didn't have to make any adjustments during the day, either.

Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter:

I used to buy into the idea that women's underwear had to be at least a little uncomfortable, but after discovering MeUndies, Everlane's new Supima cotton underwear, and now Tommy John's, I realize how ridiculous that idea is.

I tried the Second Skin Brief and Air Thong and both were a noticeable upgrade from my previous go-tos. Both materials feel slightly more technical (which might closely resemble the feeling of 'smoother') than cotton. The Air is feather-light and gives you that no-feel feeling as promised, and the Second Skin material feels cool and silky to the touch. I loved both, but given the total 'airiness' of the Air line, I'll probably be grabbing a couple more of those styles in the future.

Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter:

For me, the Air Thong and Second Skin Cheeky have joined the first tier of my underwear drawer. I believe underwear collections exist in layers — the first tier that you wear every week, the second tier of somewhat flawed models, and the third tier of last resorts. Tommy John's definitely deserves its place in the coveted first line because I'm already looking forward to the next time I get to wear the Second Skin pair.

Micro-modal is one of my favorite fabrics because of how soft and comfortable it is, and in underwear form is where it shines. The wide waistband didn't dig into or squeeze my skin at all. There's a generous amount of fabric in the Cheeky, which usually lends the risk of bunching and shifting, but it wasn't until I got home and thought about it did I realize I didn't have to awkwardly adjust my underwear the entire day.

Meanwhile, the Air Thong was lightweight and felt barely there. Certain outfits dictate wearing a thong, often prompting women to give up on wearing the outfit altogether for fear of how uncomfortable the thong will be. Thanks to great designs like Tommy John's and Everlane's, I've gotten over this fear and have a new appreciation for this low-profile style.

The bottom line

We waited a decade for Tommy John women's underwear, which takes everything great about the men's underwear and tweaks it for the cuts and colors women love. Ranging in price from $20 to $32, the styles are a little pricier than your average underwear brand's, but if our reviews are any indication, they are completely worth the investment.