I bought a $26 pair of underwear from Kim Kardashian's SKIMS brand, but my $24 Tommy John boyshorts are still my favorite for everyday wear
- Kim Kardashian West launched the Smooth Essentials collection in April as part of her SKIMS line.
- The collection includes three styles of underwear: a $22 dipped thong, a $24 cheeky brief, and a $26 boyshort.
- Considering how much I love the $24 Cool Cotton Boyshort from Tommy John, I wanted to see how the SKIMS Smooth Essentials Boyshort would compare.
- I loved the smooth finish and how high-waisted the SKIMS boyshort is, but I wasn't a fan of how the underwear kept riding up.
In April, Kim Kardashian West announced the launch of SKIMS' newest collection: Smooth Essentials.
Just three months after launching the Essential Bodysuit collection, Kim Kardashian West's shapewear line SKIMS announced the release of its new Smooth Essentials underwear and tanks.
"The Smooth Essentials collection is designed for an invisible look and feel, with tank and briefs made from silky smooth fabric that clings and molds to your curves. These wardrobe foundations provide everyday luxury, with stretch fabrics laser-cut for a completely seamless finish," a press release shared with Insider stated.
The collection includes a $42 tank, a $22 dipped thong, a $24 cheeky brief, and a $26 boyshort, all of which are available in five colors and come in sizes ranging from XXS to 4X.
Thanks to my previous SKIMS shopping experience, I knew signing up for the waitlist was my best bet.
After previously testing the Essential Bodysuit and the Cozy Collection from SKIMS, I knew that signing up for the Smooth Essentials waitlist would be useful, as it would give me access to shop an hour before the line would be available to the general public.
I decided to go on the website around 11:02 a.m. ET on launch day just to check out the size guide beforehand and realized I was already able to shop the collection. By the time I got my early access email at 11:08, I was already checking out.
I wanted to order the Smooth Essentials Boyshort ($26) in the color Onyx.
I am a big fan of wearing high-waisted underwear because it's comfortable and flattering on my figure.
The Smooth Essentials collection also includes a thong and briefs, but I wanted to see how the SKIMS boyshort would compare to a $24 pair I previously purchased from Tommy John.
I am the kind of girl who normally buys her underwear at TJ Maxx or from Aerie when they are on sale at 10 for $30, so spending $26 on one pair was a splurge for me, and I had high expectations.
Based on the size guide, I decided to order the underwear in a 2X.
I had a tricky time with the SKIMS size guide when I ordered the brand's thong bodysuit in January, and ended up having to return the first one I purchased because it was too small.
Although I'm normally between a size 14 and 16, I decided to go up a size when ordering the Smooth Essentials Boyshort so that I wouldn't run the risk of another SKIMS item not fitting.
My total came to $34 after an $8 shipping fee was added.
SKIMS offers free shipping on domestic orders over $75, but any orders under that price get slapped with an $8 fee. My previous SKIMS purchases have all been over $75, so I was caught off guard when I saw how much I would be paying to ship a single pair of underwear.
A few minutes after completing my purchase, I received an email that my order had gone through.
I was done with my entire purchase in under 5 minutes.
With the pandemic slowing down shipping speeds across multiple fashion brands, I was fully expecting it to take longer than the two to four business days that SKIMS typically asks customers to wait before my item was shipped.
To my surprise, my order was shipped the next day.
It only took four days for the underwear I ordered from SKIMS to arrive.
The packaging was similar to what SKIMS uses to ship its lopsided shapewear shorts.
Since the SKIMS bodysuit I ordered came inside a reusable brown paper bag, I was expecting something similar and was surprised when I saw the packaging for the underwear was the same as the shapewear, complete with the matte paper sleeve decorated with models wearing SKIMS.
I was happy to discover the underwear came packaged in a biodegradable pouch.
I have always been a shopper that despises excessive packaging, so I was content that the bag the underwear came in was made from plants.
The first thing I noticed is how high-waisted the underwear actually is.
At first, I thought the underwear might be too big, but the bonded waistband makes it so that they stretch a tiny bit before adjusting back to your waist size once you have them on.
The Smooth Essentials Boyshort is truly soft to the touch.
According to the product description, the boyshort "is made from breathable, silky stretch fabric that provides invisible support and smoothing."
The underwear felt soft against my skin when I tried it on.
Although I enjoyed how soft the SKIMS underwear is, I found that the boyshort refused to stay in place throughout the day.
As you can see from how the boyshort fits on the model, the style is supposed to come up a bit higher on the butt cheeks. The underwear fit like a glove and felt so smooth to the touch when I first put it on.
As I would walk around my apartment, I found myself picking my wedgie time and time again. It wasn't unbearable, but by the time I got back from walking my dog outside, half of my butt cheeks were out. The product description says the underwear "clings and molds to your curves," but that wasn't really true in my experience.
Given the price, I'd rather skip the SKIMS underwear and buy another pair of my beloved $24 Tommy John boyshorts.
The Tommy John Cool Cotton Boyshort is one of the best pairs of underwear I own. They are soft to the touch, don't ride up throughout the day, and it doesn't matter how many times I throw them in the wash, they are just as pristine as when I first got them.
Not only are these boyshorts $2 cheaper, but Tommy John also offers free shipping on online orders that are $25 or more, which is better than the extra $8 I had to pay to have just one pair of underwear from SKIMS shipped to my apartment.
If you're going to splurge on a pair of underwear that costs more than $20, I suggest shopping from Tommy John, as you'll find options that are comfortable, won't give you a wedgie, and will last for a long time.
- Read more:
- The thong bodysuit from Kim Kardashian's SKIMS line wasn't the most comfortable, but it's a basic that will make you feel sexy
- I spent $140 on Kim Kardashian's fuzzy loungewear items and found out the hard way that they are not easy to wear
- A woman made her own version of a $268 pajama set from Kim Kardashian's brand Skims using a $25 blanket
- Kim Kardashian hinted that there might be SKIMS shapewear for men in the works
READ MORE ARTICLES ON
Get your weekly dose of essential news delivered right to you, plus explore a world of insights with our diverse newsletter subscription options.
- Weekly newsletter
- Uncover the latest in Tech, Finance, Business, and more
- Handpicked web stories, in-depth articles, and expert analyses
Advertisement