I first fell in love with Thinx when I saw their cheeky ads staring down at me on the subway. The quirky imagery featuring egg yolks and fruit and the simple but obvious "underwear for women with periods tagline" made me feel like this product was one I absolutely had to try. I've always felt that periods were something that were unnecessarily shrouded in mystery and shame. Even adult friends of mine are embarrassed to be seen carrying tampons or pads, as if those little wads of cotton wrapped in plastic packaging are worse than a scarlet letter. I've worn Thinx as a backup on heavier days, and solo on lighter days for my last 3 cycles, and I make it a point to announce to all my friends that I've been freebleeding, and force them to check out my stain free butt.
Thinx has found a way to disrupt an industry that was begging for it. As the company's CEO put it perfectly, it's shocking that in "a $15 billion category, there's only been 3 major innovations in the entire 20th century: tampons, pads, and menstrual cups." Shocking considering menstruation affects nearly half of the adult population globally. The company is even working on new product lines for "women who tinkle" and to "help the world poop better." These are women on a mission!
As a fashion obsessive and semi tech nerd, I'm wondering what they will tackle next. Their textiles are a perfect combination of high-tech materials, and beautiful design, so the possibilities really are endless. I'm imagining period friendly swimwear or bras that eliminate the need for nursing pads. Maybe even stick on bras or pasties that actually stay put, for the women like me who love to go backless? After all, we deserve better than silicone chicken cutlets that don't stand up to the slightest bit of sweat.
