Bandelettes: The Solution to Summer Inner Thigh Hell

Every summer, women around the world start to dread the humidity. While it does incredible things to hair, it does some really, really, terrible, godawful things to inner thighs.

Walking around a festival or fair for seven hours in high heat and humidity can tear up inner thighs no matter what your weight or dress size – this is just a body thing, not a size thing! And more than that, it’s okay to talk about it.

What is it?

The chafe.
Chaffage.
Chub rub.
Chaff-attack.
Gap chap/Chapped gap (ew at this one, honestly.)

The painful, red, inflamed rash that is produced from the skin-on-skin friction that results from rigorous activities like walking.

There’s no need to be embarrassed that your body parts are really, really close to your other body parts. In fact, that really shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. So if you’ve got the chafe or gap chap, and you want to know what to do about it, let me tell you what I’ve told every other woman who has mentioned it to me in the past:

Bandelettes.

Bandelettes are cute, stretchy, fabric bands that wrap around your thigh like an anti-friction thigh high. One on each leg ensures that, instead of thigh-on-thigh violence, there’s only lace-on-lace splendor. They’re specially designed to stay up, and can be placed exactly where you need them, since every body is different! Silicone lining keeps the Bandelettes in place without tugging or pinching your skin.

There are flashy Bandelettes as well as Bandelettes that are sport-utility quality. Chafing is probably most commonly associated with sports activity, so there are some solid-colored Bandelettes with wide coverage that really just look like bike shorts without the spandex-y restrictions and circulation cut-offs.

…they are always cute, though – no matter which type fits your lifestyle.

Personally, I kind of love the look of little lace “shorts” peeking out from beneath cutoffs or a dress. What I love most about Bandelettes is the way they turn a previously embarrassing and painful problem into a cute and sexy way to accessorize your outfits.

This company is killer, too. They represent realistic body types and a multitude of skin tones so you can see which colors you like best for you. The sport-quality models double as basic, non-lace unisex Bandelettes because ladies aren’t the only ones whose body parts are close together! If there’s a dude in your life who would benefit, pass them the link!

As for the frilly pairs – there are tons of different lace patterns to choose from, and the colors available are white, black, red, beige, and caramel – the latter being my favorite (& not just because they’re on sale).

I like how mustard-y the “Caramel” Lace Bandelettes are. I have extremely white legs, so these would look really rich and pigmented next to my melanin-free skin, haha.

As far as the lace patterns go, having a favorite is really, really difficult. I think I love the big, bold flowers and wide leaves of this black lace pattern, mysteriously titled “Black 1004“:

As for the sizing: if you have thighs that are between 21″ and 32″ around, there is a pair of Bandelettes for you. They range from 5.5″ to 6″ long. Use this instructional video to figure out which size you are, Bandelettes come in sizes A-F based on your thigh circumference.

While I admittedly haven’t actually worn a pair of these, I feel like I’ve recommended them to friends who have loved them enough to know that they’re amazing. As an excellent replacement for summer tights (blech), these are a super saucy and smart way to go.

Find your favorite pair of Bandelettes here!