Ever wonder what's the difference between a bikini and a brief? Or how about hipsters vs boyshorts? Here we define different styles of women's underwear, organized from most butt coverage to least.

High-waisted underwear

The best of all worlds in terms of comfort and cut, these undies come up to your navel and hold in your muffin top. You can find high-waisted underwear with less butt coverage, but not at Bloomers!

Control top underwear

Usually worn on special occasions, this shapewear is similar to high-waist underwear in terms of waistline and coverage, but is made of tight spandex fabric designed to hold in your tummy.

Boyshort underwear

Boyshorts have a longer cut on the leg, sit at the hips and provide great butt coverage. While most boyshorts are very comfortable, they are cut almost like shorts, so you do run the risk of panty lines.

Hipster underwear

If boyshorts and a bikini had a baby, it would be hipster panties. Hipsters are similar to boyshorts in terms of waistline, with the same rear coverage as bikinis (which is usually not enough to prevent wedgies).

High-cut underwear

On the plus side, high-cut underwear gives you the appearance of long legs, while covering your rear end. On the minus side, if you haven't waxed in a bit then this type of underwear can be unseemly.

Brief underwear

Classic, comfortable, but rarely sexy, women's briefs are the Goldilocks of the underwear world. If they're too big, they're considered granny panties. If they're too small, they'll pinch your rear and cause panty lines. You need a pair that's just right.

Bikini underwear

Bikini briefs are like the sexier, younger sister to the basic brief. Bikinis sit a little low on the waistline, have a higher leg cut than briefs, and offer less butt coverage, making them more likely to give you a wedgie.

Cheeky underwear

Cheeky underwear is not, as it would suggest, just a marketing term to describe underwear with a sassy personality. Cheeky underwear is similar to a bikini, but with a lower rise and less rear coverage so it shows more of your (butt) cheeks. Definitely a wedgie hazard.

Tanga underwear

Tangas are just inches shy of thongs, with more coverage than a thong but less than a bikini, almost like a beginner's thong. Doesn't really matter either way as the small triangle backing of the tanga is also likely to result in a wedgie.

Thong underwear

Panties you used to wear on date nights many moons ago but have since grown out of, both literally and figuratively. Wearing a thong pretty much guarantees you will have no panty lines, but they're uncomfortable and rarely look good when the pants come off.

G-string underwear

And, at the lowest end of the comfort and butt coverage spectrum, you have the g-string. A triangle attached to a piece of dental floss that is somehow considered to be underwear.