Hanky Panky Lingerie: A Shopper's Guide

One handkerchief became a bra-and-panty set, and one gift became a business, which is the kind of origin story I will always stop for. In 1977 in New York, designer Gale Epstein made the set for her friend Lida Orzeck from embroidered cotton handkerchiefs. The brand's own history frames it as a Victorian-era hanky given a new purpose. Epstein had the eye for unusual materials, and Orzeck, who was a psychology researcher before she became CEO, had the instinct to turn something handmade into an idea women could live in. That career pivot is one I cannot stop thinking about.

Then the thong changed the scale of the story. The original 4811 arrived in 1986, with stretch lace at the center and comfort as the design challenge. It was an everyday solution and not an occasion piece, and Signature Lace became a daily favorite in the years that followed. The range still orbits that promise: packable Low Rise Thongs, retro shapes, cotton options and sets.

There is a new owner now. Crown Brands Group acquired Hanky Panky in December 2025, and Epstein and Orzeck remain on its board. I like that the next stage has scale while the founding point of view still has a seat at the table.

I think of the low-rise thong as Hanky Panky's signature sentence. The Signature Lace Low Rise Thong 5 Pack and Low Rise Thong 3 Pack make that familiar cut an everyday repeat, while the Open Gusset Brief and Open Gusset Retro Thong bring different coverage and a more vintage line. Low Rise Thong and Signature Low Rise Thong are the single-pair versions, and the Retro Thong and Open Retro Thong lean into the fuller retro shape.

The range wanders without leaving lace behind. The Signature Lace Leakproof Original Rise Thong gives the icon a different use, and the Supima®Cotton Low-Rise Thong takes the material somewhere softer and more casual. Picture her choosing the five-pack in a color mix, then letting the line disappear under a simple skirt. My tip: decide on rise and coverage before color, because the waistband is the part you feel all day.

Beyond the signature shape, this is where the lace-and-comfort idea turns into sets and layers. The Low Rise Thong Boxed Set, Pack of 12, Signature Lace Original Rise Thongs, Set of 3 and Supima®Cotton Original-Rise Thongs, Set of 3 give a drawer rotation different textures. For a softer silhouette, the Boyshort, Signature Lace Boyshort and DreamEase Boyshorts stand in for a thong, and Breathe Hirse Thongs, Set of 3 adds another multi-pack.

The Signature Short Sleeve Lace Top and Drawstring Short are the easy pieces I would wear at home or under an open shirt. Body High Rise Bike Shorts and the Underwire One Piece Swimsuit carry the collection into movement and water. Picture her pulling on the lace top beneath a loose blazer, or packing the one-piece before a trip. What I would skip: sorting by fabric alone, since these are really about how you plan to use them.

I keep returning to Hanky Panky's odd little origin: a handkerchief turned into lingerie by someone who saw more in it than its original purpose. That story gives the lace a context, and the 1986 thong gave the brand a shape people recognize. I do not need every piece to carry a big idea, but I like a label that can hold comfort and a little mischief without losing the thread back to its founders. Although I admit the handkerchief is still my favorite part. I went deeper on a related idea in Cou Cou Intimates Lingerie: A Shopper's Guide.