The Transgender Underwear Project was inspired by a conversation with a peer who is a member of the Transgender community. They provided valuable insight on methods of gender expression and challenges that only Transgender people face day to day. What became clear almost immediately was a huge lack of resources for members of this community, one that represents over 1.4 million people in the United States. This conversation inspired further research, so I took to Reddit and requested the r/asktransgender subreddit group to tell me what they needed to feel sexy, safe, and comfortable. I was overjoyed to find over 500 responses to the post the very next day, which gave me a strong bank of information to begin my market analysis and set some project guidelines. As I carefully reviewed the comments, patterns began to present themselves. I heard a lot from both the MtF (Male-to-Female) and FtM (Female-to-Male) subgroups.

Generally, these two reported lack of undergarments catering to Transgender needs. Furthermore, the undergarments that are already on the market are extremely limited, inaccessible due to high prices and are often apathetic in design, almost trending towards “one-size-fits-all” solutions which are highly problematic and useless, especially for a people with such a wide range of needs. There was an overwhelming number of requests from the FTM community for undergarments compatible with menstruation products, such as pads. Typically, underwear made for cis men (people who are born Male and identify as Male) allow extra room in the genital area in the case of boxers, or lack gussets in other designs. This creates a problem for many transgender men who need a more secure fit, especially during menstruation - which can mean discomfort and anxiety, especially for those who suffer from body dysmorphia.

MTF also had a problem with gusset sizes, as pre-transition women need a wider piece of fabric in the genital area to prevent exposure. Tucking mechanisms were also requested, as tucking can be an unsafe, uncomfortable, and unhygenic process. 

While these proposed solutions in no way cover all of the transgender community’s undergarment needs, they do highlight a hole in the market and suggest a path forward in providing more options. Transgender people already suffer from discrimination, harassment and abuse — more needs to be done to help our trans brothers and sisters to feel safer as they walk about this world.