With ever-changing trends in fashion and unrealistic standards of beauty thrust in front of women on every platform, it’s no wonder that so many still struggle with self-esteem and body confidence. Shapewear has become an increasingly popular solution to ‘control’ the curves of women all over the world.

While shapewear can be a great asset for many women, Susie Taaffe, the founder of Skanties, has taken a fresh approach to achieve body confidence. In a category where shapewear brands market the ‘desirable’ outcome of squeezing and compressing bodies into restrictive, torture chambers, Susie says she wanted a better everyday solution for muffin tops, thigh chafing and peeking panty lines; prompting the launch of her ‘second skin’ underwear collection, Skanties.

“There is a lot of talk about fashion being comfortable and easy these days, but why is it that when it comes to undergarments, we are still supposed to suck in our stomachs, tuck in our love handles and contort our bodies into shapes that are anything but comfortable?” Susie asks. “We deserve a comfortable solution that celebrates our curves yet lets our bodies breathe.”

Starting her career as an engineer, Susie has always been interested in finding ways to do things differently and make them better and like a lot of entrepreneurs, she loves exploring solutions to everyday problems she sees in the world. As a mom of three with a changing body and demanding work-life, finding the perfect pair of underwear that was functional, comfortable and flattering became a mission. When she couldn’t find any everyday solutions, she decided to create her own.

Skanties deliver a unique panty design that removes the uncomfortable shapewear offerings of the past. Instead of trying to compress and change your shape, Skanties are flexible and adaptable to move with your curves, just like a second skin. Creatively engineered to eliminate muffin tops, thigh chafing, and pesky panty lines while feeling like you are wearing absolutely nothing.

Susie is an advocate for body confidence and one problem she wanted to tackle head-on was thigh chafing. An ugly phrase, but a very real problem. Chafe, better known as ‘Chub Rub’ is both painful AND shameful and most average women will experience it. She decided to ‘lift the skirt’ on this issue and is passionate about removing the shame from women’s lives.

Unlike shapewear brands that rely on compression to create the illusion of a slimmer silhouette, Susie had the opposite vision. She wanted to provide support without constricting the natural curves, like a second skin. Skanties have a flexible and adaptable design that feels amazing and supports women with their forever-changing bodies – a hormonal roller coaster! They are also excellent as recovery support for surgeries, IVF, ostomy bags, post caesarean or childbirth.

Susie is on a mission to put the fun back in functional. Inspired by bold and classy personalities, Skanties have become a favorite amongst women of all shapes and sizes who were looking for fun, comfortable and figure-flattering solutions.

Susie’s ultimate goal is to help women love their bodies, no matter what shape or size they are! The brand is breaking the common stigma that women need to manipulate their bodies with the help of shapewear in order to be beautiful and confident. “We all come in with our own unique curves, so why not celebrate that? There is no one size fits all when it comes to fashion or anything else in life, so why should underwear be any different?”

Harboring the strong belief this invention was needed by women, Susie worked tirelessly to bring her vision of body-positive designs to life. With a team of passionate and dedicated individuals who truly believe that all women are beautiful, Skanties is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

A passionate advocate for body confidence, Susie was recently featured by the NYC Journal as one of the Top 30 Personalities Disrupting the Fashion Industry In 2022. Aimed at steering her brand in the multibillion-dollar industry by kicking out the conventions and inadequacy of “shapewear,” she has been constantly on the floor addressing the issues around body shaming and the lack of confidence that is often associated with it. Her mission from these platforms like @skanties is to reach a larger community and to focus on the importance of having open conversations about our bodies and how we feel in them.

Thanks to her extensive experience in the field of designing, manufacturing, and wholesaling maternity clothing, she knows what a winning company looks like! It’s built on the foundation of community, people, and a firm vision that is supported by strong values.

“My experience with shapewear and its related problems has been a huge motivator for me to understand what I really want to do. I’m not the first person to design underwear and I’m not the first person to talk about body positivity, but I’m always on the move to align these concepts together because they mean so much to me and my own body.”

In a world that’s constantly telling us to change, it’s refreshing to see a brand that is encouraging women to love themselves more, enjoy the comfort they deserve and still look fabulous.