Designing comfort: inside the making of the Essential Tucking Thong

Els studied Interior Architecture, but realised she wanted to work more with her hands.

That led her to evening classes in lingerie and corset design, where she learned how technical intimatewear really is: seams, tension, stretch, support, structure.

Later, while working in lingerie, she saw how the right piece could change someone’s mood and confidence almost instantly.

“I saw first-hand how good lingerie can change someone’s mood and confidence.”

After five years in lingerie product development for a Belgian brand, Els stepped away from that company, but not from lingerie. She kept designing for herself and friends, creating pieces and exploring the craft for the love of it.

Then Vicky Baey came along.

When Els first heard about the Essential Tucking Thong, she immediately understood that this was not a standard lingerie project.

The product had to do more than ordinary underwear.

It needed to support. It needed to help create a flatter front. It needed to move with the body. It needed to feel soft, secure and feminine.

And it had to be designed for trans women from the beginning.

For Els, that challenge made the project meaningful. There was a real need behind the product, and a chance to create something intentionally designed rather than simply adapted.

That made saying yes easy.

One of the biggest design challenges was finding the right balance between support, a smoother front and everyday wearability.

With tucking underwear, support matters.

But support cannot just mean making the garment smaller or tighter.

The question was: How do we create hold without harshness?

“Comfort and security came first. That was the first demand.”

The Essential Tucking Thong was never meant to be a basic thong with one extra feature added. It needed to be something more considered: a piece made specifically for trans women, with both function and femininity in mind.

The V shape of Vicky Baey inspired the crossed lines in the design, including a subtle V detail at the back.

A quiet signature.

Because this was always meant to feel like lingerie, not a technical garment someone had to tolerate.

The most complex part of the thong was the front.

That is where support, coverage, curve, fabric tension and comfort all had to work together.

Els worked on a curved design that could provide structure while still feeling elegant. The cut also shows more skin than a more conservative support garment might.

That choice required trust.

Trust in the design. Trust in the wearer. Trust that trans women deserve underwear that feels confident and feminine, not hidden away or apologetic.

“The front was the part I struggled with most, because it had to bring support and still feel unique.”

The goal was never to hide the body. The goal was to support it beautifully.

A few millimetres can change how underwear sits. One layer can affect both comfort and support. A line that looks right in a sketch can behave differently on a real body after several hours.

That is why fittings mattered so much.

We worked with different trans women, different body types and different proportions. Some travelled from Liège to Brussels for a short fitting because they believed in the story and in what we were trying to build.

That stayed with Els.

“It was inspiring to see how motivated the fitting models were. Some came all the way for a ten-minute fitting because they believed in the story.”

It reminded all of us that this was not just product development. It was community development.

The first version was not the final one.

We reviewed the front support. We adjusted the shape. We studied how the fabric behaved on the body. We discussed comfort, movement, hold and finish.

The product was shaped by fittings, detailed feedback and the trans women who helped us understand what everyday comfort really means.

“From the first fitting, I already felt proud of the design. After that, we went into every detail.”

Because no sketch can replace lived experience.

The Essential Tucking Thong uses a soft Italian fabric composed of 82% recycled nylon and 18% elastane, with a cotton inner layer for comfort and breathability.

The outside fabric needed to be supportive, smooth and elastic enough to move with the body.

For Els, stretch and recovery were essential.

Support without stiffness. Softness without losing hold. A clean look without unnecessary bulk.

“It was a balance between support and the look of it. The fabric had to be firm enough, but still comfortable.”

Fabric choice was not only about appearance. It was part of the engineering.

When Els looks at the finished Essential Tucking Thong, she hopes the wearer feels confident.

But not in a loud way.

She hopes they feel like themselves.

Supported enough to move through the day. Comfortable enough to stop thinking about their underwear. Free enough to work, walk, dance, travel, sit, dress and live.

“I hope the wearer feels confident, like themselves, and supported in their daily routine.”

That has always been the point.

Not underwear that demands attention. Underwear that quietly makes daily life easier.

Vicky Baey was not created around an abstract market opportunity.

It was created around a real need: tucking underwear that feels secure, flat, feminine and genuinely comfortable enough for everyday wear.

The Essential Tucking Thong is designed in Belgium and handmade in Portugal.

It was developed with a Belgian lingerie designer, refined through fittings and tested with trans women.

Because beautiful tucking underwear can be more than compression.

It can be softer. More thoughtful. More feminine. More wearable. More ours.

“It felt like an authentic collaboration. We all brought our own expertise and input, and that made it possible.”

And this is only the beginning.