Women’s Underwear: Some are pretty, some are slinky, black and lacy. Others are solid, strong and structured. Some are playful, some are plain…and then there are those that are the ugly ducklings. I’m talking about panties ladies and gents. Yeap. Panties, underwear, knickers- whatever you call them – young women like myself have a wide variety of panties. In addition to having our staples and cute pairs, we also have our period pairs of underwear.  The dreaded Granny Panties….

Alright gentlemen, now that you’re officially scared, it’s time to probably visit a different blog post. I’d recommend checking out this one, or this one, or this one.  
Back to business: okay ladies, lets talk underwear.
There are two main obstacles when it comes to underwear in my books. My period, and my newest friend – urinary incontinence.
1. My period.. My dear old Aunt Flow.
Having my period sucks, no matter what, but in addition to having cramps, being bloated, irritable, and feeling downright lousy, I have to worry about my underwear. I’ve always go on a hunt when my period starts, where I rummage through my closet (which we all know is the seventh gate to hell,) looking for my most boring full coverage pair that I can find.  Often I emerge with the only reasonable non-thong pair, and I walk out of my closet as if my panties were walking The Green Mile. 
“Dead man walking!” I want to shout, because I know those panties won’t ever be seen in the same light again.  They could be injured in the line of fire that day, and forever be stowed away in the “granny panty” section of my underwear drawer. Disgraced, and treated like something from The Island of Misfit Toys.
2. PostPartum Urinary Incontinence  
I wish I had been a bit more warned about this issue before I had my tiny baby. I’ll be writing a more informative blog post about this topic in the near future, but suffice it to say, I was wearing adult diapers after I had my son because I was peeing myself. Glamourous, I know.  I could tell you which adult diapers were slimmer, or felt more comfortable than others. I even had diaper rash. Super glamourous….
Now you know why I wore sweatpants so often during my first few weeks after giving birth. It was to hide my adult diapers.
Months went by, and I still had issues with leaking. I would wear sanitary pads on a daily basis, not because of a period, but because of pee. I grew increasingly frustrated, and ended up going to physical therapy for urinary incontinence.  
Now, almost a year later, I’m about 90% better, but there are still a few “surprises” now and again.  Like when I sneeze really hard….
So how can a young professional woman like myself deal with these two annoying issues?  Well, we can wear sanitary pads day in and day out, along with our ugly grandma period panties. Or we can take charge of our bodies, and turn the situation around.
I know I have.
I’ve started wearing Dear Kate Underwear. 
Dear Kate is founded and run by the ever talented, Julie Sygiel, who I met in Rhode Island after she had graduated from Brown University. While she was studying chemical engineering, Julie created Dear Kate underwear as a school project. Since then, the product has taken off, and Dear Kate is now housed out of NYC.
Dear Kate offers a variety of styles, cuts and colors – all of which are cute and modern – nothing like my grandma panties!  The coolest part about these panties is that the revolutionary fabric has three breathable layers that prevent staining and provide leakage protection. 

The panties are perfect for those who tinkle a bit throughout the day (ahem, like when I laugh too much) or for those super flow days of your period.  They are not meant to take the place of tampons or sanitary pads – but will offer extra leakage support and style as well as the fact that they won’t stain!  You CAN look cute when you have your period!
Dear Kate panties offer either a mini lining (can hold up to one teaspoon of liquid) and the full lining ( which holds up to three teaspoons of liquid) 
I have both the Margot Brief Full and can tell you that I have been worry free each time I’ve worn it! 
Am I ashamed that I pee myself from time to time? 
Nope. 
Truth is, one in three women experience urinary incontinence for five or more years after childbirth. It’s like saying I have allergies or sleep on my side at night. 
The reasons I may leak are sneezing, coughing, laughing and picking up my tiny baby and working out (they even have an athletic collection!)
Urinary incontinence isn’t just for new moms. It is also super common among women who are aging. Pregnant women, who have added pressure on their bladder, may also leak from time to time.  So between periods and peeing oneself, it seems like a lot of ladies could be using Dear Kate!
Dear Kate products are a bit pricy – averaging around $30 a pair, but you need to keep in mind that these are special underwear.  They will keep you dry, will not stain, and could quite possibly become your favorite pair of underwear that you own.  They are easy to wash and can just be tossed into the wash – just skip the fabric softener and dryer sheets.  The company also has an awesome guarantee – if you’re unhappy with their panties or if they do not fit right – they will replace your purchase for any reason.  Dear Kate products are made right here, in the USA, and all US orders and returns get free shipping!
I think these would be an awesome baby shower gift or new mom present.  I traditionally like to bring a new mom Padsicles, an inflatable donut, lasagna — and now I’ll add a pair of Dear Kates!  
Can’t wait to try on your own pair of Dear Kates’? I know I sure can’t. While writing this post I just went and purchased 2 more pairs for myself! 
If you’d like to purchase Dear Kate – just visit their website http://www.dearkates.com, and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter!
Disclaimer – I received a pair of Dear Kate underwear to review. All opinions are my own, and I honestly couldn’t be happier with this product!