The sequins are out and the bubbly is on ice - the festive party season is upon us. While we let our hair down after a long year, the last thing we want is to feel anxious about going out. But according to new research from Lil-Lets, we do. And it's all because of our periods.
A third of us would consider missing a party this Christmas - simply because of a lack of confidence when we're on our period. A huge 3 in 4 women (76%) expect their sanitary protection to fail them at some point while they are on their period, and this is reflected in the kind of underwear ladies turn to during their time of the month. In fact, a quarter of us have admitted wearing knickers that are an average of six years old...!
Unsurprisingly, wearing knickers this old and tatty makes us feel unsexy (27% and unfeminine (13%) as a result. And when asked what ladies hate the most about being on their period, worrying about leaking, feeling unable to wear the clothes they normally would and not feeling attractive came out top. Not a great way to feel for a week every month - not least during party seasons.
I wanted to make a stand against these past-it-pants, which is why I helped to design a daring pair of 'period pants' for Lil-Lets, with help from independent lingerie designer Iris London. Lil-Lets is so confident that its tampons that expand all the way around will give women better fit, comfort and great protection on their periods, that we have designed limited edition pairs of knickers that are the opposite of the kind of pants women said they expect to have to wear. Made from white satin and lace and with the hot pink message 'any time of the month' embroidered on the front, these breathable knickers have been designed for comfort and to challenge the idea of the classic 'period pant', encouraging women to move on from their tatty knickers to a gorgeous pair they can wear at any time of the month.
And Lil-Lets is getting in the Christmas spirit this year, giving away 300 pairs of limited edition confidence-boosting knickers to Huffington Post UK readers for free. To get your hands on a free pair, visit www.smartfit.co.uk and use the code LILLETS01 at the checkout. It's time to move on from old undies and get our confidence back this Christmas - whatever the time of the month.