Many professional and rural women have liberated themselves from the colonial trappings of underwear. Many studies are reporting a high number of women wearing off underwear, aka “going commando.”
The caveat here is that most studies are consumer surveys, stating preferences, and at times practice. However, occasional preference studies show that somewhere between 25% -37% of women participants in such studies prefer occasional going commando. Another caveat is that most of these studies are conducted in Western countries.
Similar consumer studies about women’s intimate apparel have been conducted in Ghana and RSA. Their focus was on preference vs. access. However, the studies in RSA found a shift in consumer preference, especially among the younger generation, shifting towards minimalist undergarments such as string and ropes. The Ghana study established that social-cultural force remains a key driver of preference and consumer behaviors.
Feminist scholars across Africa objects to such consumer studies as being too intrusive and extending the commercialization and commodification of females’ bodies beyond the traditional markets. Nonetheless, Women bodies remain the most commercializedand marketing. From creams, to accessorize, to public display and social definition of beauty.
Similar studies and attention have eluded men.
