What's in a word - is all underwear lingerie?

Who Made Your pants? is very clear about what we're about. We're about amazing Pants and amazing women. We turn perfect fabrics left over from big factories into gorgeous new pants, and jobs for women.

We are very clear that our Pants are, first and foremost, for YOU to feel comfortable and happy and fab in. We like our Pants to look good - we like them to look fun and to make you smile and we do love a hot pink gusset - but they are emphatically made with your comfort and your experience of wearing them in mind, rather than with the idea that they are there for someone else to look at you in.

And so we come onto words. Words are important. We make Pants. Not knickers, Absolutely not - never ever ever - panties. Pants. Practical useful, every day, wash 'em a hundred and twenty times, wear them to work, to go for a bike ride or a run in them, Pants. Pretty, comfortable underwear. Pants.

For me, the word lingerie means - or at least has come to mean - something else. It means 'underwear for being sexy in'. And that, to us, always feels like it's about someone else.

And that's fine. It's totally fine. Sexytime is normal and human and dandy. But all the time? Do we, all of us, want to be sexy ALL THE TIME? That sounds EXHAUSTING. Having to be perpetually prepared to unleash the eyeleashes and pout. Having to be perpetually aware of other people (and let's be honest - this is often about male gaze stuff) assessing, judging. Always having to be ready to receive attention, advances.

In shops, department stores and even online (as i was writing this I checked two well known high street department stores websites) there is no department called Women's Underwear. Men can buy search for and find a category of clothing called ‘Underwear’. Women are only given the option to look at ‘Lingerie’. Words are important. What does that tell our subconscious minds about what women's underwear is? What is it for? Who is it for? Pants should have the power to make us feel like our very best independent selves. Lingerie is a loaded word, it's underwear that suggests we're sexual before we're anything else, as soon as we put it on in the morning.

It feels to me that the word lingerie is another part of the assembled rules of Woman which say that women have to always be sexy, beautiful, pleasing to the eyes of others rather than comfortable and cheered. It doesn't feel often that it's about the woman inside the garment.

Our Pants are 'underwear for dealing with spreadsheets in' or 'underwear for commuting in' or 'underwear for just being a woman who has a life and is just getting on with things'. For us Pants are just clothes - we need to wear them (well, most of us do) so they might as well be lovely.

We genuinely believe every day should be a Good Pants Day. - for you and the women making your Pants. If your Pants help you feel happy, comfortable - or even sexy when that's what YOU want ALL HAIL THE PANTS. But if you just want some great Pants for YOU - with the added bonus that they make work for other women too. Well, you know where to come. Send your friends.