It began with a hanky.
Parsons-trained designer, Gale Epstein, had long been repurposing vintage clothing for her Recycled by Gale line when, in 1977, her unconventional eye landed on embroidered cotton handkerchiefs. Making a bra-and-bikini set for her friend Lida Orzeck, she was intrigued by the idea of turning the modest Victorian-era fabric into a more empowering statement.
Orzeck saw an opportunity in her beautifully tailored gift. As did Lord & Taylor’s Buyer, placing an order of 144 sets. And the rest, as they say, is history – quite literally, an original version of the set lives in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection.
The thong that started a thing.
In the early '80s the thong was an underwear outsider. Seen as risqué, only determined wearers could tolerate the discomfort. But with the advent of stretch jeans, women wanted a visible panty line solution not compromise.
In 1986, Hanky Panky changed underwear history by inventing a thong that achieved the unimaginable; it could not be felt. In 2004, when the WSJ called our patented signature fabric 'lace butter', a legend began. We now sell one thong, on average, every 10 seconds across the world.
Fiercely faithfulIn nearly half a century of crafting lingerie, through new styles, fabrics and every color imaginable, some things have never changed. Our stitch count stays sky high. Our fit obsession remains obsessive. And we’re still meticulous about every stitch, every seam and every rose in our lace.
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