Underwear Thesis: Felina Review
Underwear you can buy next to a rotisserie chicken.
A big part of why I launched the Underwear Thesis is to find underwear that’s well-made, but also affordable. So when lots of people recommended I check out Felina underwear, I knew it would be a great opportunity. If you’re unfamiliar, Felina is sold at Costco as well as directly from the brand. For the purposes of my highly scientific research, I chose to focus solely on the two styles I found at Costco. Let’s begin!
Quick note: this is based on my original blog post written in 2022. Updates have been made & I am sharing the review here to create the ultimate Underwear Thesis forum for you!
My Totally Unfiltered Review of Felina Underwear
Styles Tried and Price
Felina Ladies’ Organic Cotton Stretch Bikini, size large – $16 for 1, $35 for a 6-pack
Felina Ladies’ Cotton Stretch Hipster, size medium – $16 for 1, $50 for a 6-pack
I opted for large in the bikini because there were no mediums for sale at my Costco store.
Fabric Quality + Details
Grade: B+
Given the price of the underwear, the fabric is pretty nice! It’s soft like a t-shirt and not too bulky. Just a really good basic cotton! Both cuts had a good amount of stretch and then bounce back to shape. The bikini style has a thin elastic at the waist and leg openings that’s reasonably soft and doesn’t dig in. It actually digs in less than the Auden elastic. If you’re looking for the most stretchiness, I recommend the bikini.
As for the hipster style, there is no exposed elastic trim. Instead, the waist band is made of the same fabric that seems to be bonded to itself and then stitched down. It’s really wide, which I don’t love because it definitely cuts in, creating muffin tops. As for the leg openings, there’s a thin elastic that’s similar to that used on the bikini style.
Manufacturing Quality
Grade: B-
Each pair of Felina is made well enough considering that they are essentially a fast fashion item. There are loose threads and some areas of loose stitching. But in my mind, that is to be expected given the price and brand.
Ethical Practices and Sustainability
Grade: D
I mean… there is literally ZERO mention of Felina’s manufacturing processes aside from “Made in Thailand” which is synonymous with ‘sweatshop’ in my mind, to be perfectly frank.
In terms of sustainability, I think Felina puts a lot of stock in using 91% organic cotton and plant-based dyes and assumes that’s enough. But let’s be real: that’s just green washing. If you care in the slightest about the environmental impact of the underwear you buy, this isn’t the brand for you.
Inclusivity
Grade: D
Felina strikes out again! Not only does the product photography show zero diversity in skin tone, the size range offered is Small through 2XL for the organic cotton briefs and XS – 2XL for the hipsters. It’s 2025, we need to expect more from these brands!
Washability
Grade: D
For the first few months, my Felina underwear washed very well. And then I pulled out a mangled pair from the washer… what on earth happened?! Mind you, they have not gone through a single dryer cycle and were always air dried! So far this has only happened with one pair. But is it a matter of time until the others are ruined, too?
Fit and Comfort
Grade: B+
Honestly, both pairs of Felina underwear are pretty darn comfortable. They are great basic, boring cotton underwear that does it’s job with zero frills. The coverage is exactly what I want and the seams don’t dig in. I don’t love the wide band on the hipster style because it does cut in, but that could be because they are a size medium instead of large.
I give them a B+ because the gusset seems to be sewn sort of far back. I would prefer it to be further forward.
Overall thoughts
Grade: C
I really struggled to assign an overall letter grade to these Felina underwear styles. On one hand, I really dislike the greenwashing, lack of ethical manufacturing, and slim size range. But on the other hand, they are comfortable and affordable! I also just find them to be really, really comfortable — especially the organic cotton bikinis.
Will I continue to wear them? Yes. Will I buy more? Probably not.
What do you think of my Felina review??? And if you’re a Felina fan (or not…), leave a comment and let me know your opinion. I’d love to hear!