we’re alexandra and johanne, two berlin-based friends who founded avluv because we couldn’t shake two simple questions:

why is there still such a lack of inclusivity in underwear design? and why are gussets* still being designed around an arbitrary vulva measurement that many of us don’t have?

for alex, the question started with a very personal frustration. she was tired of struggling with chafing, flap-flossing, and feeling uncomfortable in her knickers, and annoyed she’d spent so much time and money searching for underwear that both looked good AND with a comfortable fit. 

for johanne, it started differently. she wasn’t the one who had been struggling with underwear in the same way, but when alex told her about it, it opened up a much bigger question: how had something so fundamental to comfort and everyday life been overlooked for so long?

we started looking into it by comparing notes with friends, speaking to other women, going down late night reddit rabbit holes. we found that many people were complaining about the gusset: because it’s often too short and narrow women are experiencing chafing, rubbing, discomfort, flap-flossing*, discharge not landing where it should, constantly adjusting their underwear, and the saddest thing: an overwhelming feeling that their bodies were somehow the problem. we heard from people who avoid certain clothes, activities, intimacy or sports because of underwear discomfort.

we became gusset detectives: we went into berlin stores and measured hundreds of knickers from all kinds of brands and found that the average gusset is around 4,5 cm wide. at the same time women were getting in touch to tell us they wanted measurements much wider than any we had seen in stores, but were tired of having granny pants as the only viable option. they wanted underwear that made them feel “sexy” and “confident”, without having to put up with the discomfort of narrow gussets. 

that’s when we decided to found avluv, to offer an alternative to traditional gusset design and cater for the women the underwear industry has ignored. we want to dismantle the taboos around talking about vulvas and we want to see accurate representation in medical and school textbooks, not only the tucked “innie” most of us have been conditioned to think of as the norm. we want to empower women to see the diversity and beauty of all vulvas, and for them to realize that their body is not the problem, the design is. this matters so much to us that our mission is literally in our name ;)

we are not yet as inclusive as we want to be and we’re working on that. as a self-funded startup, we have to produce in small runs, and are currently not able to offer a wide selection of sizes. as we grow, we’ll be expanding this. 

this is avluv <3 thank you for being here!

*the gusset is the reinforced section in the crotch of underwear. it’s there to provide coverage, absorb moisture, reduce friction and help keep the most sensitive parts of our bodies comfortable.

*flap-flossing is an uncomfortable experience occurring when the gusset is too narrow. The gusset ends up between the labia, resulting in friction and chafing of the vulva.