me_irl

Penelope, you are buying underwear with bows. There are plenty without. I assume this is your underwear fashion choice.

For the second comment, if the bow is there to please men and infantilize women, why don't you just buy a pair that doesn't have the bow? I'm all for calling out sexism and over sexualization, but i think this is just a case of capitalism being capitalism. Panties with bows probably just sell better to a significant demographic of women.

To help tell the front from the back in the dark.

It's the tiny handle on the syrup bottle

How do bows infantilize people?

It's called a skeuomorph, a vestigial design element that used to be functional but has evolved to be purely decorative. It's why maple syrup still comes in bottles with those weird little round handles.

So it's a vestigial bow?

Because that little bow leads to better sales

This is something called skeuomorphism. Products that have ornamental design cues from structures that were necessary in it's original design. They employ elements that, while essential to the original object, serve no pragmatic purpose in the new system, except for identification. The bow serves no practical or structural purpose but it's kept there to hark back to the old product before elastic became common.

Theres always an "Eloise".

I like the bow because it helps me identify the front when dressing in the dark.

"To be infantilized by men, which is one of women's fetishes".

I always just assumed it was to quickly identify which way is front Yes theres a stamp to represent the back, but a bow is even quicker to identify. I also figured it was decorative as well.

As for me, im sorry but yes i have always found it as a turn on. No idea why, just who I am and what I like.

Looking broadly at clothes from around the world, there does seem to be a tendency for masculine clothes to be minimalistic, using straight lines and minimal decorative flair, and feminine clothes to have more decorative elements ranging from simple pleating to expansive ruffles and lace, more visible patterns, and more curves, whether as part of the garment or as part of the body shown through the garment.