Typical components include a waistband (often elastic), a crotch to cover the genital area (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings (also often elastic). They have either no legs or in some cases very short ones. The term is usually used in the plural —a single unit is a "pair of panties"—though "panty" is used in such derivatives as "panty liner".

Thongs have a waistband similar to tangas, but the rear coverage is not as full. The crotch is extended to the back with a narrow strip of fabric fitting between the buttocks, which becomes wider toward the top.
The G-string is a thong with virtually no rear coverage, the narrow strip in the back extending from the crotch all the way to the waistband.

A panty is the undergarment that covers the lower portion of the female anatomy. Photo of Marcos' wife wearing a white panty.
