From thongs to bikinis, Canadian women agree panty style should not be
compromised

Seven in ten women say their monthly cycle impacts their panty selection

TORONTO , Sept. 17 /CNW/ - A recent Ipsos Reid survey commissioned by Always(R) reveals that when it comes to choosing a panty, feminine protection may be cramping women's style. Survey results suggest that many women may be compromising their favourite styles throughout the month, with 69 per cent of Canadian women indicating their monthly cycle influences their underwear selection. Whether it's a silky thong or a comfy brief that gets pulled from the unmentionables drawer, women should feel confident to select their favourite style every time. Always recognizes this; women face many challenges but finding the right panty liner shouldn't be one of them. Designed for women looking for versatility in their panty liner, Always Flexi-Style(TM) is the newest option from Always. It provides our thinnest, most flexible protection and was designed with comfort and adaptability in mind. Flexible edges fold under to fit multiple panty styles, making Always Flexi-Style a great option for light-day or everyday use.

"Woman should not have to compromise any part of their personal style or feel self conscious when wearing a panty liner," said Melissa Karis, External Relations Manager, P&G Feminine Care. "With Always Flexi-Style we have created a versatile product that suits the needs of women and their preferred panty style in their daily life - whether playing the fashionista, working out at the gym, or relaxing at home."

Over the years, women have selected panties for both function and fashion, but in recent decades underwear has offered women a greater variety of styles, and this should not be compromised by the choice to wear a panty liner. However, survey results suggest that many women are conflicted between choosing their preferred undergarment style or wearing a panty liner. The results reveal that a majority of women (52 per cent) agree that wearing a panty liner determines whether or not they choose to wear sexy or revealing underwear, with Quebec women agreeing most with this statement at 56 per cent. The percentage also increases in the 15-25 age bracket where 57 per cent of women say they wish they could find a panty liner that is compact enough to wear with more revealing underwear. In fact, 37 per cent of respondents overall said they feel self conscious when they wear a panty liner.

The survey also found that women from coast-to-coast wear a variety of different styles including the bikini, brief, boy short and thong. It turns out the brief is the most popular panty choice (34 per cent), across Canada-except for BC. Racy respondents in BC have the highest rate of thong preference in the country, with 26 per cent of BC respondents selecting the thong as their underwear of choice. Interestingly, survey results found that women in wild rose country are conservative when it comes to panty choices. Albertan women are less likely to wear a thong than the rest of the country. Eighteen per cent indicated the thong as their underwear of choice in Alberta compared to the Canadian average of 23 per cent. Other survey findings:

    
    -   Women in Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Atlantic prefer the
        brief with the thong in second place.
    -   In Alberta and Ontario, the brief and bikini are preferred.
    

Women lead busy lives and the last thing they want to be concerned about is coordinating underwear selection based on their monthly cycle. That's why Always Flexi-Style was developed, to provide women with a panty liner that flexes to every woman's lifestyle, with its flexible edges that fold to fit multiple panty styles, making it perfect for light-day or everyday use.

Always Flexi-Style is now available nationwide at grocery, drug, and mass market retailers for the suggested retail price of $3.99 for a package of 50. For more information, visit www.Always.com

About the Survey

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between August 7 and 12, 2009, on behalf of Always. For this survey, a national sample of 1273 women aged 15 to 50 from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-2.9 percentage points 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been had the entire population of women aged 15-50 been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

About P&G (NYSE: PG)

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Tampax(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

For further information: Melissa Karis, P&G at [phone], [email protected]; Samantha Shecter, MS&L at [phone], [email protected]