The pearl thong is a notorious piece of lingerie. Designed primarily for stimulation, rather than comfort or style, it seemingly represents the more sex-focused side of the lingerie industry. People (always men, in my experience) would call the lingerie store I used to work at asking if we carried pearl thongs. They’re mostly marketed as gifts, rather than something a lingerie-wearer would purchase for themselves. In my opinion, it’s the epitome of the male gaze in lingerie: overtly sexual marketing and designed entirely for sexual purposes – without the wearer’s comfort in mind.