Overview

Date Established	01/1977
Founder	Gale Epstein & Lisa Orzeck
Industries	E-commerce & Retail Fashion Wedding Sustainability Beauty Retail Lifestyle
Website	https://www.hankypanky.com/
Social

About

Our love language is empathy

It doesn’t get more intimate than underwear, and we embrace that closeness by being real and open about what some might deem taboo. We talk about sexual health, changing bodies, mental health, and relationships. We want to know what you think–how you speak about your own body.

We’ve been around for a while. Since 1977, actually. We’re like your wise older sister who lived abroad, your best friend who has her life together but also knows what it’s like not to have your life together at all–there’s no judgement here. We’re here to make you comfortable in every way we can–in your undies and in your own skin.

We want to lift you up, but we also want to take the pressure off: You don’t have to be your best self all the time. All you have to be is yourself—all the versions of you. The you on a good day, the you on a bad day, the boss you, the lazy weekend you, the PMS you, the you that takes self-care seriously—and every you in between.

Founding Story

It began with a hanky.

Parsons-trained designer, Gale Epstein, had long been repurposing vintage clothing for her Recycled by Gale line when, in 1977, her unconventional eye landed on embroidered cotton handkerchiefs. Making a bra-and-bikini set for her friend Lida Orzeck, she was intrigued by the idea of turning the modest Victorian-era fabric into a more empowering statement.

Orzeck saw an opportunity in her beautifully tailored gift. As did Lord & Taylor’s Buyer, placing an order of 144 sets. And the rest, as they say, is history – quite literally, an original version of the set lives in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection.