Leather-Trim Fishnet Thong with Lycra Back 24-800

A two-texture thong: open mesh under leather strapwork

The Leather-Trim Fishnet Thong with Lycra Back 24-800 is a men's thong whose front combines open fishnet mesh with wide bands of smooth black leather laid across it. It carries manufacturer style number 24-800 and is stocked here as item 03923. Everything on the piece is black — there is no metal hardware anywhere on it, no studs, no rings and no chain — so the whole of the visual interest comes from the contrast between a see-through weave and an opaque, slightly glossy strap.

That contrast is the point of the design and it is unusual within our leather wear range, where most styles are solid-fronted. Here the mesh does the covering and the leather does the shaping, which produces a front that is partly open and partly structured rather than uniformly one or the other.

Reading the front panel

The pouch is contoured and built mainly from a fine open-weave mesh. Across it run three pieces of leather: a wide band that angles down from the left hip, a matching band angling down from the right, and a narrower vertical strip that runs down the centre line where the two meet. The effect from the front is a cross or X laid over the mesh, with triangles of open weave left exposed between the straps. Towards the base of the pouch the leather becomes continuous again, so the lowest part of the panel is solid rather than open.

At each hip, between the waistband and the pouch, sits a further inset of the same mesh. These are roughly triangular and they break up what would otherwise be an unbroken run of leather from the centre out to the side seam. They also mean the garment is open-weave at three separate points across the front, not just at the pouch.

The waistband itself is leather and is finished differently from the rest. Its upper edge is gathered, so instead of lying as a flat strip it has a soft ruched or lightly ruffled line running along the top, most visible where it passes over each hip. It is a decorative finish rather than a structural one, and it is the detail most likely to identify this style at a glance. Nothing on the garment is printed, embroidered or lettered — there is no visible branding of any kind.

What open weave means in practice

An open-weave mesh panel behaves differently from a knit or a woven fabric, in three ways worth knowing before the piece arrives. First, it is see-through by construction: the weave is a grid of fine filaments with space between them, so a mesh panel is not a coverage panel. On this style the leather strapwork is what breaks up that transparency, and the areas left between the straps stay open.

Second, mesh of this kind catches on things. A rough fingernail, a watch strap, a zip pull or a hook-and-eye on another garment can pull a filament out of line, and because the structure is a grid rather than a continuous surface, a pulled filament is visible immediately. Dressing and undressing slowly, and keeping the piece away from jewellery and hook fastenings when storing it, avoids most of this.

Third, mesh gives in every direction and leather gives in almost none. The two are joined along seams, and those seams are where tension concentrates when the garment is pulled on. Easing it up over the hips rather than tugging at the waistband is the practical consequence.

Getting the size right on a pull-on piece

There is nothing on the 24-800 to adjust, so the size has to be right from the start — no buckle to move, no tie to pull in, no row of hooks. Choose from the waist measurement at which the band rests flat without being stretched close to its limit. A band worn near the end of its stretch marks the skin and loses its recovery far sooner than one sitting at an easy tension, and on this style that band is also carrying a decorative gathered edge that looks best when it is not pulled straight.

The front will feel more structured than a plain stretch brief because the leather straps do not move with the body the way the mesh does. Rear coverage is minimal, which is the intended shape of a thong rather than anything missing from the cut.

Cleaning and keeping it in shape

Follow the care instructions on the garment's own tag first — they come from the manufacturer and they override general advice, this page included. What can be said at a construction level is that an open mesh and a leather strap want opposite things from a wash, and a machine gives neither of them what it wants: drum agitation is exactly the action that snags fine filaments, and dryer heat stiffens leather while slackening elastic in the same cycle.

By hand, the routine is short. Wipe marks off the leather with a barely damp cloth, keep the mesh away from anything abrasive, and let the whole piece dry flat in open air, well away from radiators, hot pipes and sunny windowsills. Store it folded loosely or laid flat rather than hung from the waistband, and keep it apart from zips, buckles and jewellery in the drawer, since those are what pull a thread in the mesh.

Who it suits

This is for adults 18 and over who want an openwork piece rather than a solid one, and who like the mix of a sheer panel with a crisp leather trim. It belongs with the openwork styles in our fishnets section as much as it does with the solid leather pieces, and it sits at the bolder end of the range rather than the discreet end.

It is occasion wear and the construction makes no secret of it. A mesh pouch with leather strapping is not built for a working day under trousers or for a daily laundry cycle, and anyone who wants fuller coverage or a plain stretch knit to rotate through the week will be better served by a trunk or a cut-and-sewn brief.

Good to know

• Adults 18 and over only. This is apparel — not a medical item and not a dietary supplement.
• The mesh panels are see-through by construction. The leather strapwork interrupts that, but the open weave between the straps stays open.
• Fine mesh snags easily on nails, jewellery, zips and hook fastenings. Handle it gently when dressing and store it away from anything with teeth or points.
• Dark leather can transfer colour onto pale fabric when it is new or damp, which is worth bearing in mind before wearing it under light clothing.
• Stop wearing it if any part of it rubs or causes irritation.
• Intimate apparel is generally non-returnable once opened or worn, for hygiene reasons. Check the store's returns policy before ordering if you are unsure about sizing.
• Keep away from children.

Frequently Asked Questions

How see-through is the fishnet on the 24-800?

The mesh panels are fully open weave, so they are see-through wherever they are not covered. On this style the leather straps cross the pouch and the base of the pouch is solid leather, so the openwork reads as windows between the straps rather than as one continuous sheer panel. The two hip insets are open in the same way.

Is there any metal on this thong?

No — there is no metal anywhere on it. The 24-800 uses leather and mesh only, with no studs, rings, chain, buckles or sliders, which makes it a reasonable choice for anyone who avoids metal trims against the skin.

Is the 24-800 a men's garment?

Yes, it is men's lingerie, built around a contoured front pouch with a thong back. The pouch construction is specific to menswear and does not correspond to a women's thong of the same nominal size, so it should be chosen as a men's piece.

Can the fishnet go in the washing machine?

Check the garment's own care tag first, and in the absence of one, keep it out of the machine. Machine agitation is the single most likely thing to snag an open weave, and it puts a leather trim through heat and tumbling at the same time; a damp-cloth wipe and flat air drying avoids both problems.

How will this arrive in the post?

It ships in plain outer packaging with nothing on the outside indicating the contents. There are no product images, no category wording and no adult branding on the mailer, and the sender name and the card descriptor are kept equally neutral.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe product specifications directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Adult novelty device for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.