In 1977, she turned hand-embroidered handkerchiefs into a modern female statement with a Victorian-era feel by crafting the hankies into a bra and bikini birthday gift for her friend Lida Orzeck. It was a gift that launched Hanky Panky, a lingerie brand run by the two partners with a worldwide following.

By 1986 Epstein had set her mind to designing a comfortable thong for the new stretch jeans generation. She launched product no. 4811, the perfect one-size lace thong. In 2004, the thongs gained wider distribution with her “anti-package” approach of rolling them and securing with a branded band.

For most of its history, the brand was made in the USA. The company was recently sold after forty-eight years.

Epstein has a lifelong commitment to supporting environmental, animal rights, social, and arts organizations. She is a board member of Sing Sing Prison Museum, a member of WellMet Philanthropy, and is on the advisory council of Topfield, an equine assisted therapy organization in the Hudson Valley. She is founder of the Gale Epstein Center for Technology, Policy, and the Environment at Pace University Seidenberg School.

She is an avid horsewoman, riding horseback for pleasure, as well as driving her beloved Morgan horses’ carriage and sleigh.