Lingerie Designers Have Given Up Pleasing Men

So are consumers done dropping money on it? We are not. A July report from Allied Market Research predicted that the global lingerie market will grow by more than one and a half times by 2028. In the U.S. the lingerie market grew more during the pandemic than in previous years, and is forecast to surpass a value of $10 billion in the next three years.

“There has never been a better time than right now to be interested in intimate apparel and lingerie,” says Harrington. “There have never been more brands, never been more sizes, never been easier access to buying these brands and sizes, never been more price points.”

Harrington, who has made a name as the preeminent lingerie critic of the day, makes the case for valuing lingerie. Investing in undergarments and loungewear, she argues, is not about capitulating to male desire or to a culture of consumption. “We all have certain ways we are expected to look in public,” she says. “For some people it’s a literal uniform like scrubs or a military uniform. Everyone from a bank teller, to a grocery store clerk to a homemaker or even a parent [has this].” The power of intimate apparel, she says, is that it is the one place where the wearer has total freedom. “Because it is hidden, it allows you to express your truest self,” Harrington says. It can be a pure expression of your own identity.

Is your truest self out there, in some configuration of lace, micro-modal, or antigravity tech? If there have been so many changes in the industry, why does bra shopping still feel like running a marathon through quicksand?

The issue, Harrington says, is that the more great options there are, the more consumers have to wade through. “The odds are overwhelmingly in your favor that there is somebody out there making something for you,” she says. “You just probably won’t be able to find it in your local Macy’s.”

Let’s break down the major trends in the new world of lingerie.

Comfort first.

Remember the time before bralettes? A single, damp Band-Aid-looking boob holder could bankrupt you. The rise of the often cuter, more affordable bralette, as well as wireless bras, came in conjunction with a changing beauty standard that deprioritized high, pushed-up breasts. Victoria’s Secret has launched a campaign for its Infinity Flex Bra, which boasts a “gel wire.” Natori, another classic brand, has seen growing online fandom for its Feathers Underwire Contour bra, which is beloved for being comfortable.

VS Bare Infinity Flex Bra

Natori Feathers Underwire Contour Bra

Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Bralette

Bras are “feats of engineering,” as Lewis puts it. They hold, lift, smooth, contain, sculpt, cradle. Bralettes are simple pieces of fabric—easier to produce and buy. And as athleisure has become not just a trend but a sartorial religion, the bralette’s techier cousin, the sports bra, has also soared. Catering exclusively to small-breasted women is less and less acceptable: Cosabella introduced a luxurious “curvy collection” this summer, and Lewis is partial to the larger models at Evelyn & Bobbie.

Underwear, too, changed. In the early 2010s any number of women you know spent the day with plasticky fibers cleaving to their butt cracks, like medieval hair shirts. The rise of wellness made strong claims for the power of breathable cotton and feather-light bamboo fibers. Turning on a podcast means hearing the word modal repeated hypnotically. 

The American Eagle intimate-wear offshoot Aerie has tripled its market share since 2015, Forbes notes. Hanky Panky, around since the ’70s, is sexy in a way that prioritizes comfort. Harrington has been wearing Chantelle, a legacy lingerie brand, but one that has put out a comfort line, and Knickey, which uses organic cotton. Even La Perla, the ultimate brand for you-give-us-a-thousand-dollars-and-we’ll-give-you-a-fancy-string, put out a comfort collection this summer.

Hanky Panky Women’s Low-Rise Thongs (Five-Pack)

Sex still sells (if men aren’t the only target).

“​​It’s not for his eyes,” says Lewis, articulating what she sees as the prevailing new attitude toward lingerie. “It’s for my eyes. If it happens to appeal the other way, so be it.” Harrington agrees: “The idea that if a partner wouldn’t appreciate it, then you shouldn’t wear it—I reject that. If you like it, then the presence or absence of an audience shouldn’t matter.”