Sexy lingerie sales are up, as predicted by many fashion insiders. That means your lockdown sweatpants are out – at least for now.
Many are breathing a sigh of relief, of course – and for good reason.
“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat,” Karl Lagerfeld, the late fashion icon, once said. “You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.”
Lagerfeld wasn’t alone in his poor opinion of the now all-too-familiar tracksuit. On his eponymous TV sitcom, the comedian Jerry Seinfeld likewise rebuked George Costanza for wearing sweatpants.
“You’re telling the world, I give up,” Seinfeld said. “I’m miserable, so I might as well be comfortable.”
With that in mind, the fashion headlines during the lockdowns would’ve made you believe the entire fashion world had given up. Have big cotton knickers and sweatpants become the new pinnacles of fashion now? Ugh!
Fortunately, what’s happening across the fashion world today tells a very different story.
Brands that have become famous for sexy lingerie pieces are reporting exceptional sales of their stylishly sensual sets and accessories.
3 Reasons Why Sexy Lingerie is Back in a Big Way
Fashion was one of the hardest-hit sectors amid the shutdowns. For nearly two years, clothing and apparel retailers had struggled with excess inventory and a near halt in consumer demand.
Now, intimate brands are confronting the opposite problem. They are scrambling to keep up. Flimsy, sweet lace confections, sexy push-up bras, thongs, garter belts, and fishnet teddies, among other sexy lingerie items, are flying off the shelves.
What gives, observers are wondering. Why is sexy underwear making such an impressive comeback now?
Below are three of the smartest reasons offered by fashion experts, industry insiders, and psychologists to explain the trend.
1. Sexy lingerie is getting a boost from the stars.
Celebrities have been giving the sexy lingerie trend a boost by wearing their undies on display during public events. Rihanna wore a babydoll dress over a black thong at the Dior show in Paris this winter.
Megan Fox wore a scintillating, diaphanous Mugler dress over a white thong at last year’s MTV Awards.
“It’s a trend that we see a lot in pop culture. Rihanna, Cardi B, Kim Kardashian — they’ve seized on these styles in a very extroverted way and with a real feminist dimension,” says renowned fashion designer Renaud Cambuzat.
More recently, Julia Fox stunned the internet by donning nothing but a black bra-and-underwear set during a grocery run.
The actress completed her eye-popping look by wearing a denim jacket, denim knee-high boots, and a denim bag.
Fox’s sexy lingerie outfit garnered varied reactions on Twitter. “This is a crime against denim,” shared one user.
“Oh sure, when Julia Fox goes grocery shopping in her underwear, she’s a fashion icon,” a fan tweeted. “But when I do it, I’m ‘no longer welcome in Whole Foods.'”
Our take? Well, it was a blazing hot day in May in California. We say Ms. Fox made it even hotter – but only in all the right ways.
2. The sexy lingerie trend is a reaction to the darkest days of the pandemic.
But industry insiders say the skyrocketing demand for sexy underwear shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who claims knowledge of the fashion world.
Sure, the enormous changes in our lives might seem unremarkable now. But that was not the case during the first months of the pandemic.
The face masks, the gnawing loneliness, isolation, and working and learning from home –these came as a shock to many people.
“The behavioral immune system operates on a better safe than sorry logic,” says Lene Aarøe of Aarhus University in Denmark.
This means the responses are often misplaced and may be triggered by irrelevant information, adds Aarøe.
Researchers say fears of contagion led us to become more conformist. Our moral judgments became harsher and our sexual attitudes became more conservative.
But researchers now assert that extended, lockdown-induced seclusion has given many people the opportunity to analyze elements of their lives and identities.
Some research even indicates people’s attitudes toward their sexuality have evolved as a result of the resulting intimate shift.
“Everything just got too real,” fashion designer Sarah Shotton explains. “People wanted more joy in their life.”
Indeed, the past two years have forced a seismic shift not only in our routines but also in our understanding of the things that make us happy.
“Part of the reason we’re embracing our sexy sides could be that we’ve learned to give less fucks about what other people think about us and embrace what makes us feel good,” says psychotherapist Rachel Wright. “If dressing sexy makes us feel good, what’s the harm?”
3. Women are reclaiming “sexy” for themselves.
You can always count on the combination of sex and fashion to invoke the most unexpected ironies.
For example, would you believe that – in some way – we can thank Harvey Weinstein for the return of sexy lingerie?
It’s been five years, yes. But the fallout from the Weinstein scandal and the global reaction to the “#MeToo” movement are still having indubitably positive effects.
Throughout the world, people are exposing – and bringing to account – predators who have enjoyed impunity due to their power.
But there have been some pitfalls. Troubling rhetoric abounds, condemning all sexually tinged dynamics in the workplace and elsewhere.
Men have been stereotyped as abusers and women as perpetual victims in need of quasi-Victorian protections.
“Four or five years ago, we were in #MeToo, and there was a desire to move towards something seen as more respectful,” says Cambuzat, adding that the new trend signals a modification in how women viewed themselves.
“There are women and brands that have found legitimate ways to reinvest in ultra-sexy styles,” he says.
And why not? No less than the French lingerie brand Aubade has asserted the need for “more audacity” in the post-pandemic moment.
“We must not confuse #MeToo and puritanism,” says Aubade brand director Samar Vignals. “A woman can also wish to seduce out of her own conviction.”
Have you treated yourself to sexy lingerie lately?
Have you splurged on sexy lingerie lately? Gifting yourself something new and beautiful can be just the form of self-love and self-care we all need in the wake of the pandemic.
Making a conscious effort to look and feel sexy just for yourself can boost your overall morale.
Let’s face it. Our outfits are bound by cultural and societal norms. We don’t always have the freedom to express our tastes through our everyday clothing styles.
But lingerie sets are different, says fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell. What you choose to wear under your clothes is private and personal.
Your sexy lingerie does not have to conform to accepted social norms, after all. That’s because they are – if you so choose – for your eyes only.
“This freedom can be therapeutic for the wearer as it allows them to wear sets in styles that are a true reflection of their creativity and personal tastes,” says Forbes-Bell.
We couldn’t agree more.
