7 Lingerie brands that are advancing body positivity
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For several years now, lingerie brands have been shaking up beauty standards in favour of a more modern claim: that of body positivism. Here's a selection of names that are refreshing the underwear sector by moving towards a more inclusive definition of beauty.
Cantiq (US)
In 2015, American Chelsea Hughes founded Cantiq with the aim of offering lingerie to suit all body types. "Chelsea believes that lingerie should not conform to popular beauty standards," stated the brand's e-commerce site. The bras and knickers are made from stretch satin and spandex lace. The majority of models are handmade and available to order between 14 and 21 days.
The Los Angeles-based brand goes far beyond incorporating plus-size pieces and embraces the genderfluid movement by catering to transgender, intersex, cisgender women, men and more. Cantiq makes them the models in its collections, giving them greater visibility in a sector that is generally based on a binary approach to gender and a very limited definition of beauty.
Retail price: From 33 to 56 euros (118 euros for a genderfluid bodysuit)
Lolo Paris (France)
With its 63 bra sizes, the Lolo Paris brand presents itself as a "lingerie expert for all body types". Since its launch in 2019, its founders, engineers Mélissa Perraudeau and Océane Brière, have been proposing to overhaul the bra measurement system by using an algorithm to determine the most suitable size.
The company has developed lingerie but also swimwear and period panties. The collections are unveiled on models with diverse morphologies, a far cry from the heterogeneity of the stringy models to which the industry has for too long accustomed its consumers.
Retail price: 95 euros for a bra, 115 euros for a swimming costume
Napperon (France)
By developing an original concept, the French brand Napperon is innovating and responding to its customers without distinction of gender. The idea is to use embroidered doilies, curtains and tablecloths to create unique pieces of lingerie. The items are made to order according to the wearer's size, and cater for all genders.
The brand's no-gender approach can be seen primarily on its Instagram account, where visuals depict both men in openwork knickers or lace kimonos and women in the same outfits.
Retail price: 95 euros for a 'Maintien' bra, 85 euros for a 'Léger' bra and around 55 euros for knickers (made in the Netherlands)
We are we wear (UK)
This British brand, launched in 2019, offers lingerie, swimwear and activewear in sizes XS-3XL and 30A to 44FF. It diversified its offering in 2022 by opening up to the men's category, and has no plans to stop there. "We are working towards a fully inclusive product range, with our latest collections moving towards a genderless silhouette," its website read.
Retail price: around 45 euros for a lace bra
Moons & Junes (Denmark)
"There is no one-size-fits-all formula for comfort", proclaimed the lingerie brand on its e-shop. Based in Copenhagen, this Danish company has made its Instagram account "an ode to silhouettes and sizes". A quick scroll confirms it – the account is a manifesto for diversity of morphologies and expresses itself in lingerie without underwires or padding.
On the Moons & Junes e-shop, the offering includes underwear with a basic style, thought for everyday wear, such as blue organic cotton panties, a triangle bra, with a V-neckline in silky double-layer mesh. But there are also panties with plays on transparency, as well as swimwear.
Retail price: around 50 euros for a bra, 24 euros for cycling shorts.
Avant Minuit (France)
Like the American brand Cantiq (mentioned above), the young Nantes-based label Avant Minuit claims to offer lingerie for every body and every gender. Launched by Adélaïde Brient, the brand focuses on lace lingerie for transsexuals. The founder's commitment to this community, which is often overlooked by established lingerie brands, recently prompted her to develop tucking underwear (a technique designed to hide the shape of the penis so that it cannot be viewed through clothing).
Avant Minuit uses inclusive writing and is aimed primarily at people who do not recognise themselves in the gendered norms traditionally attributed by society. Items are GOTS or Oeko-tex certified or are designed from dormant stock.
Retail price: 60 euros for a bra and 65 euros for lace knickers.
Lou Manesse (France)
In the landscape of sexy lingerie brands, Lou Manesse stands out for its more diverse approach to the bodies it represents. Its debut on the market in 2021 was accompanied by a strong commitment to designing pieces for all genders and body shapes in France, using traditional methods. The items are available made-to-measure but are also, for a large proportion of them, adjustable.
Dresses, tulles and the interplay of cut-outs form the DNA of the brand, although the designer stated on her e-shop that she has chosen not to "[fix] herself to a predefined style in order to try to [adapt] as best she can to the desires and suggestions of those around [her] and not to restrict herself to a conventional image that would not [correspond to her]."
Retail prices: 175 euros for a bodysuit, 50 euros for boxer shorts, 130 euros for a harness set.
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