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February 02, 2022 at 08:00AM

Let’s face it: We spend so much time putting our everyday outfits together and reading up on and shopping the latest fashion trends that lingerie seldom gets a look in. When you’re pushed for time in a morning, those final five minutes before you rush out the door (or to your home office if that’s still the case for you) are typically dedicated to final applications of makeup or choosing which shoes go best with the rest of your ensemble. More often than not, underwear is an afterthought. But that shouldn’t be the case. 

Like with every other garment or accessory we wear, there are trends worth paying attention to. After all, as satisfying as it is to know that you’re killing it in the outfit department, isn’t it even more satisfying to secretly know that your underwear is equally on point? That underneath your clothes, your foundations make you feel great about yourself? We certainly think so, which is why we took it upon ourselves to reach out to lingerie experts to find out which lingerie trends think will be big news in 2022. Our impressive line-up included Nudea CEO and founder Priya Downes, Dora Larsen founder Georgia Larsen, and Womanhood head buyer Ella Brewer, and we were pleasantly surprised at how in sync they were with their predictions.

So whether you’re looking to refresh your underwear drawer or are keen to start the new season on a confident high, scroll on to see the lingerie trends to bookmark in 2022.

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“One thing I would hope for in 2022 is that women and brands would see that comfort and sexy aren’t at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to lingerie and realise they can go hand in hand,” says Brewer. "I think the rise of mesh lingerie is showing that women and brands are realising this. Day-to-night dressing is something you can do with your work clothes but also with your underwear, guys!” Larsen shares this sentiment, as she has noticed comfort has become a key consideration for her stylish clientele. "For the current season, we’ve seen a massive uplift in customers wanting natural fabrics, notably organic cotton,” enlightens Larsen. "People aren’t willing to sacrifice comfort anymore and are specifically after styles that look good, flatter and are in comfortable, natural fabrics.”

“Comfort is key,” reiterates Downes. "The trend for non-wired support continues to grow in popularity and is no longer restricted to smaller busts—we’re seeing bralette styles for all. We launched Nudea’s fuller-bust bralette, The Easy Does It F+ (£42), this year in response to customer demand for larger sizes of our best seller.”

"Based on what I have seen for 2022 so far, I would say that the appetite for fun and colourful lingerie is still growing,” says Brewer. “This is especially with our customer, as we find black bras stay in stock for much longer than their colourful counterparts. I think brands are realising that women want to be bold and experiment with all of their wardrobe, including their underwear drawer.”

Colour plays a huge role in the Dora Larsen design process, but Larsen says she’s noticing new patterns emerge. "Colour-wise, we noticed a huge demand for bright green, which is interesting, as you wouldn’t normally consider green a typical colour for lingerie—it’s not obviously feminine in the same way that pink or berry are,” says Larsen. "Customers are looking to be more experimental with their colour choices and looking for colours you can’t typically find everywhere. The classic look you would typically expect from lingerie has gone out the window—people want to be dressing for themselves these days, in comfortable, experimental, different and unique choices.”

"Something our customer loves and something I always look for when buying is the ‘reinvented classic,’” shares Brewer. “This is basically a bra that fits into a classic shape or style but has something different about it such as an interesting fabric, a design detail or a bold colour. Brands that do this well are Else, especially with their bare range; Skarlett Blue, who are typically a very traditional brand but have introduced a large mesh range for A/W 22; and Attollo, who cater to a larger bust but use delicate lace and satin, which is not usually available in the sizes they stock.”

Larsen agrees and says, "We’re also seeing more customers opt for knicker shapes that offer something a bit different to the usual low-rise bikini shape. High-waist knickers and thongs are really making a resurgence, for example, as we’ve never seen such a strong popularity for these shapes. It definitely feels like knickers aren’t an afterthought anymore—people are specifically looking for a set that either offers a really cool, ’80s-cut high-leg thong, or a 1950s-style silhouette from a high-waist knicker.”

Next Up: 8 Beautiful Lingerie Brands That’ll Make You Want to Forgo Clothes

Author Maxine Eggenberger | Whowhatwear
Selected by CWC