This year’s bra trends take in wool, backless styles and diamante

Although shunned during covid lockdowns, bras remain a must-have in women’s closets, with trends evolving along with the seasons. And in lingerie as in fashion, consumers seem to be influenced in recent months by a drive for authenticity — with nature-inspired materials — as well as by television shows, notably leading to the return of the corset.

Although overshadowed by fashion trends, lingerie trends are no less important, if only to chart the evolution of the industry, as well as the changing habits of consumers around the world.

The British lingerie brand Pour Moi has revealed the top lingerie trends for 2022, derived from analyzing various data sources, including Google searches, TikTok data and internal sales data, compared year-on-year.

Looking at the results, it appears that lingerie is following the same broad pattern as ready-to-wear, with women increasingly turning to authentic materials and functional shapes — two major trends — with occasional micro-trends inspired by Y2K, TV shows, fashion icons and… an ever-growing need to put some sparkle into life.

Comfort and practicality

Many studies have shown that women lost interest in bras during the pandemic, with a desire to free themselves from a certain form of constraint. While the return to normal life has — in part — allowed people to reconnect with this lingerie staple, it has not been without change.

The Pour Moi brand notes a recent craze for the functionality and comfort of backless bras (+91% searches) — styles that reveal the back while offering support at the front — as well as bralettes (+67%), pre-shaped bras with no underwire that can be worn under an outfit or as clothing.

In the same spirit, and always in search of comfort, women are increasingly turning to bra tops (+59%). These styles ensure comfort while bringing a stylish touch to an outfit, when worn, for example, with a blazer over jeans, sweatpants or a skirt. In a different style, the corset-type bra (+28%) is also gaining ground, brought to the fore by hit Netflix show “Bridgerton.”

Wool and knitted bras

In terms of materials, cotton, silk and lace seem to have lost ground, or almost, as consumers turn more to materials straight out of their grandmothers’ closets.

This is evidenced by the growing interest in knitted bras (+49%), as famously worn by Katie Holmes in the streets of New York, albeit nearly three years ago now. The American actress chose to step out wearing a visible bra and matching cardigan. A look that went viral and created a major craze for this type of lingerie.

More surprisingly, women are interested in wool bras (+38%), a material that’s not always so common in lingerie. Lace (+25%) and cotton (+16%) are still in the game, but other materials are emerging as contenders, such as diamante (+17%), denim (+13%) and leather (+12%). All of which goes to show that bras are no longer limited to their prime function — support — but are now gradually becoming fashion pieces in their own right.

Cult status for Regina George

The Pour Moi brand went on to look at the most famous bras. And it’s Regina George, alias Rachel McAdams, who tops that particular list, almost 18 years after the release of the “Mean Girls” movie, in which she wears a tank top with holes in it, revealing her bra underneath (3,530 annual searches).

In second place comes Katy Perry with her iconic whipped-cream-dispensing bra in the “California Gurls” music video (1,880 annual searches), followed in third by Princess Leia’s metal bra (1,250 annual searches).

The full report is available at: Pourmoi.co.uk

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