Sexy lingerie makes post-pandemic comeback
PARIS
Sexy women’s underwear didn’t fare too well during the jogging-bottoms-and-pajamas phase of the pandemic, but from the red carpet to lingerie shows, ultra-sultry intimate apparel is making a comeback -- and is now much more visible.
Rihanna helped set the mood with her radical approach to pregnancy fashion, sporting a transparent babydoll dress over a black thong at the Dior show in Paris this winter.
Or there was Megan Fox’s all-but-invisible Mugler dress over a white thong at last year’s MTV Awards.
Having your undies on display has been tried by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and even fictional fashion icon Carrie Bradshaw on “And Just Like That...”
“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,” Renaud Cambuzat, creative director for Chantelle, told AFP.
Experts say there has been a shift, however, and that this trend emphasizes women wearing lingerie for themselves rather than trying to impress others.
“We are witnessing the return of the scruffy sexuality of the 2000s -- styles that refer to the archetype of the objectified woman, but which no longer have the same meaning,” said Benjamin Simmenauer, philosopher and professor at the French Institute of Fashion.
“It is no longer a question of being ordered to seduce, but of a feminist reappropriation of sexualized clothing,” he added.
The return of sexy lingerie marks a course correction after several years of change in the lingerie business, said Renaud Cambuzat, creative director for lingerie brand Chantelle.
“Four or five years ago, we were in #MeToo, and there was a desire to move towards something seen as more respectful,” said Cambuzat.
The change is evident in the way the big brands have embraced greater diversity in their models and advertising.
Victoria’s Secret,- which was seen as symbolizing a narrow beauty ideal in the past, has abandoned its slogan “The Perfect Body” and its army of “Angels” in favour of more full-figured models and strong personalities such as footballer Megan Rapinoe.
“We must not confuse #MeToo and puritanism. A woman can also wish to seduce out of her own conviction,” added Samar Vignals, of French lingerie brand Aubade, which has asserted the need for “more audacity” in the post-pandemic moment.
