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The Lingerie Brands To Know Now, From La Perla To Skims
ELLE's edit of the best lingerie to invest in now, whether you're all about invisible thongs or 'granny' pants.
Cut through the noise with styling advice you can trust from Editors who know what they are talking about. From upcoming brands to watch and high-street brands of quality to heritage fashion houses with flair and vintage options to consider, inform your shopping with ELLE Edits.
Deliberating the best lingerie brands to buy from is a tricky one: for so many of us, underwear shopping is hard enough at the best of times.
Whether you're strictly a 'granny pants' woman or a die-hard La Perla fan, you can't deny the importance of underpinnings. They provide a solid foundation for your outfit (there's a reason VPLs are no longer a thing, and it's thanks to seamless thongs), but they can also reflect your mood. During lockdown, searches for non-wired bras spiked by 40% YOY according to Figleaves; which means most of us were opting for comfy undies to complement our new loungewear wardrobes.
In 2024, some of us are still sticking firmly to soft bralettes, while others rejoice in more luxurious purchases. Luckily, circumstances have forced brands to innovate, meaning now there's even more choice than ever before. Labels like Skims and Savage X Fenty have paved the way for more ergonomic, playful and size-inclusive designs, and many others are soon to follow.
How to shop for lingerie online
Buying bras online isn't the easiest, as sizes differ between brands. However, if you're keen to avoid schlepping to the high street, fret not. Plenty of retailers offer an online bra-fitting consultation or you can suss things out for yourself using Nudea's genius tape (buy here for £5), which takes an accurate underband reading using a slider fastening and even measures each individual cup size separately.
If you know your size but you're unsure of what styles will suit, there are a few basic rules to arm yourself with. Triangle and non-wired styles are generally easier for A-C cups as they usually don't typically provide a huge amount of support (although brands such as Understatement are proving that soft cups can work for big busts too). Padded styles will give a fuller shape, while unlined bras create a more natural-looking silhouette. Finally, there's a big difference between balconette and high-apex cups, so pay attention to your breast shape and zoom in on product detailing for a good indication of whether something will fit your brief.
Keep scrolling to see ELLE UK's pick of the best lingerie brands to shop in 2024.
Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
Kara Kia is Hearst UK’s Fashion and Beauty Ecommerce Editor, working across ELLE, Red, Harper’s Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, and Esquire to create shopping content, style advice, and beauty reviews on skincare, makeup, and curly hair. Kara’s most popular guides include ‘Affordable Jewellery Brands to Know’, ‘The Best Lingerie Brands’, and ‘How to Build a Holiday Capsule Wardrobe’, while she also covers deals events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Since starting her career as a journalist in 2018, she has held the role of Fashion Content Editor at NET-A-PORTER’s Porter Magazine, Associate Editor at PopSugar, and written for Refinery29 and LOVE Magazine, where she reported on fashion and beauty news, trends, and features. An experienced interviewer, Kara has spoken to Zendaya, Alicia Keys, Simone Biles, and Tyla about life, work, and style. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Kara lived in Toronto, Canada before moving to London.
Follow Kara on Instagram at @kara.kia
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