3 Beautiful Lingerie Trends Everyone Is Wearing This Year

Let’s face it: We spend so much time putting our everyday outfits together and reading up on and shopping for the latest fashion trends that lingerie seldom gets a look in. When you’re pushed for time in the 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. 

lingerie-trends-2022-296704-1638303272467-main

(Image credit: @joannalari)

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 right now. 

1. COMFORT, COMFORT, COMFORT

lingerie-trends-2022-296704-1639757070020-main

(Image credit: @ali_tate_cutler)

"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 realize they can go hand in hand,” says Brewer. "I think the rise of mesh lingerie is showing that women and brands are realizing 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.”

2. BOLD COLORS

lingerie-trends-2022-296704-1639757779242-main

(Image credit: Courtesy of Dora Larsen)

"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 customers, 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.”

3. RETRO SILHOUETTES

lingerie-trends-2022-296704-1639756917776-main

(Image credit: @emmanuellek_)

"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 color. Brands that do this well are Else, especially with their bare range; Skarlett Blue, which is typically a very traditional brand but has introduced a large mesh range for F/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: I Buy All My Lingerie From Nordstrom—Here's What I'm Scooping Up Right Now

Maxine Eggenberger
Deputy Editor

Maxine Eggenberger is Who What Wear UK’s deputy editor and has over thirteen years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and elevated style content specifically for Who What Wear UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, self-styled shopping stories and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, leads the editorial team in their SEO strategy and keyword planning, works closely with the beauty team on content initiatives, represents the brand at industry events, and regularly contributes to social media, including her own Who What Wear UK TikTok franchise, French Style Fridays. Previously, Maxine appeared on ITV's This Morning in her own fashion segment and has interviewed countless celebrities—everyone from Victoria Beckham to Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.

Prior to Who What Wear UK, Maxine’s career began when, after completing her first-ever internship at Look magazine, she was offered a position on the brand's fashion desk. She accepted, leaving university a year early in the process. Her passion and natural talent for writing and styling meant she swiftly rose through the ranks to become the title's fashion news and commercial content editor, with a stint as InStyle.co.uk’s fashion and beauty writer along the way. She later served as Look’s acting Editor in Chief, overseeing both print and digital, before embarking on a successful freelance career, working with Grazia, The Pool, and Marie Claire amongst others.

Maxine is based remotely from her countryside home near Edinburgh where she spends her downtime renovating her house, walking her dogs, hosting friends and trying to master the art of making Old Fashioned cocktails.