12 Lingerie Blogs to Read in 2016
After a bit of a slow-down, 2015 was a great year for lingerie blogs. Sometimes, it feels like this little blog niche is just barely hanging on, especially when compared to the larger (and more well-known) worlds of fashion and beauty blogging. As a group, intimate apparel focused bloggers are a rare sort. There are usually only a few dozen of us active at any one time, and while we're exploring, reviewing, and demystifying the world of lingerie, we also, unfortunately, have to deal with a not-small amount of stigma, objectification and harassment.
Because of social expectations around women's behavior and women's bodies, writing a lingerie blog - especially if you're underrepresented in the larger fashion and lingerie industries - is a radical act. Daring to be visible, to be vocal, to push for diverse representation, and to connect what many people see as "frivolous" to larger conversations around consent, body image, sexuality, and identity...those are all radical things. We're instigators and trouble-makers and we're transforming the way people think about intimate apparel. That's amazing and exciting, and it's thrilling to be a part of this community.
I've tried to pull only new names for the 2016 lingerie blog list. Some of them have been around for a few months. Some of them have been around for a few years. But what they all have in common is a regular place in my blog reading list. Please don't think of this as a comprehensive directory to every lingerie blog online (if you're looking that particular list, Esty has an excellent one). Rather, think of this as a portal, a way of possibly discovering a new favorite or being exposed to an intriguing point of view.
A couple of notes: this list is weighted towards blogs that have their own url (for example, blogs that exist only on Instagram aren't included here). It also focuses on blogs that have been updated within the last few months. Finally, since English is my first (and only) language, English-speaking blogs are at the center here (though a few of the bloggers listed below are bilingual). Oh! And I've tried to limit the list to bloggers that focus on lingerie (as opposed to fashion bloggers who occasionally write about lingerie).
Do you have a favorite lingerie blog you're reading at the moment? And how do you usually find new lingerie blogs?
A small-bust focused blog written by a self-described queer California gal, Technicolor Lover writes beautiful reviews about an oft-neglected end of the lingerie size spectrum. As excellent as her reviews are though, it's the more personal blog posts that are especially poignant. Technicolor Lover's essays on what it's like to be a domestic violence survivor, and how that's affected both her view of herself and of lingerie, are some of the best writing I've read anywhere.
Write Me Bad Checks (Marionette Mew):
There are two things I adore about Marionette Mew's blog: 1) her completely upfront, no-holds-barred honesty and 2) the fact that she doesn't run advertising or seek out samples (though she will accept them from companies she already supports). Obviously, as a blogger that has ads, I don't believe there's anything wrong with them, but I do think it's important to have access to a blog that's almost completely free of brand entanglements...especially if that's relevant to you. (Editor's Note: This paragraph was updated with clarification on Marionette Mew's review policies.)
I had no idea there were so many differences between the Canadian and U.S. lingerie market until I started reading Lingerie Detective. Avigayil talks honestly about issues like customs fees, exchange rates, and international returns from a Canadian perspective. As a plus-sized blogger, she also shares a necessary point of view on sizing and fit, particularly with regards to luxury and high-end brands.
Knickerbocker Stories is the new project of a name that might sound familiar - Karolina Laskowska! This brand new blog explores a behind-the-scenes on Karolina's more artistic work (such as her hand-painted, one of a kind corsetry). It's also where she rhapsodizes on lace and shares other lingerie designers she loves. If you're a fan of Karolina's work for TLA, then Knickerbocker Stories should be on your regular rotation as well.
Fearlessly quirkly, amazingly empathetic, and just a generally cool person, Kurvendiskussionen is the kind of blog you visit and immediately get lost in. Denocte's blog is also one of the more established ones on this list. Having been around since 2011, it's a great way to catch up on the past few years of lingerie if you're new to the world of intimates. And it's one of the few bilingual blogs on this list (German/English).
As a plus-sized, full-busted blogger who can't follow the usual recommendations to "go Polish," Rolls and Curves is a fantastic resource for people who find themselves sized out of most bra brands. Though a new blogger, their combination of thorough lingerie reviews and social commentary is a welcome addition to the lingerie blogosphere.
One common complaint about the lingerie blogging world is that it doesn't always do a good job of representing the actual variety of lingerie-wearers. One obvious way this is true is in terms of age and size (most lingerie bloggers skew both young and thin), but another is in terms of certain life milestones...like pregnancy or menopause. Ellie's blog, Thigh Highs and Glitter, talks about lingerie shopping after childbirth and breastfeeding. But besides all that, her blog is just a lot of fun to read.
All's Fair in Love and Lingerie:
Bringing things back stateside for a moment, All's Fair in Love and Lingerie is a blog I could've sworn I'd included here before now. While I'm listing this anonymous blogger here primarily for her reviews, she's also recently begun sewing her own lingerie, which might interest some of you crafty types reading this!
A UK-based writer, Becky spoke to my heart when she shared the personal story of her miscarriage on her blog, Becky's Boudoir. Her frankness and openness - not just about lingerie, but also about her life - make you feel like you're reading letters from a friend. Becky's Boudoir is the lingerie blogging equivalent of curling up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate.
You may remember Two Cakes on a Plate from her stellar guest post on skin hypersensitivity a few weeks ago. Mette brings a Finnish perspective to the world of lingerie (some of her earlier posts are Finnish/English), and she diligently reviews the latest styles from tons of full-bust focused lingerie brands. She's also impossibly sweet - we met in person for the first time just last week!
A bilingual French/English blog, Comics Girls Need Bras is the newest lingerie blogger on this list; her first post was only back in November. I first found out about CGNB through Instagram, and immediately had to dash over to her WordPress. One thing I love about new bra bloggers is that they often remind me of why I first became interested in lingerie. Sometimes, I forget about the fun of intimates, the excitement of trying a new brand for the very first time. Comics Girls Need Bras has helped to reconnect me with that sense of newness.
If ever there was a name that's long overdue for inclusion on this list, it's Bras and Body Image. I've been reading Anna's blog for ages, and, at 4 years old, it's one of the older blogs on this list (which is great if you're researching discontinued styles or trying to get a sense of how a brand has changed over time). I also had the chance to meet Anna at the same time I met Mette, and she was just as delightful; it's a funny thing to meet someone in person for the first time and yet feel like you've known them for ages.
