Without invoking any comparisons, age truly seems like one of the last taboos of the lingerie industry. Words like “aspirational” get thrown around with careless abandon, and one of the unstated (but wretchedly obvious) components of that aspiration is to be endlessly 22. Maybe 26. If you’re feeling daring. A week ago, while in New York for lingerie market, I discovered my second gray hair. At least, it’s the second […]
For years, full bust bra wearers (roughly defined as people in sizes DD or higher) have talked about how few choices there are for beautiful lingerie in their size. I’m not just talking about bras that exist in a particular size, of which there are (usually) many, but about bras that feel modern and fresh and equivalent to their core size counterparts in terms of both construction and design. Adina Reay is one brand trying to bridge that gap.
The pearl thong is a notorious piece of lingerie. Designed primarily for stimulation, rather than comfort or style, it seemingly represents the more sex-focused side of the lingerie industry. People (always men, in my experience) would call the lingerie store I used to work at asking if we carried pearl thongs. They’re mostly marketed as gifts, rather than something a lingerie-wearer would purchase for themselves. In my opinion, it’s the epitome of the male gaze in lingerie: overtly sexual marketing and designed entirely for sexual purposes – without the wearer’s comfort in mind.
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article on black-owned lingerie brands and it became one of TLA’s most popular articles to-date. Despite what many business experts or industry authorities have to say about the importance of “neutral” or “colorblind” companies, it turns out many people want to support underrepresented or marginalized designers. This is especially when these brands respond to a need the larger intimate apparel industry has neglected for decades.
One of the things I’ve mentioned here before – and that I keep coming back to, because it’s always true – is that every shoot is a new experience. Not just because I’m working with a new photographer, but also because I’m a different person. The Cora of a few months isn’t exactly the same as the Cora of right now. And I’m finding myself wanting to push, to move forward, to dig beyond what I’ve done before and what feels safe.
