Is it Time to Go Wireless?

In the wake of COVID-19 women seem to be abandoning the underwire bra showing an increasing demand for comfort. 'Sunday Times Style contributor' Emily Phillips asks, ‘Are non-wired bras here to stay?’

Even the most devoted lingerie enthusiast would admit that they haven’t had much use for underwire bras in 2020. Actually, I haven’t been wearing a bra at all since the advent of the pandemic – just the absolute essentials: a hoodie, some sweats, and yes, I am still wearing my knickers.

Admittedly the last time I succumbed to the allure of a full lingerie set – wired bra included of course – I was about one week out of a breakup, deep in the middle of August’s semi-restrictive COVID regulations – an odd choice considering I’ve barely so much as touched a bra since March (something that’s extremely hard to get away with if you’re any size up from a C). I just wanted something to make myself feel sexy again; but one wouldn’t wear such a lux – and probably uncomfortable – item to work from home or insult it by hiding it away under several slob-ish layers of loungewear. Our lives lately have sadly been a little less ‘siren seductress’ and a lot more “I haven’t seen another human being in a week.”

It’s a tough time to justify wearing a bra, especially one that’s wired and uncomfortable; this seems to be changing the global market for lingerie. Many of us have chosen to relinquish bras altogether, while others are seeking more comfortable solutions.

A ‘comfort is key’ mentality when shopping for underwear is not new, but a trend for softer, unwired, and sporty styles has proven to be a catalyst in driving the concept forward, with 84 percent of shoppers agreeing that it is more important for underwear to be comfortable than fashionable in 2020, according to market-research firm Mintel. Accentuated by the seeming endlessness of all these on-again-off-again COVID-19 lockdowns, the demand for comfortable lingerie shows women are focusing on function, support, and WFH-ability rather than the sex appeal. In fact, Mintel reports that non-wired bras together with sports bras are making a pit-stop at ‘isolation station’ where they have taken over the scene becoming the most purchased bra style bought in the last 12 months. John Lewis is among the many retailers that have reported a surge in demand for products with a natural, easy-wear fit, that provide a no bra feeling. Many retailers have also noted an increase in purchases of low impact sports bras, following a rise in at-home-workouts during the lockdown. The perception of sports bras seems to have moved on from being something used specifically for exercise to also being something worn as an everyday bra. Sports bras have proven to be one of the most popular styles with 36% of women having purchased one in the last 12 months.

Likewise, Lyst’s Year in Fashion 2020 report says “In April, bralettes were among the most-searched of the lingerie categories, spiking 45% month-on-month (…) Alternatively, page views for sexy lingerie totalled more than 60k during the months of March through June (lockdown 1.0), while searches for lingerie sets spiked 97% month-on-month between March and April. Sports bra searches also increased 40% month-on-month through March and April.”

Indeed it is an enticing vision, abandoning wired bras, and what we’ve seen from the most recent fashion weeks, both physical and digital, suggests that designers are all about the bralette. At Alberta Ferretti there were blush satin pointed wireless bras; at Jaqcuemus there was a checkered knit bralette; and at every catwalk from Miu Miu to Oscar de la Renta models flaunted their non-wired bosoms.

Raring to go for 2021 Nina Ricci likewise revealed a coral bralette peeking through under a sheer pleated beige blouse, while Christian Siriano exhibited homogeneous wireless bra tops on physically diverse models.

At Rhianna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie show, a number of wireless styles were highlighted by a cast teeming with A-listers – seeming to vary accordingly based on the breast size – proving wireless bras are on the rise, global uncertainty notwithstanding.

Elsewhere: Victoria’s Secret, Next, La Perla and Figleaves offer pertinent takes on this thriving lingerie style, while niche sellers have jumped on the bandwagon with confidence and comfort at the forefront of their business.

Take Fruity Booty Underwear for example; some of the London-based label’s fan favourites are their scoop and triangle non-wired styles. “There has been this shift towards comfortable clothing to wear around the house,” says Hattie Tennant, co-founder of Fruity Booty Underwear. “We’re very touched and take it as a compliment that our bras are comfy enough that people still want to wear them after lockdown cast uncertainty around the need for bras. But I think that despite this, now it is more important than ever for women to feel sexy, confident and to treat themselves to underwear that adds a bit of joy to their WFH life.”

According to the Lyst Index there are clear signs that consumers are willing to spend on brands that spark excitement and joy. Hannah Watkins, senior editor of prints and graphics at WGSN confirms this by reporting that shoppers are demanding mood-boosting fashions. So maybe wearing a bra in 2020 – and even more so buying a new one – means giving ourselves a boost of much-needed serotonin.

Subsequent to the advent of lockdown, amusing memes about binning one’s bra took the internet by storm. Our Instagram feeds were replete with ‘Wearing a bra during quarantine? I don’t think so!’ captions accompanied by cheerful Homer Simpson images or GIFs of women skillfully removing their bras out from under their clothes.

This doesn’t mean we’ll all be frolicking about with our unsupported nipples showing through our shirts anytime soon – we can leave that to Gen Z – but neglecting the tiny detail of an underwire seems to be the route we’re headed down.

You might be thinking, but how can someone with larger breasts lay to rest their trusty underwire when without it they may experience pain and discomfort worse than any bra could cause? “Fundamentally a double D can’t really get away with ‘not wearing a bra today’,” explains Mazie Fisher, 31, co-founder of Beija, London. “She’s still doing things and going around the house doing various different things. No one really wants to have their boobs just flapping around.” Run both by Fisher and her sister Abbie Miranda, 34, Beija, London, makes simple lingerie and swimwear up to a size 36 H. They saw a growth in bra sales over the past few months and found that, particularly women with larger busts, are still wearing underwire bras regardless of their engagement with the WFH lifestyle. However, they also found that there is in fact a growing demand for comfort. They intend to respond to this demand for comfort with plans to launch a new range of bras, with a more relaxed fit than their current underwire styles, for women with a larger bust in April 2021.

But will the great lingerie liberation of lockdown last? Based in NYC, Zoe Malliaros is a digital-first fashion and lifestyle publicist specializing in media relations, partnerships and talent management. She’s been working from home since lockdown dawned in the US. “After the first two braless weeks in lockdown I realised we were going to be home a lot longer than previously thought; so I started to get dressed again, and that meant putting on a bra ,” she tells me over Zoom. “But instead of a basic underwire I bought a million of the cotton Calvin Klein bralettes, so I’m addicted to those now. I just want to be comfortable.” Unless Malliaros is feeling herself a little something extra – wanting to appear feminine or sexy – she doesn’t revive her underwire classics. She predicts that after lockdown she’ll opt for bra styles that meet in the middle of braless abandonment and underwire support by instead electing non-wired styles. “Going wireless is just so comfortable,” she explains.

Imagine what we’ll do with all that pent-up wireless-ness once the pandemic is just another event for the history books. It’s too soon to say, but I can see the upcoming spring being a good time to revive the concept of wearing underwear above the waist – maybe with a little less wire this time around and a lot more comfort. So, come on ladies, throw your underwire bras to the curb and let’s make 2021 the most comfortable year yet.