Lingerie is changing. From 2026-2031, women's underwear will focus on comfort, personal values, and inner strength, not just shaping or pleasing others. This shift is a major economic driver. The global lingerie market is set to grow, reaching over $140 billion by 2030 with a 6.1% CAGR.
This shift is fueled by the choice of empowered consumers, based on three key values: Comfort and wellness, Sustainability and ethical production, and Inclusivity and authenticity. The body positivity movement drives demand for products for all body types and skin tones.
Trend #1: The Comfort Revolution - "Bralette" and Wireless Styles Reign Supreme
The Nature of the Trend: A Fundamental Shift in Priorities
The lingerie market is seeing a major shift away from restrictive undergarments. Heavily padded, push-up, and rigid underwire bras are being replaced by new, unstructured, body-friendly designs. Data shows that the global underwire bra market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5%, and the bralette market, worth over $37 billion by 2023, is also growing at a similar rate. This shift is driven by global changes such as remote working, making comfort an everyday necessity.
Why This Trend Will Explode: Wellness as a Lifestyle
The growing wellness movement drives the rise of comfort-focused lingerie. Consumers are now more aware of their bodies and are questioning the long-term impacts of traditional, restrictive underwear. This has led to concerns about underwire bras, as they can pinch skin, limit blood flow, and hinder lymphatic system function. As a result, choosing wireless options has become a deliberate health choice for many women, not just a preference.
This demand for health-driven comfort is now widely achievable due to major advancements in materials and manufacturing. The shift away from underwires has spurred textile innovations that provide support without stiffness. This has led to the widespread use of new fabrics and advanced production methods, making the comfort revolution accessible for all bust sizes.
Product examples:
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Bralettes and Wireless Bras: These are key to the comfort trend. Bralettes now range from simple lace to high-performance blends, functioning as both underwear and fashion. Modern wireless bras provide strong support for all bust sizes through smart design, wider comfort bands, and innovative molded cups, making underwires unnecessary for many.
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High-Waisted Briefs: These popular panties offer light tummy control, a smooth look under clothes, and the comfort and security consumers want.
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Seamless Construction: Seamless knitting, using advanced machinery, creates garments in one piece, eliminating irritating seams. This "second skin" feel is vital for comfort and also reduces fabric waste, supporting sustainability. The global seamless underwear market is projected to grow by almost 8%, showing strong demand.
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Advanced Materials & Waistbands: The fabric's feel is essential. TENCEL Modal is now a standard for comfort, known for its softness, breathability, and color retention. Waistbands are also improving, with wider, seamless options made from brushed microfiber, polyester, or cotton-elastane blends. These offer a secure, pinch-free fit. Automated sewing guarantees consistent elastic tension, boosting both comfort and quality.
Trend #2: Conscious Beauty - Green Materials and Ethical Production
The Nature of the Trend: Buying Values, Not Just Products
Today's consumers buy more than just clothes; they buy a brand's story and values. A brand's ethical stance and supply chain transparency are now as important as fit and style. This is not a minor issue: 85% of consumers consider sustainability when buying, and 78% will pay more for eco-friendly intimates. This focus on conscious consumption has led to a 35% increase in demand for sustainable lingerie, showing that "green" is now a key market driver.
Why This Trend Will Explode: Transparency is the New Standard
This trend is driven by increased global awareness of fashion's huge environmental impact. Reports on textile dyeing being the second-largest water polluter and the massive waste from fast fashion have changed consumer thinking. As a result, shoppers are demanding accountability. They want to know the origin, materials, and makers of their clothing. Brands offering this transparency earn trust and loyalty, while those that don't risk becoming irrelevant or seen as irresponsible.
Product examples:
The drive for sustainability is fueling a dual-pronged innovation engine, transforming both the materials used in lingerie and the processes by which they are made.
Sustainable Materials:
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Recycled Nylon (ECONYL): A top innovation in a circular fashion, ECONYL is nylon regenerated from waste like fishing nets and old carpets. This process converts waste into new nylon yarn, identical to virgin nylon. It prevents plastic pollution and saves significant crude oil and CO2 emissions.
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Recycled Lace: Manufacturers are now creating beautiful lace from recycled polyamide and elastane. This offers the romantic look of lace without the environmental impact of new materials, blending luxury with sustainability.
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Organic Cotton: GOTS-certified organic cotton is a sustainable basic, offering big environmental benefits over regular cotton. It's grown without toxic pesticides and fertilizers, using up to 91% less water and 62% less energy.
Sustainable Processes:
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Waterless & Water-Saving Dyeing: Supercritical CO2 Dyeing uses pressurized carbon dioxide as a dye solvent, consuming almost no water, eliminating wastewater, and allowing CO2 and unused dye recovery in a closed-loop system. Innovations like AirDye and low-liquor ratio dyeing machines also significantly cut water and energy use.
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Natural Dyes: Plant-based dyes from sources like pomegranate rinds, madder roots, and indigo leaves are seeing a resurgence. These dyes are non-toxic, biodegradable, and can also add benefits like antibacterial and UV-protective properties to the fabric.
Trend #3: Beauty for Everybody - The Ascendancy of Plus-Size and Diverse Skin Tones
The Nature of the Trend: Demolishing Outdated Beauty Standards
The lingerie industry is shifting dramatically, moving from a single beauty standard to embracing all forms of diversity. This is not just marketing; it is a market realignment driven by the strong body positivity movement. The global plus-size clothing market, a clear sign of this change, is set to hit an amazing USD 412.39 billion by 2030. This growth is about more than just selling bigger clothes; it is about recognizing and serving a long-ignored consumer base, which opens up huge commercial opportunities and builds strong brand loyalty.
Why This Trend Will Explode: Representation and Market Demand
The business case for inclusivity is clear. In the U.S., around 68% of women wear a size 14 or larger, an enormous, underserved market. Inclusivity's rise is fueled by two main drivers: a social movement and a huge market need. The body positivity movement empowers consumers to demand products and marketing that reflect them. Brands ignoring this risk are losing significant market share to more forward-thinking rivals.
Product examples:
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Expanded and Specialized Size Ranges: Inclusivity means more than just adding "XL." It's a full product development rethink. Brands now offer sizes from XXS to 4XL (even 15X) and bra cups up to H and I. This demands significant investment in pattern-making and fitting diverse body models to ensure plus-size garments offer the same comfort, support, and look as standard sizes.
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Diverse "Nude" Palettes: The idea of "nude" has been transformed. Brands now offer many shades to match human skin tones, showing racial inclusivity and valuing all customers.
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Authentic and Inclusive Marketing: Top campaigns now feature models of diverse sizes, ages, ethnicities, and abilities. This real representation strongly resonates with consumers who seek brands that celebrate real bodies, not just unattainable beauty standards.
This trend presents a major operational challenge. More sizes and colors mean a huge increase in SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), risking inventory for brands using traditional wholesale. However, agile manufacturing and data-driven D2C models offer a competitive edge. By using data for better forecasting and working with flexible manufacturers, brands can produce smaller, targeted batches, test the market, and scale successful products, thus reducing the risk of offering truly inclusive ranges.
Trend #4: Blurring the Lines - Underwear as Outerwear
The Nature of the Trend: From Foundation to Fashion Statement
A striking trend for 2026-2031 is that lingerie is becoming a public fashion statement. "Underwear as outerwear" means intentionally featuring traditionally hidden items like bralettes, bodysuits, and corsets as outfit focal points, not accidental exposure. This trend, already popular on runways and in street style, will significantly blur the lines between lingerie and ready-to-wear.
Why This Trend Will Explode: Confidence, Culture, and Versatility
This trend showcases empowered consumers who deliberately turn private items into public statements of confidence, style, and freedom, challenging old norms. This cultural shift is boosted by:
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Street Style and Celebrity Influence: Fashion leaders and celebrities have popularized this look, showing its versatility and high-fashion appeal.
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A Statement of Self-Expression: This trend connects to female empowerment and body positivity, communicating confidence and modern femininity.
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Versatility and Conscious Consumption: With consumers building "capsule wardrobes" and valuing items more, a single garment that works as both lingerie and a stylish top offers greater versatility and better cost-per-wear.
Product examples:
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The Bodysuit: This is the perfect crossover item. Designers are crafting bodysuits from luxury materials like lace, satin, mesh, and velvet, perfect for pairing with high-waisted jeans, tailored trousers, or skirts for a polished look.
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The Bralette and Corset: These are now statement tops. A delicate lace bralette under an open blazer or a structured corset over a simple t-shirt, or worn alone, is a popular choice for fashion-forward consumers.
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The Visible Waistband: A 90s revival, intentionally showing a branded or decorative panty waistband above low-rise bottoms is making a strong return, especially among Gen Z and in streetwear.
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Parallel Trend in Menswear: This trend's significance is also seen in men's fashion, with premium and designer boxer shorts increasingly worn as casual outerwear shorts, blurring traditional apparel lines.
This change in style creates strict new manufacturing demands. Since underwear is now meant to be visible, its construction quality must be perfect. Seams, stitching, and finishing must match the high standards of premium outerwear.
Trend #5: The Return of Exquisite & Romantic Femininity
The Nature of the Trend: An Appreciation for Artistry
Alongside the focus on comfort, there is a strong and growing appreciation for lingerie as an art form. This trend highlights a desire for beautifully made, sensual, and romantic pieces that prioritize beauty, artistry, and luxurious materials. This does not go against the comfort trend; it complements it. It acknowledges that modern women have diverse lives and need a "lingerie wardrobe" for different moods and occasions—from comfortable wear for remote work to special, beautifully crafted sets for personal indulgence.
Why This Trend Will Explode: The Search for Timeless Luxury
This move towards exquisite lingerie directly rejects fast fashion's disposability. As consumers learn more about the environmental and ethical costs of cheap clothes, they are embracing "slow fashion." This means buying fewer, higher-quality pieces that last. A well-made lingerie set is now seen as a long-term investment in personal well-being and timeless style, similar to a classic wool coat or fine jewelry.
Market data strongly supports this. While the cheap, mass-market still dominates, premium and luxury lingerie segments are forecast to grow fastest, potentially at an 8.9% CAGR. Rising incomes drive this growth in emerging markets, and global consumers are willing to pay more for superior quality, craftsmanship, and brand story.
Product examples:
This trend focuses on premium materials and sophisticated details.
Premium Materials:
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Leavers Lace: This luxurious lace is known for intricate patterns and traditional craftsmanship. Often from French regions like Calais (earning the Dentelle de Calais-Caudry designation), it signifies a high-end garment.
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Fine Silks and Satins: These fabrics are the height of luxury, valued for their shine, drape, and smooth feel, forming the base of high-end lingerie.
Sophisticated Details:
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Intricate Embroidery: Delicate, artistic embroidery, from subtle florals to complex geometric patterns, is key. Often on fine tulle or mesh, it creates a "tattoo-like" effect, adding texture and visual art.
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Refined and Daring Cuts: Designs are increasingly sophisticated, including elegant balcony bras, bodysuits with unique asymmetrical lines or strategic cut-outs, and silhouettes precisely crafted to flatter natural body curves.
Conclusion
The five trends predicted for 2026-2031 are not separate. They are linked parts of a strong consumer revolution. This new era is about empowerment, true self-expression, and conscious choices. Modern women are no longer just following trends but actively shaping their wardrobes and the lingerie industry's future.
For Consumers: Choose lingerie that reflects your values. Demand comfort, support sustainability, celebrate inclusivity, and express your unique style. Your choices vote for the kind of world and fashion industry you want. Check out our similar article on the men's underwear trends that will shape the market in the next 5 years for a multi-dimensional view.
For Brands: The future of lingerie is complex, but the opportunity is immense. To navigate these powerful trends, you need a manufacturing partner as agile and innovative as you are. K&G Garment has the technology, expertise, and dedication to help you create collections that will lead the market. Contact our team today to discuss bringing your vision to life.
Contact K&G Garment:
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Email: manufacture@kgvietnam.com
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Telephone/WhatsApp:(+84) 888969887
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