While stay-at-home life set off a wild range of unforeseen trends in 2020 (matching sweatsuits, nap dresses, sourdough starters), one item, in particular, got the long-overdue attention it deserved: underwear. No longer sequestered to the back corners of our top drawers, ultra-comfy, full-coverage undies — particularly those of the granny variety — continue to see a spike in demand. And it looks like when it comes to underwear, the bigger-is-better motto applies — which is excellent news for the mother-daughter duo behind the brand Bloomers.
Her Highness Lace Underwear in White, $38
“I thought to myself, ‘I can’t be the only woman in the world looking for comfortable, sexy granny panties,” Bloomers’ co-founder Dr. Shaula Alexander Yemini explains to Refinery29. “Being an entrepreneur, when I see a void in the marketplace, I have to do something about it. And that’s how Bloomers was born.” All of the brand’s high-waisted undies are constructed with four-way stretch lace and offered in sizes XS to 2XL, in four jewel-inspired colors: pearl, amethyst, rose quartz, and onyx. The comfortable full-coverage bottoms veer into the “sexy” category thanks to the clingy, transparent fabrication and a scalloped hem that lends a boudoir-ish elegance to the sleepy silhouette. Each pair is $38 and comes with a reusable mesh laundry bag for easy machine washing.
These are worth every penny, I want them in every color. Happy divorce present to me!
BLOOMERS REVIEWER
“During the pandemic, shoppers started prioritizing comfort over style, and granny panties fit the new WFH lifestyle,” says Bloomers‘ co-founder Noa Arias — so a year into a global quarantine, Arias launched the brand alongside her mother, a former tech entrepreneur. She believes the designs by Bloomers — high-waist, fullback lace undies that are guaranteed to be wedgie-free — are poised for popularity, even with restrictions easing, more employees returning to offices, and couch-bound comfort-wear returning to a weekends-only rotation. “Now that we’re heading back to normal, we don’t want to give up being comfortable, [but]we’re eager to be fashionable once again,” Arias explains. “Bloomers’ briefs are the best of both worlds: They have all the comfort and coverage of a granny panty, but they’re made from a soft, stylish lace with a scalloped edge.”
Her Highness Lace Brief in Amethyst, $38
According to the retail intelligence platform Edited, lingerie is expected to hit $250 billion by 2022, and “granny panties” à la Bridget Jones (who would more likely use the British term “big knickers”) are in. In the same way that comfort came first for all other garments during lockdown, bottoms with both high-waist and full-coverage are outselling hipster styles. Bloomers adopts this comfort-centric approach in a way that’s still sexy — evidenced by a flood of online reviews from customers who prize the brand’s signature mix of comfort and curb appeal. “These are worth every penny, I want them in every color,” wrote a reviewer named Charlotte. “Actually, maybe I’ll get every color. Happy divorce present to me!”Ashima G. wrote that “[t]hese undies are sexy with the benefit of full coverage,” and Jen commented that they made them feel “instantly cute and comfy. So flattering (with and without clothes) and great quality.”
Her Highness Lace Brief in Onyx, $38
These may not be your grandma’s granny panties, but according to reviewers, they certainly feel like it. So if you have any qualms about leaving your quarantine wardrobe behind as you reclaim your pre-2020 lifestyle, know that there’s underwear out there that offers a cute, comfortable compromise.
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