Lingerie And Body Positivity
The Lingerie Industry's Journey to Embracing All Bodies
(This Post was originally published on March 14th 202 and updated on May 25th 2023)
For far too long, the lingerie industry promoted a narrow beauty ideal that made many women feel inadequate. Advertising predominantly featured thin, young, white models that hardly represented the diversity of our community and this restrictive standard often damaged our self-esteem.
Fortunately, social media has given women a platform to call for change. The body positivity movement blossomed as we demanded more inclusive, empowering representation. Lingerie brands faced growing pressure to expand who they reach.
Image : Anete Lusina
The Industry Shifts Towards Inclusivity and Body Positivity
In response, brands have started making important changes:
Hiring models of all sizes, ages, ethnicities, and abilities
Expanding size ranges to be more inclusive
Using unretouched photos that celebrate natural beauty
Focusing on confidence and self-love over sex appeal
This shift aims to help women finally feel seen, respected, and comfortable in their skin. Lingerie has transformed from objectifying to uplifting.
“With mounting pressure to be inclusive and diverse, lingerie brands had to find a solution.
They began hiring models of different sizes & ethnicities. expanded their range to include larger sizes &
the Industry shifted its focus to embrace inclusivity, diversity, and acceptance, with
body positivity at the forefront”.
The Historical Evolution of Lingerie
For centuries, restrictive corsets defined women's undergarments, until pioneer Lucile Duff-Gordon introduced lightweight liberating designs in the late 1800s.
Into the 1900s, lingerie was focused more on altering body shape, and practicality, such as hygiene, and modesty, than comfort.
Advertising in the 1920s-1960s shifted focus to the breasts and hips.
The 1970s marked a dramatic change, with lingerie now being marketed explicitly for sex appeal, leading to objectification and although this sparked innovation, it also led to the objectification of women.
Unattainable ideals caused problems until the early 2000s, when social media enabled the rise of the body positivity movement.
The industry could no longer ignore the call for inclusive, empowering lingerie. Brands today are finally embracing diversity and self-love
Image : Anete Lusina
Olyinka Lingerie Leads the Way
Olyinka Lingerie has made body positivity central to its mission. Our goal is for all women to feel beautiful and empowered when wearing our designs.
When Olyinka Lingerie was conceived, our goal was to produce beautiful lingerie while challenging the over-sexualization prevalent in the industry. Our mission is to portray lingerie as garments meant to accentuate, flatter, and beautify women.
To support this narrative, we launched Olyinka Magazine ™, a digital magazine promoting body positivity, confidence, and self-esteem. Our social media and blog provide inspiration to help women on their journey to confidence and self-love, We firmly believe that women should be celebrated and honored rather than objectified.
While the lingerie industry has made significant progress, there is still much work to be done. We invite you to join the movement. Subscribe to OlyinkaMagazine™ for inspiring content delivered to your inbox. Please join us!
Let's work together to create a world where bodies of all shapes, sizes, and colours are celebrated. A world where lingerie makes every woman feel sexy, confident, and empowered.
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Olyinka is a brand that produces beautiful, handcrafted, bespoke lingerie. Our mission is to change the narrative within the lingerie industry by encouraging, inspiring, and empowering women. We do this via our monthly newsletters, as well as giving you first access to exclusive news, freebies, and discounts. So sign up below! Become a part of our movement! And as a thank you, you will receive 10% off your first lingerie purchase. Sign up here!