Is the bra an endangered species? As the sunny days continue, we continue to see breasts loose under T-shirts. A finding in agreement with the various polls which, for several years, show that the share of women in France who would do without a bra is constantly changing. Among those under 25, this phenomenon would even concern more than one in ten French women. What give cold sweats to lingerie brands, who wonder: how to sell lingerie to women who seem to no longer want it?
In itself, the “no bra », which designates the fact of going without a bra on a daily basis, is not new: this movement appeared in the 1960s, when women brandished their bras to proclaim their right to abortion or contraception. This trend picked up again in the wake of the MeToo movement at the end of 2017. “For several seasons, the 18-25 year olds, who are our target, have claimed the fact of doing without a bra as a way of freeing the body, but also as a way of not giving in to the diktat of the codes of seduction”analyzes Isolde Andouard, general manager of the lingerie label Undiz.
On Instagram, the hashtag #nobramovment (the movement without a bra) now has 1.2 million posts
Beyond feminist demands, the “no bra” also experienced a huge boost with the Covid-19. “The way of consuming has changed during the confinements”explains Julie Jamet, Marketing and Communications Director of Etam. “At home, without the need to go out or go to work, women have realized the comfort of going without a bra”, observes Morgane Lamarre Rétoré, head of lingerie purchasing at Galeries Lafayette. On Instagram, the hashtag #nobramovment (the movement without a bra) now has 1.2 million publications and shows the extent of the phenomenon.
“When sales were complicated in 2020 with the shops closed, we really wondered about the consequences of these new demands for us in terms of style”, admits Samar Vignals, brand and product director at Aubade. Like most of its historical colleagues, the corset-maker created in 1958 has made it a priority to improve the comfort of its products. Aubade has made every effort to banish components that are likely to scratch, has developed softer microfiber materials and finishes so that straps or underwires no longer leave marks on the skin, and has expanded its range of wire-free bras. At Etam, “bralettes” (a strange term designating models without underwiring) are also more and more numerous and sales of fine lace triangle tops have doubled since winter 2019.
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