The return to grace of “genderless” underwear

Plain black, white or grey, a simple logo on the elastic, in Stretch cotton: this season, Calvin Klein is putting forward its refined and “genderless” underwear. And instead of his erotic campaigns – Mark Wahlberg manfully grabbing his crotch in 1992; Christy Turlington languid and oiled in 2013 – the American brand, under the leadership of Raf Simons since 2016, had singer Solange Knowles pose seated, arms on her chest and legs closed.

A campaign that marks the return to favor of a sober aesthetic, far from the sexualized underwear that had its heyday, from the pin-ups of the 1950s to the chic porn of the 2000s. After fashion has standardized, these last years, masculine and feminine silhouettes, surfing on the phenomenon of “no gender” and the unisex wardrobe, now lingerie is decompartmentalizing in turn.

From hypersexualized to pure

Obviously, the manufacturers keep cuts adapted to each anatomy – bras or crop tops for women, a larger comfort pocket on briefs for men – but the codes (colors, prints, materials) are now the same. “Our range has a unisex aesthetic: minimalist and functional underwear, comfortable to wear, developed in gender-neutral and seasonal colors,” summarizes Peter Simonsson, head of the Parisian label The White Briefs.

Similar recipe at Les Girls Les Boys, a brand created in September 2017 by the former founder of Agent Provocateur, who swapped seductive collections for a mixed design. More confidential labels, such as Play Out in the United Kingdom, Pyramid Seven or TomboyX in the United States, go so far as to offer a single boxer, available in several sizes. "Our products are for anyone who doesn't find themselves in the current binary offering," says Fran Dunaway, co-founder of TomboyX.

A new generation that does not recognize itself (any more) in the voluptuous ads that have made the reputation of brands like Aubade. "This hypersexualization no longer concerns anyone: our buyers rather favor gender fluidity, humor, self-acceptance", observes Jonathan Shokrian, creator of MeUndies, a popular line founded in Los Angeles in 2011, which offers the same prints. for everyone.

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