Madewell Is On a Mission to Make Your Underwear Drawer a Lot Chiller
There was a time when the general idea behind bras was to aggressively pad, lift, and separate (the Wonderbra years: do not miss). Thankfully these days, bras have gotten a lot, well, chiller. The last few years have seen a huge spike in the popularity of bralettes that provide unobtrusive support, rather than poking you with underwires, and aiming your boobs somewhere in the direction of your chin. Underwear has gone through a similar evolution: These days, full-coverage bottoms are not only a hot-seller, they’re also considered as sexy — if not more so — than that scourge of the early 2000s, the thong.
It’s into this climate that Madewell launches its first-ever line of intimates, debuting online and in all of its stores today (you can find the line at all Nordstroms, too). The collection consists of 42 pieces: 16 bralettes and 26 bottoms in three fabrics.
As with everything Madewell does, the vibe is effortless cool-girl, not sexpot or try-hard. There’s not an underwire or a bit of padding to be seen anywhere — a boon to those of us who are perfectly happy with what nature gave us, thanks very much. The fabrics range from a lovely, lightly-stretchy cotton, to lace, and a subtly sexy, and not too transparent mesh. Even the prices are chill: they range from a decidedly sane $12.50 to $32.
If you’re looking to refresh your underwear drawer with pieces that feel good on and are sexy, but not in an overheated male-fantasy kind of way, this line is for you. This author is currently wearing the cotton Eliza bralette, with its cute diamond cutout, and feels both un-squished and utterly cool. I like it so much, I’m buying it in colorblock blush and black next. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Shop the new Madewell intimates collection online, and at all Madewell and Nordstrom stores.
Read more:
It’s Official: Thongs Are Out, Granny Panties Are In
