Hey lingerie brands, did you know not all people are beige? In fact, 2016 Census data shows that over 40% of Americans are non-white. This means your beige bras, panties, hosiery, and control garments you call "nude" are not skin colored for almost half the population. What a missed opportunity. Take a lesson from Rihanna and the success of Fenty Beauty. When you recognize people come in more than one color, you make money and you create customers for life.
Instead of continuing my rant about major retailers carrying a limited color range, I'll share some brands that recognize and provide a nice variety of nude bras and other intimates for non-beige people.
With the tagline, "...a different kind of nude," Nubian Skin offers not just lingerie, but hosiery and shoes in a variety of nude-to-you shades. Four different shades of brown and black are offered in most of their bras, underwear, bodysuits, and slips (slips and bodysuits go up to XXL). Their hosiery comes in standard as well as curve/plus sizes. If you've wanted a skin-colored pointed pump or classic ballet flat, Nubian Skin has it. While this is a UK company, they ship to the US and Canada, accept returns, and for payment accept major credit cards as well as PayPal.
ThirdLove is a mail order bra and underwear company that prides itself on a great fit. They design their bras with real women's measurements and offer almost 60 sizes, including half-cup sizes for the best possible fit. Wear the bra, even wash it to decide if you want to keep or return it. All that, and they have a great selection of colors - we're talking five "naked" colors plus black and several gorgeous shades. I've pretty loyal to my specific underpinnings but after researching brands for this post I'm going to check out ThirdLove and hope to have a review on the blog in the future.
Bare Necessities is my go-to for underpinnings. They have the best selection of brands and sizes, and often have sales so you can get high end for low prices. They also have a great swimswear selection. 60 days for returns, reasonable shipping prices (free over $70), onsite support chat function, and virtual bra fitters just a phone call away... Bare Necessities rocks. They also rock for a variety of colors. When I searched bras by the color brown I found actual shades of brown, not beige or candle. I also found over 70 different options. It's harder to search by color for shapewear or panties, but they have dozens of pages and at first glance I saw some shades of tan and brown.
Hanky Panky makes my absolute favorite underwear; they're well made, comfortable, and attractive. Oh, and they're also made in the USA! Hanky Panky has several styles of panties available in brown, as well as one of their bralettes and tanks. Shipping is free for orders over $75 and they have a satisfaction guarantee for returns. While Hanky Panky is available at many retailers (and I always stock up during Nordstrom sales), you will find the best selection of sizes and colors on their site.
Can plain cotton underwear be decadent? It sure feels like it with Hanro. Free shipping and returns in the continental US, a small fee for those in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska. Their Invisible Cotton collection offers four styles of underwear in six neutral colors (four being shades of brown or tan). Through their site, they offer many other pieces like camisoles, full slips, and bras in shades of brown and tan. And don't let my first sentence be misleading; while Hanro is known for their amazing cotton intimates, they carry amazing pieces in other fabrics too.
America Eagle Outfitters' lingerie brand Aerie may seem geared towards young adults, but their bra selection is pretty impressive and it goes up to 38DD. They also have customer reviews to help you make the right purchase. Their Real Me collection offers bras and bralettes in a variety of support levels and nine neutral colors. Aerie prides themselves on not Photoshopping their models, and it is inspiring to see a variety of shapes and shades of women on their site. The return policy is generous and items can be returned for free to any American Eagle Outfitters, Aerie, AEO Factory or Tailgate store in the United States.
This post is dedicated to Tiffany who mentioned on Facebook that she was having a hard time finding bras, panties, and waist shapers that were in nude to her colors. If you have any suggestions past what I shared in this post, please share in the comments!
