Just because we’re all about comfort these days doesn’t mean we’ve given up. It just means we’ve given up on uncomfortable, constraining clothes such as underwire bras, G-strings, and those pesky tags and clasps that come along with them.
Since our underwear is pretty much the only thing that changes from day to day right now, maybe it’s time to spice things up. And what better way to explore our boudoir fashion sense than with these five locally made B.C. brands?
Hirrs
This two-woman design and retail team, formerly of the upscale comfort brand Kit + Ace, is particularly well placed to bring us comfort. Lacey Norton and Elizabeth Davey launched their bodywear line Hirrs earlier this year to bridge the gap between sport and lingerie.
In time for the holiday season, the new nude collection (available online and locally in Vancouver boutiques such as One of a Few and Sunja Link Body Shoppe) rounds out the original launch of Hirrs’ sheer black pieces.
Image courtesy of Hirrs.
These are not your grandma’s nudes. Sheer, sexy, yet eminently lightweight and comfortable, this range is all about enhancing a woman’s figure rather than altering it. Victoria’s Secret this is not.
Christine Lingerie
Over 40 years ago, Christine Morton married her grandmother’s lace with a love of romance and has been designing lingerie ever since. Crafted in her Gastown atelier, her handmade wares and expertise have caught the eye of celebrities everywhere: from Chrissy Teigen to Laura Dern, these lacy underthings have become the defacto lingerie-to-the-stars.
This holiday, Christine Lingerie’s new yet timeless Valentina chemise, made of silk charmeuse and hand-appliqéed French lace, suits both boudoir and bedroom in peony and crimson.
Image courtesy of Christine Lingerie.
Saxx
Next to women’s lingerie, innovation in men’s underwear often gets short shrift, but guys need some support too.
After a fishing trip in a clammy ocean suit, Kelowna-based Trent Kitsch figured there must be a better way to stay comfortable down there without bunching or basically hanging in free fall.
Image courtesy of Saxx Underwear.
Saxx (available online and locally at retailers such as Nordstrom, Harry Rosen, and Ray Rickburn) features a proprietary BallPark Pouch that aims to keep things in place with a baseball-glove-like design.
The goal—to reduce chafing and perspiration while increasing breathability—means men can work or play all day free from sweaty constraints.
Ôde
Ôde relocated to Vancouver this year, five years after its launch in a small studio in Amsterdam.
Image courtesy of Ôde.
Its Parisian-born founder, Sihame Lucio, now brings her European savoir faire to the local lingerie game, along with lace sourced from family-run ateliers in France. Such handmade lace can last for years, key in moving the needle toward more sustainable clothing.
Just as you want to know where your food or beauty products come from, so, too, should you be aware of what materials are used in the lingerie that hugs your skin.
Image courtesy of Ôde.
The stretchy Simplicité bralette in Ôde’s gold sunflower Cassiopée is made of delicate French lace from Calais-Caudry and has been specially designed, produced, and dyed for Ôde by the family-run manufacturer Carpentier & Preux.
The European-made sliders’ rings and hooks are gold-plated and nickel-free, while the straps were carefully dyed in an Oeko-Tex atelier, which certifies non-harmful substances. Collections are both elevated and inclusive in extra comfy cuts.
Image courtesy of Ôde.
Modern Match
At the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako rivers sits Prince George, that bastion of forestry, mining—and now, lingerie.
Modern Match is a new B.C. brand that’s exactly that: modern and a match for today’s no-nonsense woman. The brand hopes to show women that when we wear comfortable lingerie for ourselves and not for others, we’ll feel more confident.
Image courtesy of Modern Match Lingerie.
Think of it as a badge of sisterhood. And each month, join the Bra Bra Sisterhood Zoom meeting to spotlight a sister who’s on a mission to improve women’s lives.
Modern Match is committed to creating a culture around female empowerment while focusing on self-discovery one bra at a time. Right now, with the purchase of a bra, it will add a free Lace Back Cheeky panty or a Go-To Thong to your order.
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