In lingerie, there’s fantasy (push-ups, supermodels, runway extravaganzas), and then there’s reality (bodies in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes with stretch marks). But normalizing what’s normal still looks pretty radical, so let’s hear it for these three Toronto-based lingerie labels championing a diverse vision of what’s sexy.
Fortnight
[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BX83c5MhxrW hidecaption=true] [instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BgU4U9oBdQE hidecaption=true]Handmade right here in Toronto, Fortnight aims to make “women feel most like their true selves,” and that means lacy underthings for all kinds of figures. The label recently teamed up with model/body-positivity promoter Candice Huffine on a 12-piece capsule collection, available in expanded sizing (including B/D-38/40, DD38, E36, F34, G30/32 and XXL bottoms, slips and bodysuits). Watch out for its next joint effort: #MisfitxFortnight—a collaboration with Toronto’s Misfit Studio.
Knixwear
[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BeNzmzYh5hh hidecaption=true] [instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgq_f3WhkpK hidecaption=true]On more than one occasion, a friend has randomly raved about Knixwear’s supreme comfort. Founded by former music publicist Joanna Griffiths and proudly designed in Toronto, the brand is particularly known for its no-underwire bras (from A to E cups), and its cheeky “Every Woman Is An Angel” side-eye. If you’re feeling less than body confident, you’ll realize you’re not alone with a scroll through Knixwear’s Instagram, where women get real about the insecurities they’ve worked through.
Mary Young
[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BdwNRmDD0Ky hidecaption=true] [instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BTWgiLwDJ8e hidecaption=true]Glance at Mary Young’s signature pieces—like the mesh-border bralettes—and the va-voom appeal is obvious. But her lingerie, designed in Toronto and ethically made in Montreal, is actually all about comfort, favouring soft fabrics like jersey and knit to encourage women to appreciate their natural shape. (Of course, what’s sexier than self-confidence?) Last year, Young also launched the Self Love Club, a way of sparking conversation on women’s body image and self-acceptance.