wholesale lingerie "Lingerie is a daily necessity yet a constant source of frustration for most women," says Jiabei

Chen, the Harvard Law School graduate, who co-founded lingerie start-up Ampere. According to Chen,

she and her colleagues “were disappointed by both the product and the experience of shopping for

lingerie. We could never find anything we loved in our sizes and hated being fitted by complete

strangers in public spaces."

Another important differentiator amongst the new guard: Sizing. As for why Adore Me founder and CEO

Morgan Hermand-Waiche decided to launch his collection in 2011, he says: “There are not enough

alternatives for women in America to buy their intimates." Adore Me, a subscription based lingerie

service that boasts a selection of “Designer Lingerie For Every Body,” has gained widespread praise

for its inclusiveness.

The brand stocks bras that range in size from 30A to 44G; this is in stark contrast to Victoria’s

Secret, which stops at size 40DDD. "We really cover the full spectrum of sizes … [and] we're also

inclusive through our price," Hermand-Waiche says of his brand. "We finally made high-quality

lingerie affordable for everyone." Adore Me has also added speed to the mix. Traditional lingerie

brands tend to follow the two-collections (or so) per year approach; Adore Me introduces 30 to 40

piece collections once a month. And do not forget more accessible pricing.

Negative Underwear, a New York-based label founded in 2014, cut out the middle man in order to offer

consumers more affordable, yet still high quality, undergarments. Also embedded in Negative’s brand,

the desire to move away from traditionally “sexy” elements of lingerie, such as lace and frills,

that are meant to primarily appeal to men. The brand is, instead, interested in making pieces that

women deem to be sexy. This represents an important shift in perspective being introduced by these

new market participants.

Noe Garments, a label that splits time between studios in Laguna Beach, California, and Hanalei,

Kauai, offers sustainably-made and sourced wares that marry "function and fashion." Designed and

manufactured entirely in the U.S., Noe eschews trends in favor of putting forth garments that stand

the test of fashion's cycle of seasonality.