Feminist Lingerie Is The Body-Positive Underwear We’ve Been Waiting For

Lingerie and feminism have never been easy bedfellows. With half-naked women lying suggestively on beds or hanging off men in sharp suits, a typical lingerie advert is enough to make any right-thinking woman roll their eyes in disgust.

But one woman is refusing to look the other way.

Hayat Rachi hopes to revolutionise the industry with the world’s first ‘feminist lingerie’ – and no, it doesn’t involve burning your bra.

Neon Moon empowers women through body positivity and the non-objectification of women.

“I always wondered – if lingerie didn’t have the sexualised context from the moment we are given our first bra, would it help girls pursue more in life? Not everything is about looking sexy, or fulfilling the male gaze,” says Rachi.

Tired of being pushed-up and sucked-in by conventional lingerie, Rachi created a “body-loving” product that “fits to women’s bodies, rather than the other way around”. She has created a Kickstarter campaign with £5,000 target to raise funds to develop the product and take it to market.

Neon Moon uses comfortable designs – bamboo fabric, soft cups and zero under-wiring – that is not just supportive women’s bodies but adapts to the female body as it changes.

“Women’s bodies are changing all the time,” she explains. “External factors such as diet, stress and menstrual cycle can make women’s bodies fluctuate.”

She firmly believes that underwear should accommodate this rather than make a woman feel negative.

“Girls should not have to question why they look a certain way or feel that they have to conform to society’s pressures. It’s important for girls to not compare themselves to unachievable standards of ‘beauty’. Rather, they need to reclaim the right to their bodies and decide how it should look for them and not for others,” she says.

To show the commitment to body positivity, Neon Moon are using unconventional models and un-photoshopped images.

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Rachi called her models one week before the photoshoot to ask them not to remove any body hair or do any grooming before the shoot.

“I wanted to show what a real woman looks like,” she says. “They have pubic hair, stretch marks, cellulite and acne, it’s important to show that.”

The garments are available in S, M, L, which caters up to size UK 14. Rachi hopes to develop the brand further so that they can cater to larger sizes.

Check out some of the refreshing images below, and if you want to support Neon Moon’s Kickstarter campaign click here.

• Fitria Tjandra

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• Michelle Long

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Plus-size Models Sell More Lingerie, Especially Brunettes

Blondes may have more fun, but brunette plus-size models are selling more lingerie to the masses, according to data gathered by a New York City unmentionables startup.

New York City-based Adore Me launched its first national television campaign in January and ran three sets of commercials on Bravo, Lifetime and MTV with different ad order numbers to gauge which ads resonated best with customers, reported CNN Money.

The TV spots with plus-size brunette models quadrupled online sales when compared to ads featuring blondes, and not just from women buying plus-sized items, Adore Me founder Morgan Hermand-Waiche told CNN.

“There’s an overall mentality that you have to be super skinny,” said Hermand-Waiche. “We are showing that we offer lingerie for everyone.”

The testing has helped Adore Me in its growth, according to CNN Money, with revenue totaled $5.6 million in 2013.

“Brunettes overall sell better than blondes,” said Hermand-Waiche. “Our customers – and women in general – prefer brunettes when it comes to purchasing lingerie. It’s what we’ve seen.”

Plus-size models have been receiving more attention over the past year. Robyn Lawley, a size 12, was the first plus-size model to be featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in February, noted CNN.

Say hello to the newest member of the #SISwim family… @Robynlawley! http://t.co/e4j8eDRSpB pic.twitter.com/vaMy6kYMry

— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 5, 2015

The issue also had an ad featuring plus-size swimsuit model Ashley Graham for the swimwear brand swimsuitsforall, according to London’s Daily Mail.

“I know my curves are sexy and I want everyone else to know that theirs are too,” said Graham. “There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt. The world is ready for more curves in bikinis. Swimsuitsforall helps women feel confident and sexy in swimsuits and I am so thrilled to be a part of the Curves in Bikinis campaign.”

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• Candice Huffine: Plus-size Model Sees Changes for Curvy Women

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