Last month, I spent three days visiting the Salon International de la Lingerie, Europe’s largest lingerie trade show, for the second time. I wrote about my general impressions of the show for Lingerie Briefs, but here, I wanted to share some of the top trends I spotted from the well over 150 brands exhibiting.
2026 lingerie color trend: purple
At last year’s show, I saw a ton of green and quite a lot of purple too. This time, it was the other way round – still a fair amount of green, but purple really stood out as a recurring colour theme.
A focus on silk
As for fabrics, there was a notable emphasis on sustainable fabrics. Big and small brands alike are using recycled materials, while the smaller ones are also focusing heavily on natural fibres. There was also one brand there, Le Boudoir Los Angeles, which uses deadstock.
In particular, there was plenty of silk lingerie and nightwear to be found, including various fully silk-focused labels. The use of silk wasn’t always just about looking luxurious, at some brands it was also about creating pieces which felt extra luxurious on the skin by incorporating it as a lining fabric too.
Lingerie-meets-outerwear
This is one of the same trends I wrote about after last year’s show, but it was still very prevalent so it bears repeating: now more than ever, brands are designing lingerie with outerwear styling specifically in mind.
They know that people are looking for pieces that can wear to be seen (many of those I spoke to were quick to point out how their pieces could be worn as part of an outfit), and they’re providing through fuller-coverage silhouettes such as ‘crop top’ bras, bras with incorporated or matching sleeves, and bodysuits, as well as versatile sheer pieces that can be layered into a look in interesting ways. I didn’t photograph them, but one of the designs at the show that had lots of people talking was Léonie Mauchant’s all-in-one sheer skirt and tights combination.
Ultra-invisible essentials
I didn’t really think to take any good photos that demonstrate this (since it’s not that visually-exciting a trend), but among the mainstream brands, there’s a real focus right now on creating the sleekest, smoothest everyday pieces possible. That means seamless cups, bonded seams, laser-cut edges, light-feeling control fabrics, all typically in a palette of skin tones for enhanced invisibility. Call it the Skims effect.
Technology is improving to keep pace – apparently, Wacoal showcased a new “Flawless” line that incorporated ultrasonic bonding, which doesn’t even require the use of glue. And other brands are using modern, ultra-flat laces which merge functional design with delicacy and style.
Statement hip details
I’m not sure I saw enough of this to really call it a trend, but Carvaro, Maria Lucia Hohan and Nueame were all showcasing pieces with exaggerated hips, and I’ve also recently seen similar, albeit softer, takes on the look from Thistle & Spire (plus a less-exaggerated but nonetheless similar version at Maison Close). So perhaps it’s a micro trend? It’s a silhouette that would certainly tie in with the resurgence of panniers in fashion. See also: Soreil’s pannier suspender belt on the catwalk at Curve, another lingerie trade show.
Stylish period underwear
There were a couple of exclusively period underwear-focused brands at the Salon this year, both showcasing delicate, more traditionally ‘lingerie’-looking pieces such as lace and thongs. Generally speaking, there’s a lot more style-focused period underwear around now than when this product type first started to gain mainstream popularity around a decade ago. It definitely seems like the direction the period underwear industry will continue to move in.
Which of these trends are you most excited about, or which specific pieces from my photos have caught your eye? There is one brand in particular which really caught my eye, and I will be sharing more photos of just their designs very soon because they deserve a special standalone shout-out!