Lovely looks for women’s luxury underwear

Wearing something beautiful and supportive under your clothes is one surefire way to feeling good. One myth about ladies lingerie is that it’s all about catering to a male gaze; well, we beg to differ, and so do the underwear and pyjamas experts at Next.

We’ve found some lovely styles at Next, that prove that lingerie for everyday use can help you in looking good and feeling good for yourself; you don’t need anyone else to share it with!

With that in mind, we’ve surveyed the lingerie offerings and collated some key looks and trends which are getting a lot of attention. And because we know that value is also important, we’ve picked out some great high street examples from Next. So here are our three favourite lingerie trends for 2012:

Mesh

Lace has a new competitor when it comes to pretty fabrics, and that’s mesh. Sheer looks and mesh panels are lingerie’s favourite new thing; flirty without being too cutesy. We love these black floral WOW mini-briefs (pictured) whose mesh side panels are both well-fitting and really pretty. Pairing a brightly-coloured pattern with a sheer panel is a much-loved look; as too are mesh overlays on bras, or all-mesh bras.

Retro shapes

Balcony bras, long-line bras and structure looks are all the rage this year, as the recession and a fascination with bygone eras has us all hawking after ‘vintage vintage vintage’! Think boned bras with slightly more conical shapes, bigger support on the ribs and sides, and some little details such as bows, spots or double straps. This longline bra also comes with ruffled briefs, which we think are extremely cute.

Eye-popping colour

The Guardian’s excellent fashion section picked out some dream 2012 lingerie pieces earlier this year, and they rightly honed in on one major trend for lingerie: colour. And plenty of it. Deep plums and fuchsias to bright blues and corals, and even some neon yellow and orange – even if it’s only the trim. Go for the brightest you can think of – and you can combine this trend with the mesh look as well. Hot pinks and oranges with mesh side panels: a winner!