From moisture-wicking fabrics and seamless designs to eco-friendly materials and inclusive sizing, the innerwear industry is embracing innovation to enhance the wearer’s experience like never before…
Innerwear has come a long way from merely a basic necessity to a bold fashion statement in the new-age. Today, it’s no longer just about functionality but also about style, comfort, and self-expression. Consumers are increasingly seeking pieces that are both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable which has led to this evolution.
Brands are responding to this shift by offering a diverse range of designs, fabrics, and fits, catering to various tastes and body types. As the market expands, fuelled by the rise of organised retail and e-commerce, innerwear is becoming a lucrative segment within the broader apparel industry.
Market Highlights
The innerwear market in India has experienced significant growth over the past decade, demonstrating remarkable resilience even during challenging times. Valued at Rs 61,091 crore in 2023, the market is projected to reach Rs 75,466 crore by 2025, with a robust CAGR of 11.2%, according to a study conducted by Wazir Advisors. Together, the inner and comfortwear market is projected to be valued at Rs 91,306 crore in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 12.1% between 2023-25, with innerwear accounting for over 80% of this market.
Within this, the women’s innerwear market is highly competitive, with several global and regional players. Some of the major players in the market include Jockey, Van Heusen Innerwear, Zivame, Wacoal, Clovia, Body Care Creations, Victoria Secret, Triumph International, Calvin Klein and Amante.
Our cover story delves into the current trends, challenges, and opportunities within the Indian Innerwear Sector. We explore how brands are innovating to cater to diverse consumer needs, the role of technology in product development and retail, and the evolving competitive landscape. With a focus on key market players, emerging niches, and the impact of changing consumer behaviour, this piece aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the innerwear industry’s present and future in India.
Comfort is Key
One of the key drivers of this substantial growth is innovation as brands continuously push the boundaries of design, comfort, and technology. As an essential garment worn daily for extended hours, comfort should be the top priority for any brand when designing innerwear. Leading brands are stepping up to this challenge by creating innerwear that is exceptionally soft and comfortable for all-day wear, utilising cutting-edge design, advanced technology, and innovative fabrics.
These advancements are not only meeting consumer demands but are also creating new ones, leading to an expanded market with diverse offerings. From moisture-wicking fabrics and seamless designs to eco-friendly materials and inclusive sizing, the innerwear industry is embracing innovation to enhance the wearer’s experience.
Homegrown brand Nykd by Nykaa has redefined lingerie for women by focusing on high-quality, stylish products that fit modern lifestyles while remaining affordable. Preeti Gupta, Chief Business Officer, Nykaa Fashion, believes every woman deserves to feel both comfortable and confident in her own body. With this vision, Nykd’s products are designed to strike a perfect balance between comfort, functionality, and style through innovative approaches.
- Design and Fabric Choice:Nykd selects high-quality, breathable fabrics like cotton, modal, and blends that offer both comfort and durability. Its designs are created with attention to fit and functionality, ensuring that products support various body types and provide a comfortable wearing experience.
- Quality Control:Rigorous quality checks and testing processes ensure that each product meets Nykd’s standards for comfort and durability.
- Innovative Features:The brand integrates functional features like adjustable straps, seamless designs, and stretchable materials to enhance comfort and usability without compromising on style.
Van Heusen Innerwear has built customer loyalty by focusing on two key values: creating fashion that’s both innovative and comfortable, while always keeping the consumer at the heart of their product design.
Puneet Kumar Malik, CEO – Innerwear Business, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. explains the brand’s philosophy by saying, “Before entering the category, we conducted extensive research on the market, category, and consumers to identify white spaces and specific consumer pain points. Every product we launched was designed with innovations that addressed these unmet needs at compelling prices.”
Another major player in this space is women’s innerwear brand Clovia. The brand offers a range of premium and affordable fashion products, including bras, briefs, nightwear, shapewear, swimwear as well as athleisure products. It is also one of India’s leading made-in-India D2C fashion, lingerie, and personal care brands.
Neha Kant, Founder of Clovia shares her vision on making her brand’s products comfortable and functional for the wearer. She explains that Clovia’s design and manufacturing are a perfect blend of fashion and technology. The brand achieves this by using patent-pending algorithms to analyse customer purchase patterns and track post-purchase feedback.
“With more than 1 million product feedback and 140 million customer profile data points, our feedback-led design approach helps us offer more than 6,000 styles of products in 75+ sizes. Our patented ‘Clovia Curve Fit Test’ ensures that every product designed by us meets the benchmark for comfort, functionality, and style,” she explains.
Another established brand in the premium innerwear category is Enamor. Comfort is non-negotiable for Enamor, and the brand has been diligent in identifying and alleviating pain points, particularly in bras. Its Fab Comfy 5 technology, for instance, addresses up to 25 common pain points, ensuring that each product Enamor creates offers the highest level of comfort. This process ensures that its products are not only functional but also comfortable and stylish.
“We do rigorous research, study consumer needs, and market trends and our design team works closely with fabric specialists to select the best materials,” explains Sanjay Dawar, Managing Director, Bodycare Creations Limited. He says Bodycare understands that everybody is unique, and its goal is to ensure all individuals find comfortable, well-fitting products.
Arpana Walters, Head of Design, Modenik Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. states, “Every product we design at Enamor starts with the consumer in mind. We start by focusing on functionality—considering the product’s purpose, the occasion it’s intended for, and for the body type it will suit.”
Reliance-owned Zivame is also staying ahead of the curve by ensuring customer satisfaction and comfort through its thoughtfully designed products. “At Zivame, the consumer has been at the core of our existence. We identified the problem that occurs while shopping for innerwear in India. There are different body profiles, and each body profile requires a different fit. Our research and development team continues to work with ways to make the product more comfortable. For instance, it can be achieved by making lighter products like Miracle, which is one of the lightest bras – it is less than 160 grams, which is like a second skin. While it is easier to do something like that for a petite frame, how do you do that for a curvier woman? She needs more support and this is something which the teams kind of constantly work on,” explains Lavanya Pachisia, CEO, Zivame.
Inclusive brand &Circus (formerly, Tailor & Circus) has been at the forefront of innovation in the innerwear industry since its founding in 2016. The brand’s mission is to redefine innerwear by making it both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, recognising a significant gap in the market where comfort was often sacrificed for style. To bridge this gap, the brand incorporates softness and functionality without compromising on style.
“We design our products with real people in mind, focusing on diverse body shapes and sizes. Our commitment to inclusivity drives us to create innerwear that not only fits well but also feels exceptionally comfortable,” says Gaurav Durasamy, Co-Founder, &Circus.
For instance, &Circus revamped its men’s trunks and boxers to include a functional fly opening, enhancing convenience. For women, bikini and hipster briefs now feature a cotton layer gusset on the inside, providing better grip to hold sanitary pads securely. Additionally, their maternity range is thoughtfully designed to cater to the unique needs of pregnancy and postpartum wear, offering comfort and practicality during these important stages.
Moreover, &Circus continues to invest in research and development (R&D) to refine their products, ensuring they meet the highest standards of comfort and functionality. The brand’s vibrant, print-inspired designs make innerwear fun and expressive, proving that comfort and style can go hand in hand.
German legacy brand Triumph International is another pioneering brand that embraces innovation. Ankur Damani, Commercial Director (Country Head) – India & Sri Lanka for Triumph International states his vision of ensuring a healthy mix of comfort, functionality, and style in the brand’s products. “Our products are designed to cater to the dynamic lifestyles of modern Indian women. By focusing on the unique needs and preferences of our target audience, we ensure that our lingerie offers a perfect blend of comfort, functionality, and fashion. Our designs celebrate individuality and self-expression, empowering women to feel confident and comfortable in their own skin,” he explains.
According to Petal Gangurde, Chief of Brand & Culture, XYXX, a menswear-focused brand, product innovation has always been at the heart of what they do. “What sets us apart is our range of products designed specifically for the Indian climate and body type, with an an elevated aesthetic approach to innerwear, loungewear and athleisure,” she states.
To enhance the comfort of its products, XYXX focuses on key features like odour cancellation, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and temperature control. For instance, its Moveo range, which includes joggers, uses quick-dry, stretchable fabrics that provide both functionality and style, allowing customers to easily transition from work to play. Additionally, its winter and thermal wear is crafted to be soft on the skin, providing warmth without bulk and maintaining breathability.
Japanese lingerie brand Wacoal too has consistently focused on innovation to enhance the comfort and fit of its products. The brand’s commitment to comfort is deeply rooted in its extensive research and development efforts. Wacoal’s Human Science Research Centre, established in 1964, plays a crucial role in this process by conducting detailed studies on women’s bodies.
Each year, the center measures the physiques of approximately 1,000 women and girls, gathering data to refine their designs. This long-term research enables Wacoal to tailor their products to meet the evolving needs of different age groups, from gentle shaping for younger women to fuller support for those in their 40s.
Wacoal’s innovation extends to integrating science and technology into their product designs. The brand has developed several unique items like the Travel Bra, Feel Free Bra, and Sleeping Bra, each designed to offer superior comfort and functionality. These products reflect Wacoal’s dedication to creating lingerie that not only fits well but also enhances the wearer’s experience by addressing specific needs and preferences. By combining advanced materials, technical expertise, and extensive research, Wacoal continues to set new standards in lingerie comfort and innovation.
Flawless, Functional Fabrics
Innerwear is the most intimate garment one wears, making it essential that it is both comfortable and gentle on the skin, given that it is worn all day. Gone are the days when people had to endure the discomfort of restrictive, wired innerwear. Today, comfort is paramount, and many innerwear brands are dedicated to creating a more pleasant wearing experience. They are innovating with softer fabrics and more ergonomic designs to ensure that comfort and functionality are at the forefront of their offerings.
Some initiatives by prominent innerwear brands to improve their innerwear fabrics include:
- Nykd: Preeti Gupta says Nykd has enhanced its fabrics with innovative features such as antimicrobial properties, UV protection, 2-degree cooling technology, and bonded construction for superior performance and comfort.
- Triumph International: Triumph’s focus on comfort and performance has led it to explore materials. For instance, its Cool-it fabric technology effectively repels sweat and prevents sticking, ensuring a comfortable and dry experience throughout the day. By staying at the forefront of cutting-edge innovations, the brand aims to provide its customers with lingerie that not only looks great but also feels fantastic and is environmentally responsible.
- Groversons Group: “Fabrics like micro modal, bamboo, 100% premium cotton; seamless construction styles in molded foam for comfort without underwire for wire-free support and 3D Knitting for flexible, seamless garments for a second-skin feel are imperative,” says Siddharth Grover, Director, Goversons Group, a legacy fashion lingerie brand.
- Bodycare: Bodycare’s products are formulated with sustainably sourced materials; the brand prioritises suppliers who share its commitment to ethical practices. Bodycare has also transitioned to recyclable, biodegradable, and minimalistic packaging to reduce wast
- Clovia:According to Neha Kant, synthetic fabrics are gaining popularity in today’s lingerie industry, offering benefits like a softer touch, easy maintenance, and a vibrant palette of colours and finishes that align with modern Indian trends. Clovia’s focus remains on developing fabrics suitable for the Indian climate. This includes seamless bonded garments, long-lasting cotton blends, and advanced polyester blends.
- Enamor:Along with using eco-friendly fabrics such as eco-melanges, organic cottons, and dope-dyed materials, Enamor also utilises recycled polyesters and polyamides. The brand consistently incorporates moisture-wicking finishes in all its sports products, and now has added sustainable fabrics like bamboo, which offer numerous wellness benefits.
- &Circus:&Circus continues to explore and integrate fabrics that are not only comfortable but also offer additional benefits such as moisture-wicking and antimicrobial properties, along with quick drying & anti-pilling benefits. Sustainability is a key focus, and &Circus ensures that its material choices, from fabrics to packaging, are responsible and eco-friendly.
- Wacoal: Wacoal India combines its rich Japanese heritage with innovative fabric technology to create exceptional lingerie. Its products feature advanced fabrics like moisture-wicking, breathable and materials, ensuring comfort, hygiene, and durability. Their products’ seamless construction techniques offer a smooth, invisible fit, enhancing the natural silhouette.
- Twin Birds: To maintain its competitive edge, leading womenswear brand Twin Birds prioritises product quality by incorporating smart fabrics and wearable technology into its offerings. When designing its products, the brand carefully selects materials based on current fashion trends and key properties such as strength, durability, flexibility, weight, cost, and resistance to heat and corrosion.
- Mahina: Revolutionary menstrual care brandMahina uses breathable and highly absorbent fabrics like cotton and modal in its reusable period underwear which minimises irritation and discomfort, keeps the wearer dry, and can withstand regular use and washing without losing the shape or functionality. The proprietary material used in the gusset is soft, highly absorbent and keeps the wearer comfortable, fresh and dry.
Staying Ahead of the Curve(s)
In recent years, the conversation around body positivity and inclusivity has extended from outerwear to the often overlooked realm of innerwear. Size inclusivity in lingerie is no longer just a trend; it represents a fundamental shift in the fashion industry’s approach to celebrating diverse body types.
Many Indian women have long faced challenges in finding the perfect fit online, as traditional size charts often fail to account for the rich diversity of their body shapes. This oversight has led to discomfort and a lack of confidence among those who don’t fit into the conventional size mould. Recognising this gap, several Indian brands are now taking the initiative to design innerwear specifically tailored to the unique body types of Indian women, ensuring better fit, comfort, and confidence for their customers.
“Offering a wide range of sizes helps cater to different body types, ensuring that the products provide both comfort and style for a diverse customer base,” emphasises Preeti Gupta of Nykd. Since its launch, the brand has been dedicated to serving the plus size women, offering cup sizes from 30A to 44E, in a variety of styles.
Similarly, Clovia has addressed the need for size inclusivity with both efficiency and innovation, catering to nine distinct Indian body types and offering over 6,000 styles in more than 50 sizes. Recently, the brand expanded its offerings with a new range of plus-size bras, ensuring inclusivity for all body types. This collection features bras in sizes up to 44F, including minimizer and full-figure styles designed to provide optimal support and comfort for curvier women.
Arpana Walters elaborates on Enamor’s commitment to inclusivity, saying “Inclusivity is at the heart of Enamor’s brand ethos, extending beyond just size to encompass a variety of shapes as well. We have been diligently expanding our size range for some time.”
The brand has long offered Double D sizes and recently added F and G cups to its collection. With the launch of its beginner’s range, the brand introduced sizes A and Double A, categorised as XS, S, and M. “Our goal is to accommodate the broadest range of sizes possible. Recognising that every size comes with its own unique shapes, we are dedicated to ensuring that our customers achieve the perfect fit. At Enamor, we prioritise both size and shape inclusivity to meet the diverse needs of our consumers,” she adds.
&Circus too is a standout example of a brand deeply committed to inclusivity, both in terms of size and customer experience. The brand has made notable efforts to expand its size range, ensuring that all body types are catered to with equal attention.
“We are committed to keeping our higher-size range in stock and ensuring that our prices remain consistent across all sizes, even though this increases our costs. Our commitment reflects our belief that all bodies are beautiful, and everyone deserves access to comfortable, well-fitting innerwear. Our focus on size inclusivity has opened us up to a new set of customers who were previously neglected by the straight-size-loving innerwear industry,” explains Co-Founder, Durasamy.
Since its launch, the brand has focused on creating products that combine both comfort and empowerment. Their vision is grounded in inclusivity and sustainability, aiming to celebrate and accommodate real bodies in all their diversity. The brand’s innovative approach includes producing anti-microbial, self-cleaning underwear for niche categories such as astronauts, reflecting their ongoing commitment to addressing the unique needs of their diverse customer base.
Twin Birds embraces body positivity by offering plus-size innerwear designed to meet individual preferences and comfort levels. Arvind Ravi, Director of Twin Birds explains, “The brand emphasises size inclusivity and provides a personalised shopping experience for women seeking plus-size options.”
Wacoal as a brand has been at the forefront of change and has a variety of products for all shapes and sizes – the brand offers cup sizes up to 44FF. For instance, its back appeal bra has back support innovation that offers a smooth look for curvy women looking for silhouette-enhancing products. Visual Effects and Awareness are two of Wacoal’s global bestselling styles that cater to a wide range of sizes.
Siddhartha Gondal, Co-Founder & Chief Sales Officer, XYXX Apparels states that inclusivity is at the core of his brand’s ethos. “We understand that comfort and style should be accessible to everyone, regardless of size. That is why we are actively working on extending our size offerings across various product categories, ensuring that more customers can find the perfect fit in XYXX apparel,” Gondal explains.
Natasha Jamal, Founder & CEO of Mahina explains that the brand has been mindful not just about different types of body shapes but also different flow types. Mahina offers the period underwear in 4 absorbencies – light, medium, heavy and super heavy.
Selling Lingerie Online: How Are Brands Adapting?
The digital revolution has transformed the retail landscape, and the innerwear segment is no exception. Traditionally an intimate and tactile shopping experience, lingerie retail is rapidly adapting to the online sphere. This growth is driven by evolving consumer preferences, technological advancements, and the need for convenience. While initially accelerated by the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, e-commerce adoption for innerwear has since then transitioned to a faster-growing channel than physical retail for many brands.
As more shoppers turn to e-commerce for their lingerie needs, brands are rethinking their strategies to meet the unique challenges of selling such personal items in a virtual space. For instance, assisting customers in finding the perfect fit online or minimising returns have become some of the critical concerns that lingerie brands are actively addressing.
Zivame’s Lavanya notes that while return rates are higher with online sales, they don’t see it as a problem. Instead, Zivame views returns as a valuable service for their customers. She explains that many women are still wearing the wrong bra size, and the process of educating them about the correct fit is ongoing.
“We want to look at this (return/exchange) as a service to her where we are allowing her to experience the correct fit and buy a product which actually fits her. What we are doing is an investment and I wouldn’t look at it as a problem,” she explains.
She adds that Zivame encourages women to exchange products to help them find the perfect size. “How can we ensure she gets the right fit?” she asks, and then goes on to answer it by saying that Zivame offers a Fit Code Test on its website, which helps women determine their correct measurements and recommends the best products for them.
Clovia’s Neha Kant too shares that the major challenge for them has been educating the customers about bra sizing, especially the cups. “Women needed to be taught how to select the right cup sizes,” she says. “To tackle this, Clovia has applied a unique algorithm on their website, which is based on ‘Clovia Curve Fit Test.’ After extensive research, the brand developed a test that asks women questions related to their body shape and based on the answers, it recommends the best bra for them. This has led to a high level of customer satisfaction for Clovia.
Along with this, Clovia has also introduced a WhatsApp-based service employing a BOT for customer interaction, which provides customers with personalised recommendations of products and advice. This BOT remarkably engaged with 2,00,000 customers within the first 30 days of its launch and accelerated the sell-out process while aiding the brand in maintaining the inventory balance in equilibrium. These tools position Clovia for continued success in the online innerwear retail market.
Renowned brand Amul Comfy addresses the concerns of the plus-sized demographic by being adaptable and versatile. Navinn Seksaria, Managing Director, JG Hoisery explains the brand’s vision saying, “The personality of the brand is not to restrict itself to a particular look, gender or age, but it is there to represent all, we believe the brand is not defined by age and lifestyle, but more about comfort, style and experience build by the products which we cater.”
Technology plays a vital role in determining the right sizes and fit when it comes to online sales of innerwear. “Online shopping lacks the in-store experience of assisted selling, which can lead to sizing errors and higher return rates,” explains Shekhar Tiwari, CEO, Modenik Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd – the parent company of Enamor.
“To tackle this, we provide clear, detailed sizing information on our websites, including bra measurement guides and tips tailored to different body types, occasions, and garment types,” he says adding, that brands must also navigate consumer hesitancy in sharing personal data, which is crucial for accurate sizing in such a personal product category.
70-75% of &Circus’ sales are driven through its owned D2C channel, with a significant presence on marketplaces like Amazon and Myntra. The brand is hence committed to providing a seamless omnichannel experience. To ensure that its online shopping experience is as convenient and personalised as possible, the brand is exploring the use of virtual fitting tools and the latest digital innovations that can help customers find the right fit and style without the need to visit a physical store.
With a user-friendly and interactive website, with easy navigation, detailed product descriptions, and a focus on customer support to replicate the in-store experience online, &Circus remains committed to fast and reliable fulfilment that ensures customers receive their orders promptly, enhancing their overall shopping experience.
Pooja Merani, COO of Wacoal India explains the challenges that arrive with selling lingerie online stating, “The lingerie market predominantly belongs to the unorganised sector, posing several key challenges. These challenges encompass limited awareness and knowledge about proper sizing, cultural taboos, limited size and style options, concerns about quality and durability, challenges with online shopping, and price sensitivity among consumers.”
“Our journey as a fit and size-driven category is also a challenging one. Overcoming traditional industry norms and promoting accurate sizing awareness remains a persistent hurdle. Addressing diverse body types while ensuring top-notch quality further adds complexity. However, our commitment to personalised fit and size solutions drives us to conquer these challenges and redefine excellence in the lingerie market,” she adds.
“We have conducted extensive research to ensure our size chart is accurate, and mapped to Indian body shapes and diverse flows. We also conduct a size confirmation call with every customer who purchases from our website.” says Natasha Jamal on how Mahina tackles the problem of sizing online.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the innerwear industry in India is evolving rapidly, driven by innovation, inclusivity, and a strong focus on comfort and style. As consumers demand more from their intimate apparel, brands are rising to the occasion by introducing advanced fabrics, ergonomic designs, and inclusive sizing. This shift is not only redefining innerwear but also making it a crucial segment within the fashion industry, especially with the rise of e-commerce and technological advancements.
Key players like Nykd, Triumph International, Enamor, Clovia, Zivame, and &Circus are leading the charge by leveraging consumer insights, embracing sustainable practices, and offering diverse product ranges that cater to various body types and preferences. With the market projected to grow significantly in the coming years, the competition will only intensify, pushing brands to continuously innovate and improve their offerings.
The focus on comfort, sustainability, and inclusivity is reshaping the innerwear landscape, making it an exciting and dynamic space to watch. As the conversation around body positivity and self-expression grows louder, the innerwear market is poised to not only meet but exceed consumer expectations, staying ahead of the curve with products that blend fashion, function, and inclusivity seamlessly.
