Gen Z rewrites the rules of looking sexy in bed

When you think of sexy lingerie, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s a montage of lace bralettes, padded push-up bras, rhinestone-studded thongs, fishnet pantyhose, and chokers and garters in many shades of black, baby pink, and red. Well, sounds about right. For long, pop culture and brands have sold sex as satin, see through, and easy-to-snap lace. Think of Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997), or Julia Fox in Uncut Gems (2019); although the films are set decades apart, the underwear looks like it came from the same wardrobe. Even ‘Lingerie in Movies’, the now dormant Instagram account dedicated to documenting intimate wear in fiction, is proof of this prejudice.

But good news is in order: Change is finally upon us. After generations of lovers wading through cuts from underwire bras and awkward wedgies from prickly thongs, Gen Z is ready to flip sensuality on its head. The digital folk (born between 1997 and 2012) are bold in their preference for soft, comfortable, and playful underwear over scanty and synthetic choices. Part of this shift is due to the new world purview of intimacy: One that prioritises the self over the other. “For so long, the word ‘sexy’ has been sold as someone else’s perception of me,” explains 23-yearold designer Vasundhara Iyer from Pune, adding: “Now, I don’t care about that. Any lingerie that fits well, makes me feel good, and moves with my body, is sexy.” 

And, this renewal isn’t restricted to undergarments. Lingerie, along with other recent trends including bed rotting and the weird girl aesthetic, are all part of a larger movement where women are explicitly rejecting the ‘male gaze’. Coined by film theorist Laura Mulvey, the male gaze refers to a concept where women in visual arts are often portrayed as sexualised objects seen through the eyes of heterosexual men. As feminist literature and theory becomes common fodder online, young people are consciously breaking free from the norm of dressing for the male gaze. Even in the bedroom. Iyer, for instance, skips feminine lace panties in favour of boy shorts from body positive inner wear brand Tailor & Circus.

Wearing love in comfort 

Born in Tiruppur in 2016, the queer-friendly and print-first label has built a cult following among young millennials and Gen Z. Throw a red solo cup in any house party, or whip up a quick Reddit search, and you will find loyalists swearing by and Circus’ soft, sustainable underwear. Similarly, Delhi-based loungewear brand NeceSera also leads with comfort cotton lingerie over retired definitions of what’s considered “hot in bed”. “We see young customers restocking the same silhouettes in multiple colours. Clean cuts, soft elastics, breathable cotton, and everyday wearability resonate with them consistently,” reveals co-founder Riddhi Jain. “In response, we are expanding our range with more colours and design details that feel true to different moods and emotions. The approach is to stay rooted in quality while making room for creativity beyond lace-lined narratives,” she adds.

Meanwhile, Bummer—another 2020s-entrant in the Indian underwear market—allows men and women to customise matching briefs with colourful designs. Clearly, young brands are tuned into the fresh desire for good-to-touch lingerie, and are ready to prioritise ease and play. After all, when sensuality looks and feels different in 2026, a corresponding sartorial collapse is justified. Once upon a time, intimacy consisted of long-stemmed red roses, bottles of Champagne, a candle-lit room, and sparkling white sheets. But this is a generation that notoriously shuns alcohol and equally, one-size-fits-all sensuality. Instead of performing closeness, they demand inside jokes and games that help them be vulnerable. Think of the continued demand for couple-ready card games such as We’re Not Really Strangers, Lover! Lover?, and Talk, Flirt, Dare. In this set-up, they value cute, personalised underwear over intimidating Victoria’s Secret or Agent Provocateur sets.

“Last year for Valentine’s Day, my girlfriend and I DIY-ed lingerie. It was really hot, because we took green paint and played X and Os on briefs,” shares Bengaluru-based analyst Yash Singh, 24, adding: “Growing up, porn and pop culture created extreme ideas of how men and women’s bodies should look. It’s refreshing that we get to make intimacy our own. There’s no brand campaign here, just her and I being silly and stupid.” The analyst also shares that this approach of play helped him navigate discomfort with his body. In reality, men’s underwear comes with its own bag of pressures and prejudice. Almost always, the sex appeal is determined by the brand name that sits on the waistband. Briefs are expected to hide, highlight, and heighten just enough to create allure and fan toxic masculine ideals.

Shaping self-image

No matter where you sit on the gender spectrum, the consequences are dire. A recent AIIMS-ICMR study highlights that over 50 per cent of young adults in India feel extremely distressed because of body image-related anxieties. In this context, Gen Z’s move towards more open, self-determined ideas of what is considered sultry is not just a trend, but a call for safety. Saranyaa, a 25-year-old content writer, who prefers to go by her first name, consciously eliminates restrictive expectations from her male partners. When asked what she finds attractive in bed, she says, “I have no specification of what I like on a man, really. When you turn pleasure inward, you do what makes you feel great...and that’s enough. To each their own.” 

For herself, too, the writer picks soft cotton bras with delicate lace trimmings that sit soft on her skin. There’s no place for stringy thongs or whole-lace sets in her underwear drawer—or that of most other women in their 20s. Through time immemorial, the popular adage has insisted, “Look good, feel good.” Gen Z is ready to rejig this. For the young gen, you have to feel good to look good—even if that means you wear granny panties on date night.

Lead image: Shutterstock

Inside image: The brand

This article first appeared in Cosmopolitan India's January-February 2026 print edition.

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