There’s been an increasing demand for diversity and inclusivity in fashion, including lingerie and shapewear. Nothing quite boosts your confidence like having your curves smoothed out in the right dress. These Black-owned shapewear brands deserve support not just because they are Black-owned but because they have quality items. Numerous Black-owned brands with quality products need much of your support. Some of these brands produce the best high-quality shapewear that will transform your closet.
Ojiioma
Obi Lawanson began Ojiioma in the UK as she struggled to find the right shapewear for many years. Pronounced O-jee-or-ma, meaning Beautiful Black in the language of the Igbo, the brand and product names are inspired by the heritage of Lawanson, who hails from the southeastern part of Nigeria. Ojiioma products have been specially designed to contour but not constrict. “I’ve always liked shape-wear, and I believe that regardless of your size, shape-wear does something to help smooth out the ripples, as I like to call them,” said Lawanson in an interview with Common Sense. “However, I felt there had been a gap in the market concerning skin tone.”
Thabooty’s
Thabooty’s Underwear & Shapewear, founded by South African media personality Thando Thabethe, seeks to change the way women see underwear & shapewear forever. The brand launched in 2017 and diversified underwear and shapewear by providing sexy undergarments and shapewear for women of different shapes, sizes, colors, and creeds that weren’t easily found in retail stores. “The idea to create Thabooty’s came from my personal experience of struggling to find any sexy yet functional shapewear, locally. I wanted to give women a more attractive option for shapewear, that is appealing to the eye and caters to different shapes and sizes”, Thabethe said in a statement.
Nude Barre
Erin Carpenter, founder of Nude Barre, started her company with a mission and belief that everybody deserves to find their perfect hue. Her company creates access and representation by providing bodywear that matches people’s skin tones. Nude Barre was founded by a diverse group of women who sought to eliminate the idea of beige being the “standard” skin tone. Nude Barre is essentially created to embrace all walks of life any day, anytime.
Yitty
Yitty, the revolutionary shapewear brand co-created by four-time Grammy Award-winning artist turned fashion entrepreneur, Lizzo. Named after her childhood moniker, Yitty is Lizzo’s lifelong dream come true. Partnering with cult activewear brand Fabletics, Yitty includes a range of coveted inner and outerwear, coming in sexy yet form-fitting silhouettes, bold colors, and vibrant prints. The brand has three collections: Nearly Naked, Mesh Me, and Major Label. Nearly Naked is a lightweight and seamless collection designed to comfortably shape and firm your natural curves for all-day wear. As the name suggests, Mesh Me will have several vibrant and neutral mesh styles that are designed to be worn as either underwear or outerwear, while Major Label is an assortment of everyday ultra-soft lifestyle pieces.
Buzzoms
Buzzoms is more than tops and dresses for curvy women; this brand is the start of a braless revolution for women of all sizes. Their patent-pending boob pocket is a comfortable inner lining with a thick elastic band to support your boobs without a bra. It’s made of breathable, power mesh and elastane for comfort. They created the BFF size, our size index that matches your bust and waist to the best proportions. Marshay Clarke launched her brand in January 2020 after she noticed how difficult it was for women with larger busts to find bras that complemented the clothes they were wearing.
Proclaim
Proclaim is an inclusive nude lingerie line made in Los Angeles from earth-conscious fabrics. They are founded on the principles that fashion should represent all women and can be made in a way that does good for people and the planet. Proclaim is expanding the definition of nude, one ethically made bra at a time. They also work with three local mills to source all of their sustainable fabrics, allowing them to reduce the carbon footprint of their manufacturing process by having their supply chain localized to a 30-mile radius.
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Boitumelo Masihleho is a South African digital content creator. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes University in Journalism and Media Studies and Politics and International Studies.
She’s an experienced multimedia journalist who is committed to writing balanced, informative and interesting stories on a number of topics. Boitumelo has her own YouTube channel where she shares her love for affordable beauty and lifestyle content.
