Approaches to lingerie seem to segment people into two different camps: those who actively seek out lacey matching sets and those who pull any old pair of knickers out from their overstuffed underwear drawer. While the latter makes getting dressed a little easier each morning, with little worry about what lies underneath our layers, there’s certainly something to be said for the elevated emotions wearing a beautiful base layer can instil. 

Although underwear can certainly be seen as a purely functional find – eg pulling on a thong when wearing see-through trousers, briefs for better comfort and breathability or a bra to smooth and support – it can also be seen as a little luxury as well. Gone are the days of lingerie being marketed to make someone else feel sexy; instead, these striking sets are designed to boost both the comfort and the confidence of the wearer, and we know we aren’t alone in feeling a little more put together, even on the most stressful of days, thanks to a pretty matching two-piece. 

With handcrafted silk sets and lightly coloured lace options, there’s also an incredibly wide range of lingerie to look at, and it seems this is only expanding, with UK underwear market expected to reach £5.4 billion by 2027, according to Statista. It’s clearly big business. 

Ahead, take a look at some of our favourite sets in a beautiful lingerie shoot exclusively created for Stylist, plus our pick of the sets we’d love to purchase. 

Laura wears yellow bra set, Eres; vest, H&M Studios

Laura wears cardigan, Eres; pants, Baserange

Laura wears bra, Dora Larsen; stripe shorts, Tekkla

Laura wears black vest, Intmissimi; pants, Baserange; bra, Skims

Laura wears silk bra and knicker set, Stella McCartney

Photography: Louise Samuelsen
Art direction: Rosanna Pendleton
Styling: Chloe Forde
Hair and make-up: Stefan Jameel
Model: Laura @ Milk Collective

Additional imagery: courtesy of brands