We use the word luxury liberally these days - from mundane, everyday things to special occasions or experiences. But what truly defines luxury, when it comes to lingerie? It’s not the price tag, the brand name, the style, or desirability. At Gooseberry, we consider an exceptional fit and a comfortable lingerie set true luxury. It’s something money or a brand name can’t buy, the feeling of being comfortable in your own skin, of feeling quality fabric hugging your body and knowing you can rely on your favorite set. At work, at a cocktail party, or for a special night in - the luxury of a Gooseberry luxury lingerie piece can be found in exceptional craftsmanship, quality fabric, and a perfect fit.
What Is Luxury Lingerie?
Perhaps the ultimate luxury lost to the passage of time and mass-scale production, bespoke lingerie used to be the norm. In a time when women wore corsets, stays, and other such supportive accoutrements, there was no bad fit, because each piece was especially designed for you, your body and your measurements.
Far from being the restrictive garments popularly portrayed in the media, the corset had a bespoke fit that was comfortable and supportive for the bust and back. Made of luxe materials like silk, lace and a real whale bone structure, the garment offered the holy trinity of luxury lingerie: high-end materials, a bespoke fit, all done with expert craftsmanship.
Nowadays, we buy all our undergarments ready-made, but just because it’s not bespoke, that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy the luxury of quality fabrics, craftsmanship, and an impeccable, comfortable fit. You can still enjoy the luxe feel of silk or lace, and of a lingerie set that makes you look — and feel — incredible.
Luxury Through Quality Fabrics
The word luxury evokes only the most expensive, most coveted fabrics, but luxury comes in many forms. Everyday luxury can mean having the right fabric for the job for any need or occasion. You wouldn’t want to exercise in lacy or silk lingerie, just like you wouldn’t want a special night dressed in a gym bra. When it comes to fabric, the most valuable thing we offer at Gooseberry Intimates is the luxury of choice.
Best for everyday:
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Cotton
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Mesh
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Micro
Everyday wear has one primary focus: the luxury of comfort. Seeking a fabric that’s flexible, breathable, and presentable is the key to comfortable all day wear that won’t have you readjusting your clothes, pulling at your undergarments, or counting the seconds until you can take them off at home.
Cotton is often preferred for everyday wear and even sleepwear because it’s a soft, natural fiber that’s flexible, breathable, and moves with the body. Low-maintenance and easy to care for, cotton does not require any special considerations, making it ideal for everyday wear.
Thin and flexible, mesh fabric feels almost like a second skin. You won’t feel it under your clothes and you don’t need to think about it all day, which is a luxury in itself. Sexier than cotton, but also thinner, it’s a great choice for more delicate outfits where cotton feels too casual .
Seamless and sitting close to the skin, micro offers the luxury of invisibility. Combining all the benefits of a quality man-made material and a cotton gusset, micro lingerie is great for those outfits where you simply cannot afford VPL.
Best for special occasions:
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Silk
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Lace
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Mesh
For those extra special occasions when you want to feel desirable, powerful, invincible, and comfortable, you have some luxe options. Whether it’s for a special evening with a loved one, a party, a night out, a big day at work, a special occasion calls for a special lingerie set.
Silk is the ultimate luxury. This natural fabric is breathable, smooth, and feels amazing next to the skin. Not only does it feel incredible, but it also looks luxe. Ideal to wear under an evening gown, a power suit, or by itself, with a string of pearls and a pair of heels.
For a fabric that’s comfortable, luxurious, and decorative, try lace. This lingerie is luxe enough that it can even be worn as outerwear for those daring enough. The intricate floral patterns are lush, feminine, and add a lot of visual detail to an outfit.
Mesh offers some of the same advantages as silk and lace. Sheer and sexy, but also thin enough to not be visible through those special garments. It’s sleek, comfortable, and supportive for special occasion wear.
Best for active days:
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Micro
For a full day, a day of exercise, or of physical strain, micro is the most suitable and comfortable. Smooth and seamless, this high-end man-made fabric is moisture-wicking, ensuring that you stay dry all day long.
Luxury Through Exquisite Craftsmanship
There’s something so special and personal about a handcrafted item. The highest luxury, having your clothes made bespoke, for your body and your needs, is largely no longer available for everyday clothing. But while that kind of premium craftsmanship has largely been lost to the sands of time, progress, and mass manufacturing, it’s still attainable in very special pieces, like lingerie. So, how do you identify luxury, high-end craftsmanship in lingerie?
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Smooth fabrics
Close your eyes and imagine smooth, plush fabrics caressing your skin, gently hugging your curves. With high-end, luxury-level craftsmanship, the fabrics should feel lush against your body, whether it’s silk, lace, mesh, or fabrics for everyday comfort like cotton or micro. A luxuriously crafted piece of lingerie should feel substantial, not stiff, scratchy, or uncomfortable in any way. Think buttery soft luxury.
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Keeps its shape
True high-end quality means an item that’s shaped just right, and retains that shape wear after wear, wash after wash. Premium lingerie comes with a price tag that reflects that quality, and it’s expected that it’s going to last long-term. Triangle bras, longline bras, demi bras, bandeaus - they look the same as they did on the very first day.
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Invisible stitching
Gorgeous stitching is a universal sign of quality craftsmanship, usually handmade. It’s true for luxury handbags, couture clothing, even furniture - the stitching on your most luxurious lingerie pieces should be virtually invisible. Small stitches, perfectly color-matched high-quality thread, straight stitching that does not distract from the finished product. Hand stitching is, of course, the golden standard for quality, and it can be essential to identifying a genuine luxury product and differentiating it from an imitation.
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Quality hardware
Finishings are just as important as primary materials and the design of the product. Quality hardware sets apart a luxury product from a run of the mill one. Your closures, snaps, buttons, and other hardware should feel sturdy, heavy, and smooth. Preferably metal or high-quality plastic, it does not bend, distort, or lose its shape or its color with wear.
Luxury Through a Comfortable Fit
Have you ever felt the luxury of a truly comfortable bra and panties set? Like an elegant, sumptuous second skin, a layer of silky smooth lingerie hugs, supports, and flatters your natural shape. Far from trying to create a brand new shape or force your body into other positions, a truly luxurious piece of lingerie will highlight your body to its best advantage in a comfortable, natural, sensual way.
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Hugs comfortably
What do you picture when you think about comfort? At Gooseberry Intimates, we consider luxury to be equivalent to comfort. Lingerie that holds you effortlessly, that softly hugs and wraps your body in comfort. Foundational undergarments that you don’t have to think about, adjust, or pull. A lush, comfortable layer that you can take with you from day to night, from the office to special occasions, or even sensual nights in.
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Supports
The supportive quality of lingerie is one of the absolute essential markers of a premium piece. Luxury lingerie means a carefully engineered shape that offers gentle support without compromising on comfort or fit. Whether that is achieved with traditional underwire, with gentle wireless support, or with fabric especially engineered for support, such as power tulle, which offers a soft, unrestrictive structure for your bra.
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Smooths out
There is no need for dedicated shapewear in order to create a smoothing effect. Luxurious lingerie smooths out your shape, gently curving over your body. No tight pressure or restrictive effect, just fabric that softly hugs your curves, smoothing out your silhouette so that there are no visible panty lines and your outfit looks perfectly neat. No lumps, bumps, or wrinkles in sight.
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Moves with you
Luxury through fabric and fit means that you can enjoy pieces that don’t just fit perfectly while trying on in the mirror, but also in motion, day to day. A luxurious lingerie experience is when you have pieces that are able to offer flexibility and move with you. For a particularly active lifestyle, specialty fabrics like micro may be more suitable than others, but for everyday wear and special evenings in, any traditional lingerie fabric should feel flexible and malleable.
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Doesn’t dig or pinch
You may have heard the stereotypes about bras, especially - that they’re uncomfortable, that they’re tight, that they dig in or pinch, or don’t allow you to breathe properly. Those are all signs of a piece that doesn’t fit, or that’s low quality. A well-fitting piece of lingerie, whether that’s a bra, a pair of panties, a bodysuit, etc. gently wraps your body, without being restrictive, without digging into your skin, or pinching you. It doesn’t leave red marks, and doesn’t pull uncomfortably against your body.
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Flatters
Your lingerie should always put you in the best light. When the fabric touches your skin, you should feel irresistible, sensual, feminine, and secure. Luxury is feeling attractive, beautiful and sexy even when wearing almost nothing at all. With the right high-quality lingerie set, you will look beautiful, and feel beautiful.
Comfort Is The True Luxury
Typically, we think of luxury as a matter of price, or brand. Something luxurious is only attainable by some, it’s inaccessible, aspirational, and rare. But everyone can experience the luxury of an excellent set of lingerie, crafted with patience, precision, and care. A bra, a pair of panties, a bodysuit, a pair of silk pajamas that feel like they’re made especially for you, for your body and for your personal comfort.
Natural, breathable, and flexible materials, impeccable craftsmanship, and an ideal fit - all markers of a luxurious product and experience. That luxury is within reach at Gooseberry Intimates; bras, panties, bodysuits, and pajama sets with a variety of comfortable fabrics and a comfortable fit that takes you from day to night.