10 Black AF Lingerie Brands To Buss It In This V-Day & Forevermore
February is such an extraordinary month full of extra love and extra blackness. We can't help but feel all the feels through and through. The day of love aka Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and after seeing thousands of Black women serve it up to Erica Banks' hit, "Buss It", we want to keep this feminine power going.
Valentine's Day isn't just about showing love to a partner, it's also about showing love to yourself. Whether you're single or married, we want to empower the xoTribe to elevate your sexy with confidence. Being in a panoramic/potpourri/pandemic means that we have to get innovative with our 2021 plans. We want to make sure that you take the uplifting energy of this month into V-Day with some Black AF lingerie brands. Ahead, find brands by us and for us!
1.A'zaira Intimates
A'zaira Intimates
Evangeline Poku does it for the full-busted woman. The mom of three created A'zaira Intimates in 2017 after seeing the lack of representation in the lingerie department. To mind the gap, she made sure her line represents that diverse community by offering sizes 28-36 DD-H. A'zaira Intimates' depiction of passion, strength, and femininity is unmatched.
2.Sablier
Sabiler
Sab-lee-ay, which means hourglass in French, wants to help you enhance your beauty. Sablier fashions sensual lingerie for the modern and discerning African woman who loves the best of both worlds. The collection's creator, Tolu Oniru-Demuren aka Toolz told Bella Naija:
"The journey to accepting my body hasn't really been a smooth one. Growing up, I wasn't particularly confident. As a plus-size and curvy girl, you tend to feel out of place – my body type wasn't the hot thing back then. I just didn't fit in. I became very self-conscious – I thought my hips were too wide…my bum was too big, and I was on the short side. My experience strengthened me and gave me a voice – one which I have decided to use in empowering and boosting the confidence of plus-size women like me – those who are currently in a physical and psychological battle to accept their own bodies."
3.Anya Lust
Anya Lust
Consider this boutique your lingerie wonderland. In 2015, Anya Lust created a portal to find the most luxurious treasures right at your fingertips. Made up of curated collections for every woman, it desires to lace your body with the best fabrics and textures. The brand also supports the empowerment of women around the globe with its collaboration with Free The Girls. "We chose to work with Free The Girls for their incredible dedication to empowering women and girls, as well as for their unique approach to a cause that is near and dear to our hearts."
4.D Bleu Dazzled
D Bleu Dazzled
You may have seen some of our favorite celebs dripping in D Bleu Dazzled. From Beyonce to Meg Thee Stallion to Lizzo, Destiney Bleu has created a brand that is trusted by the greats. This specific house specializes in custom crystallized hosiery, lingerie, swim, athleisure, and performance wear. D Bleu Dazzled is at the intersection of stage and street; a place where everyone dazzles.
5.Beautifully Undressed
Beautifully Undressed
Their motto is 'Love, Luxe, Lingerie' and Black women deserve all of those things and more. Lingerie addict turned Lingerie Boss, Annabelle Mu'azu, spent a chunk of her life curating African art. Then one day, she decided to pour into her other passion of wanting real women to feel comfortable in their skin. And not just comfortable but flirty and seductive too.
6.Tempting Curves
It's really the body positivity for us. This one-stop-shop was once just a place to get a fly waist trainer. Now, Tempting Curves is a six-figure boutique where you can get shapewear, swimwear, and lingerie. Founder, Javanna Palm, wants nothing more than to help women find their inner diva and give her unconditional love.
7.SADA by Sara Dawson
SADA by Sara Dawson
Brooklyn-bred Sara Dawson is the product of pure ingenuity because of the freedom she had as a young creative. She's been designing since the tender age of 13. For this FIT graduate, her goal is to disrupt the intimate apparel game by dismantling the taboo around it. "...it doesn't have to be about looking sexy for someone else, it's about expressing your own confidence and comfortability as a beautiful person. Confidence in yourself is beauty in itself." If you want custom lingerie, SADA is where it's at.
8.Savage x FENTY
Do I even need to say anything else? Savage x Fenty is a game-changer. Rihanna birthed Savage x Fenty to push the boundaries and have a sexy space where all women could see themselves. 2018 marked the beginning of the icon building the third column of her growing empire. Savage x Fenty offers an optional membership program where you can shop fearless pieces every month. It's affordable, fun and ultra-stylish.
9.Blue Reign
Blue Reign
Do you sometimes need a reminder that YOU ARE THE SHIT? This is it. Blue Reign is it. The moment you slip into these vegan and faux leather pieces, you'll have no choice but to own your body and gain real agency. "We design lingerie to elevate and adorn. Each piece has been hand created to not only sculpt and support the body, but to also be available to as many bodies as possible."
10. Love, Vera
Love, Vera
One thing about Love, Vera, they are going to show up and show out for Black women. And it shows by their loyal followers and customers because no one does it like Vera and Nate when it comes to removing limits and increasing invisibility of all Black women. More than anything, we stan this eCommerce business because they aim to illustrate us as the beautiful, multi-faceted beings we are. It doesn't hurt that the lingerie is straight fire too!
Are you a member of our insiders squad? Join us in the xoTribe Members Community today!
Featured image by Shutterstock
Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Whoopi Goldberg's Realization That She Doesn't Want Marriage Is A Perfect Example Of Self-Awareness
Since a young girl, I have always wanted to get married and have a family. I saw my mom as a great example of a wife and a mother and I longed to one day have that same opportunity. I often dreamt about it and enjoy watching shows and films about weddings (Say Yes To The Dress is my fave). At 32, I haven’t made it down the aisle or started a family yet, and I do still want those things. However, I have come to be more open-minded about women and marriage/ starting a family.
I used to be one of those women who didn’t understand why any woman wouldn’t want to get married and/ or have kids. It’s every little girl’s dream, right? But as I got older, I realized that the fairytale way of thinking that was pushed on us as girls isn’t reality, and we have to figure out what it is that we really want and not what we were told we should want.
Whoopi Goldberg's journey is a testament to the power of self-awareness. The EGOT winner recently shared her insights on marriage and her dating life with Don Lemon. “The truth of the matter is I am fundamentally a selfish person. And I've found that because I have a wonderful kid and, you know, and a son-in-law, three grandkids and one great-grand, that I don't have time for a whole lot of other people coming into my life,” she admitted. “Because you know, that's my kid, and that’s the family, and you know, so hit and runs are great. I don't mind those, you know, but you can't spend the night.”
Whoopi has been married three times, and during her conversation with Don, she opened up about how her failed marriages sent her on a journey to self-discovery.
“You have to give yourself permission because, you know, you have this whole line of words that are stacked up in your head about what you are if you say a hit and run is where you want to be and you don't want to be married, you know? Am I a whore, am I this? Am I a terrible person ‘cause I don't want.. And I never really thought about it,” she explained.
“I just thought, well, I must be doing it wrong because other people seem to be able to have figured it out. And what I didn't realize was that I had figured it out. I just was surprised by the fact that a. I didn't really want it, but I like to hit and run. And my mother said, 'Well, maybe you should just throw a party from now on, not get married anymore.'”
She added, “It requires a lot. It is really a give and take, and I'm in my life at this point. I don't really want that. I want to, you know, see you when I see you, and then you go.”
Whoopi isn’t alone in this thinking. More women are becoming open to the idea of not getting married and enjoying the single life. Research from the National Medicine Library showed that singles who have a positive self-image and good relationships with family and friends are more satisfied with their lives. Knowing yourself and making choices that align with who you are is self-awareness at its finest. And whether you want to get married or not, falling in love with yourself first is key.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images