Goodbye push-up bras? As mindsets change, sexy lingerie no longer in fashion

Au revoir to push-up bras in favour of practical shapes, ecologically-sourced materials and maximum comfort. Photo: AFP

It might have a reputation as the birthplace of sexy lingerie, but even in France titillation is taking second place to comfort and practicality.

The very word "lingerie" is a French export – used from Japan to Holland to Brazil – but France has been slow to adapt to a changing mood in the global industry, which no longer treats expensive underwear primarily as a weapon of seduction.