I didn’t realize until well into adulthood that most wearers prefer for their bras and panties to match their skin tone. What can I say? I’m a card-carrying goth and have always preferred black or dark colors despite being pretty pale in the skin department. For folks who would prefer for their undergarments not to show, however, it makes sense. The closer the color match, the less contrast you’ll have between fabric and skin, which camouflages the outline of your undies. Unfortunately, skin tone-inclusive bras have historically been a rarity. The default options are generally beige and black. (White and black are still more common as basic colors from some European bra makers, where skin tone matching is a less pervasive trend.)

Obviously, this leaves out a huge range of skin tones! Fortunately, the need for a more diverse neutral color palette has been received by the bra industry, and there are far more options today than ever before. Check out the awesome range in the featured photo at the top of the article. This is the Beyond Bra from brand Evelyn & Bobbie. They have panties in the same variety of “True Complexion” colors to match. Other great examples of inclusivity include the neutral color ranges offered in styles like Goddess’s Keira Underwire Bra and Fantasie’s Fusion Side Support Bra.

Note that the neutral colors above are labeled as “Continuity” colors, which other brands may also call “Core” colors. This is important because continuity/core colors are the basic shades that are manufactured and restocked on an ongoing basis. On the flip side, “Fashion” colors are limited edition, single-season offerings. It’s always kind of a letdown when a brand adds more diverse neutral colors as fashion offerings. Sure, it’s better than nothing, but the wearer who loves having that skin-tone match will likely find that it is never available again. Unfortunately, these colors outside of the beige-and-black binary are also frequently the first on the chopping block for discontinuation when brands are trimming their product lines because they tend not to sell as many units as their more traditional counterparts.

You may notice that the word “Nude” is used for beige tones in a couple of those examples above. This used to be incredibly common, but many brands have begun to phase out color names implying that the default nude skin tone is light-complexioned. Awareness of the need for less exclusionary labeling has accelerated in the lingerie industry following a lot of the social upheaval that occurred around 2020. Among the brands we stock at Grail, beige colors previously labeled “Nude” have been rechristened as “Sand,” “Desert,” “Latte,” “Cashmere,” etc.

In a final related thought, while the availability of neutral underwear colors that complement a wide range of skin tones is culturally and symbolically important, it isn’t always necessary to exactly match your skin tone in order to achieve a neutral color effect under clothing. For folks with lighter skin tones, as long as you have a bit of pink in your complexion, blush hues and even reds often blend well under light colored tops (due to light refraction, so I’ve been told.) Taupes and caramel hues can be great for a wide range of skin tones. For true invisibility, just about the one thing you want to avoid is a white bra, even if you’re very pale and even under white tops. It shows more contrast with your skin than just about any other color, which makes the outline of your underthings stand out.