While the majority of women favour basic and plain styles of underwear and men tend to always opt for the same styles they always wear, the underwear market is still strongly influenced by fashion. Innovation in fabrics and new designs are strong drivers of sales in the underwear market, with 2010 seeing lots of new products launched onto the market, helping to encourage consumers to buy new pieces for reasons other than just replacement.

The underwear market began to bounce back in 2010, with sales increasing 1% to £2.6 billion following a tough 2009 as a result of the recession.

While the majority of women favour basic and plain styles of underwear and men tend to always opt for the same styles they always wear, the underwear market is still strongly influenced by fashion. Innovation in fabrics and new designs are strong drivers of sales in the underwear market, with 2010 seeing lots of new products launched onto the market, helping to encourage consumers to buy new pieces for reasons other than just replacement.

The underwear market began to bounce back in 2010, with sales increasing 1% to £2.6 billion following a tough 2009 as a result of the recession.

Marks & Spencer had increased in popularity among women, with over half currently purchasing from M&S (54% in 2010 versus 49% in 2009).

Women favour basic and plain styles of underwear over sexy pieces, with half buying everyday plain styles for themselves, compared with just over one in ten (12%) who buy luxury/sexy styles.

Under-35s are almost three times as likely as their older counterparts to buy underwear sets (63% versus 22%), with interest in having co-ordinated bra and brief sets diminishing with age.

One in five women had a bra fitting during 2010, rising to nearly three in ten 55-64s and a quarter of 35-44s.

Shapewear has risen in popularity with more than one in ten women having bought shapewear in 2010, a 2-percentage point increase since 2009.

Women are more experimental with their underwear than men, with nearly one in five (17%) liking to try different styles.

New high profile entrants to the lingerie market - including Victoria’s Secret and Amazon - have led to increased media coverage of the sector and are also likely to drive consumer interest.

One of the main trends of 2010 was the blurring of the lines between underwear and outerwear, driven by singers such as Lady Gaga, Lily Allen and Rihanna.