Marlies Dekkers

If you want lingerie that doubles as a design statement, Marlies Dekkers earns its place, with the strap detailing and architectural cutouts being the whole point rather than an add-on. Reviews praise the construction and fit, though some shoppers feel the styles are too distinctive for everyday basics. It is best thought of as an investment in a few standout pieces rather than a multipack of plain bras.

The pricing reflects designer status and the brand's signature strapwork, which takes more pattern-cutting and finishing than a plain bra. Marlies Dekkers helped bring strappy lingerie into the mainstream by elevating it from a bondage cue into a statement of feminine confidence, and that design identity carries a premium. You are paying for the look and the label as much as the materials.

Marlies Dekkers is the Dutch designer behind the lingerie label Undressed, and the brand is recognised for its bold, graphic straps that frame the body. The look is assertive and architectural rather than soft and pretty, which is what sets it apart from conventional lingerie. That strap signature is the thread running through almost every collection.

Start with one of the signature strap bras, since that is the brand's calling card and the clearest way to understand why people love it. Because the cut is distinctive, getting the fit right on a first bra matters more than buying a whole set. Once you know how a style sits on you, the matching briefs and swimwear are easy follow-ups.

Marlies Dekkers is a Dutch fashion designer, born in 1965, who studied at the art school in Breda and graduated cum laude in 1991. With the help of a government grant she launched her first collection under the label Undressed in 1993, hailed at the time as a new approach to designing lingerie. She has run the house under her own name ever since.

The first Undressed collection launched in 1993, two years after Dekkers graduated from art school in Breda. It was positioned from the start as a fresh, design-led take on lingerie rather than conventional underwear. The brand has grown internationally from those Dutch roots, and its work has even entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The brand is sold through its own Marlies Dekkers stores in cities worldwide, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Paris, Berlin and Cologne, as well as online. A handful of specialist boutiques also stock the range. Buying from the official store or an authorised stockist is the safest way to be sure of fit and authenticity.

Beyond the core Undressed Women line, the label offers Undressed Special Sizes for curvier figures, Undressed Girls for younger women, an Undressed Men underwear line, and an everyday Undressed Cotton range. There is also Sundressed beachwear and Nightdressed loungewear. That spread means the signature aesthetic runs across far more than just bras.

Yes. Among other honours, Dekkers was named ELLE's Innovator of the Year in 2004 and won the Prix Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year in 2007. The recognition spans both her design innovation and her work building the company. It is a useful signal that the brand's reputation is built on more than marketing.

Because the appeal is in the precise strap detailing, hand washing in cool water and drying flat is the safest routine to keep elastics and trims in shape. Avoid wringing or tumble drying, which can distort the straps that define the look. Treating them gently is what protects the architectural fit you paid for.

The brand caters beyond a single body type, with the Undressed Special Sizes line designed specifically for curvier figures. As with any structured, strap-heavy design, a proper fitting makes a big difference, so it is worth trying styles on or using the brand's size guidance. The right size is what lets the signature straps sit correctly.