A recent retail analysis reveals that the sneaker and high-heeled shoe emojis now dominate visual product searches. This shift toward symbolic, rather than textual, queries speaks to a deeper evolution in how we communicate desire—a language long understood in intimate apparel. At The Lingerie Museum, we see this not as a novelty, but as a digital echo of fashion's historical reliance on visual shorthand.
Consider the brands implicated in this data. A search culminating at **Steve Madden**—a company founded in 1990 amid the minimalist chic of that era—or **White Fox Boutique**, a product of the 2010s influencer age, is now initiated by a single pictogram. This mirrors how, for centuries, lingerie was communicated through illustration and suggestive imagery rather than explicit description. A 1920s silk camisole, a 1950s Merry Widow corset from brands like **Frederick's of Hollywood** (founded 1947, capitalizing on post-war Hollywood glamour), or a 1990s slip dress were all sold through evocative visuals that promised a mood or an identity.
The report's core idea—'vibe shopping'—is inherently intimate. It suggests consumers seek an aesthetic feeling before a specific item, a process fundamental to lingerie purchasing. The emoji acts as a modern-day version of the suggestive illustrations in a vintage catalog or the draped silk in a Helmut Newton photograph. It bypasses technical terms like 'balconette' or 'teddy' to convey essence. For lingerie, the equivalent might be a rose emoji for romance, a lipstick mark for bold allure, or a simple silk slip icon. This visual, instinctive search isn't a break from tradition; it's a return to fashion's most enduring dialect: the wordless suggestion of how a garment might make you feel.
Originally reported by WWD