These up-and-coming underwear labels are threatening to upend Victoria's Secret (LB)

Once the kingpin of the US lingerie market, Victoria's Secret is increasingly finding itself falling out of favor as attitudes around women's underwear shift.

Critics have said that the retailer's push-up bras and racy runway shows no longer resonate with the modern customer in the era of #MeToo. The brand came under fire last month after an executive from its parent company, L Brands, made controversial comments about transgender and plus-size models during an interview with Vogue.

These pressures have shown up in its numbers. Same-store sales were down 6% at Victoria's Secret stores in the most recent quarter. They were down 2% when including online sales.

This year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show also didn't get the fanfare it hoped for when it comes to viewership.

According to data sent to Business Insider from ABC, the network that broadcast the show, 3.3 million people tuned in to watch the fashion show on December 2. This was a substantial drop from 5 million viewers in 2017 and 6.7 million in 2016, when it previously aired on CBS.

As attitudes change, a new breed of women's underwear companies has swooped in to offer alternatives. Many of them have been open about the need for change in the industry, and in some cases, they have even been critical of Victoria's Secret.

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We put together a list of the top up-and-coming underwear brands and labels that threaten to upend Victoria's Secret:

American Eagle's Aerie

American Eagle's Aerie BusinessInsider

American Eagle's underwear brand, Aerie, has become one of the company's biggest sweet spots. The underwear collection, which includes a limited selection of apparel and swimwear, is targeted at 15- to 25-year-olds and covers a breadth of sizes from XXS to XXL and cup sizes AA to DDD.

The brand has become best known for its unretouched photos and body-positive campaign, known as #AerieReal. This seems to be resonating well with customers as it has seen 16th consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth.

ThirdLove

ThirdLove BusinessInsider

The company came into the spotlight last month after it posted a full-page ad in The New York Times, slamming an executive from Victoria's Secret for his controversial comments about transgender and plus-size models.

Lively

Lively BusinessInsider

New York-based online underwear startup Lively was founded by Michelle Cordeiro Grant, a former senior merchant for bras at Victoria's Secret. The brand prides itself on being a bridge between athletic wear and lingerie, which it has coined "leisurée."

Bras cost $35 and come in a mix of styles including bralettes, t-shirt bras, push-up bras, and plunge bras.

les girls les boys

les girls les boys BusinessInsider

les girls les boys is the brainchild of Serena Rees, who founded high-end underwear label Agent Provocateur back in 1994. In 2007, Rees sold the business for £60 million (around $100 million), and it later went bankrupt in 2017.

The aesthetic of her new teen-focused label is the antithesis of Agent Provocateur. Channeling the "street-to-bed" look, the focus is on comfort and creating underwear that isn't restrictive, Rees told Business Insider. She said that she felt compelled to create the company because of the need for change in the underwear market.

Madewell

Madewell BusinessInsider

J.Crew-owned Madewell launched its own underwear collection in February 2017.

Featuring a mix of panties and bralettes, the collection professes to be "

J.Crew

J.Crew BusinessInsider

J.Crew launched its Intimates underwear and nightwear collection earlier this year.

The collection costs around $32 for bralettes and between $36 and $45 for underwire bras. Panties cost between $12.50 and $16.50 at full price.

Former CEO James Brett, who stepped down last month, lowered prices, added plus-sizes, and started selling its low-cost Mercantile collection on Amazon.

His strategy seemed to be paying off, J.Crew's same-store sales numbers turned a corner in August and have continued to grow since then. They were up 4% in third-quarter earnings, which were reported in November.

Love by GapBody

Love by GapBody BusinessInsider

Gap's latest underwear collection, Love, is focused on "comfortable basics" and launched in February.

Its ad campaign was well-received online at the time. One photo that showed a woman breastfeeding her baby went viral after being praised on Instagram.

"I have never shopped at Gap, but I will be purchasing something tonight! This is amazing!" one Instagram commenter wrote at the time.

Journelle

Journelle BusinessInsider

New York-based luxury lingerie brand Journelle has gained a cult following of fans (including Gwyneth Paltrow) who shops the high-quality underwear brands it stocks, such as Stella McCartney and L'Agent.

But in 2014, the company launched its own private-label collection headed by former Victoria's Secret designer Rania Abu-Eid. It costs between $19 for a thong and $94 for an underwire bra.

The company now has three stores in New York and one in Chicago.

Everlane

Everlane BusinessInsider

Everlane rolled out its new underwear collection earlier this year, which drew in a waitlist of 30,000 eager customers within the first week.

The collection includes underwear, bras, and bodysuits, all costing under $35.

Each piece is made with Supima cotton, which is grown in the US.

True&Co

True&Co BusinessInsider

Online-only store True&Co, which launched in 2012, aims to make shopping for bras more straightforward with a quiz that asks shoppers a series of questions about their shape, how their bra currently fits, and what preferences they have.

From there, the store emails customers a selection of recommended bras, which they can try on at home and then return any that they don't like.

The company was acquired in 2017 by PVH Corp., the parent company of brands such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, for an undisclosed amount.

These up-and-coming underwear labels are threatening to upend Victoria's Secret (LB)

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