While most women will understand and appreciate this next
statement most men will be a little bit clueless. “Bras are pretty complex.”
Standard bras consist of roughly two dozen different pieces. Ever wonder why
bras are so expensive? Having multiple components is certainly a factor but
also because it is labor intensive to produce. As a result, there are a limited
amount of manufacturers in the world that can actually produce a good quality
bra driving up their cost. While bras are the backbone of intimates there is a
lot more to the category which also includes underwear and sleepwear. Let’s
look at some of the current trends affecting this category and summarize with
the classic elevator pitch why intimates are a category not to fall asleep
on.
Function over Look–
changing consumer demands are forcing many established players in the lingerie industry
to rethink their offerings in particular when it comes to bra’s and underwear.
Victoria Secret once the dominant force in the category has lost some of its
luster in recent years essentially for missing out on some of these trends. Sexy
undergarments are losing their appeal and functional is in. Bright colors are
on the decline in favor of more realistic skin tone items. It’s now more about simplicity
and comfort than ever before. Women are dressing for themselves not just for
how others see them.
Want an example? Let’s
look at two– There is no better argument for simplicity and comfort than
the two most rapidly growing styles of bras on the market today; the Sports Bra
and Bralettes. What’s behind their rapid rise? Comfort, versatility and cost.
Both sports bras and Bralettes offer a greater degree of comfort they can be
worn with virtually anything work or casual and with sports bras they can stand
alone as a fashion statement. The other big appeal with these is cost, sports
bras and Bralettes are relatively cost effective to produce making them
slightly less expensive than most traditional bras which consumers can greatly
appreciate.
You’ve probably heard
of Athleisure but it’s also for Pajamas– This trend really took hold last
year in the fashion industry, the idea of blending your pajama collection in
with your everyday wear. While this look may certainly not be for everyone it
drives home the point that sleepwear is a growing segment of importance. This
is your standard go to apparel that you look forward to getting into after a
long day’s work or play. After all, its nice to look and feel good even if it’s
just for around the house.
Why should you
consider selling intimates, the elevator pitch– We talked trends but let’s
get to the nitty gritty facts on intimates and why you should consider selling
them. Bras are expensive but buying liquidation means lots of room for margin.
Styles are rapidly changing and consumers are revamping their wardrobe to keep
up with the trends, meaning steady increased demand. Casual is king, the
fashion industry is once again embracing and pushing to the front of the
walkway sleepwear of all things! Guess it’s not just for bedtime anymore! To
summarize there’s a multitude of market forces driving up demand for intimates
a category not to fall asleep on.