Aerie wins with real women
When Aerie, a brand that’s part of the American Eagle family
said that it would stop airbrushing its lingerie models’
pictures, it made a bit of a splash. Now the results are in - and they’re
very interesting indeed. Whilst American Eagle’s sales decreased
overall by 7%, Aerie’s sales rose by 9%. The airbrushing
alone wouldn’t have delivered this jump; Aerie lingerie has been sold in
the same stores as American Eagles’s other clothing, rather than
separately and underwear has generally outperformed other clothing sectors as
when money is tight women are happy to spend a little on a nice pair of
knickers or a pretty bra but not so happy to spend a lot on an outer garment.
Even so, the idea of real women in real undies has served the brand well
because it has a practical purpose - the average woman can see how the lingerie
will look on their own bodies much more clearly than when looking at a perfect,
airbrushed, unreal body.
Lingerie Fashion Week - New York style
And Aerie is also right on trend. The catwalks of the New York
City Lingerie Fashion Week (LFWNYC) were thronged with gorgeous underwear worn
by gorgeous bodies, both male and female. Some of these bodies were utterly
unreal, the bodies of those genetic lottery winners who were somehow born with
six packs, perky buns and stunning shoulders.
Others though, were more like the average …
and while they might be considered ‘normal’
they looked anything but average in their designer underwear. Lingerie
brands run the full range of underwear from wedding lingerie to maternity wear,
from men’s sportswear to bespoke corsetry and each of those styles
and specialist areas was represented on the catwalk.
Choosing the best underwear for your body
Whilst there are hundreds of guides to choosing the best wedding
gown, the perfect little black dress, the ideal winter coat, guides to choosing
lingerie are rarer and often less inclusive. We know that, just like LFWNYC,
underwear is worn by everybody, male and female, young and old, and of every
shape, size and colour. So here are our
tips for choosing underwear if you’re not one of those who ‘won’
the genetic lottery.
• Work
for fit, not look. While the way a garment looks is important, the way it feels
on your body is more so. If the lingerie is too tight, digs in or feels
uncomfortable as you move, then it won’t make you feel good about yourself,
no matter how glamorous or sophisticated it looks.
• Use
your body type. While willowy women can wear most things, curvier bodied
females can benefit from choosing one long-line and one short item; so a plunge
bra with a long girdle or suspender belt, or a longline bustier with a pair of
side-tie panties or a G-string. This prevents any bunching up of the flesh
between two long-line garments and flatters the more voluptuous figure.
• Look
your age. Rather than trying to hide your age, use it to your advantage. Sheer
fabrics flatter older skins and have a sophistication that younger fabrics like
animal prints can’t deliver. For older women, elegant
robes in rich colours make a cosmopolitan statement, whilst for the mature
gentleman, a thong can be a stunning undergarment, flattering the male torso
without creating unattractive crease lines.
• Adapt
your underwear. For those with mobility issues or with other physical needs,
great lingerie need not be a no-no. Side fastening underwear can be easy to get
on and off as well as looking stunning, and both men and women’s
underwear comes in side-fastening options - we’d recommend the
Pistola by Sensualle as a very raunchy garment for a man, with a
straightforward velcro fastening that anybody can utilise. Women with mobility
issues often find that babydolls are simple to wear and very sensual in
appearance.
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