4 Dirty Little Secrets About the Lingerie Industry
You might be thinking to yourself why we, a lingerie company, want to air out the industry's dirty laundry. The reality is, for a big industry to truly change for the better of its customers and the environment, the dark truths need to be talked about.
Lingerie is a feminist, LGBTQ+ and race issue. It might seem odd to be calling the whole industry out on this, but it’s true. Lingerie has been designed, crafted, and marketed for a long time through the male gaze. This isn’t surprising considering most CEOs and founders of fashion houses are men; cis white men at that.
Lace, silk, satin and all those luxury fabrics are ones everyone should be able to enjoy without judgement, and you should be able to relate to the brand beyond whether they make you LOOK sexy.
Feminism is all about breaking the boundaries that restrict women and men through the harsh gender norms surrounding femininity and masculinity. It’s also about breaking the stereotypes about female sexuality, which is usually based on how they please men rather than educating about female pleasure and the enjoyment of mutual pleasure.
Lingerie is a huge market that could be targeted towards women, their sensuality, inner power, and building their confidence. Instead, lingerie is often marketed on their partner’s preference and not on the individual's enjoyment of the garment.
Here are 4 secrets you should know about.
#1True bra size is a myth!
We’ve had so many comments about our size range with women swearing up and down that their bra sizing is a strict size. Whilst we are working on increasing our size range, we wanted to blow the cobwebs off this hidden truth.
There is no perfect fit across brands. Sizing of your bra depends on how it is made, the fabric, the cut, and so many things. Whilst you can use fit-at-home methods to find your size like this:
@madisonxalexandra Measuring #brasize at home - Pt 1 🍒| #cupsize #brafitting ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Very often, you can also find “sister sizes” that will also fit you perfectly well. Sister sizes are bras that have the same cup volume whilst the band number and cup type are different on the label. For example; let’s say your usual size is 40E and it’s out of stock, you could try a 38F or 42DD as the cup is made from the size pattern as your usual one. The only difference is that the bands have different lengths. As the bra will have three rows of hooks and eyes on the end of the band, it can often work on the tightest if you size up or on the loosest or with a bra extender if you size down.
#2 To wear a bra or not
There were so many articles out decades ago about whether bras were good for you or not. Some articles claimed that wearing a bra meant your breasts were more likely to sag, whilst others claimed they prevented sagging. The truth is, wearing a bra doesn’t affect your breast health. As long as the bra is probably fitted, and isn't causing surface damage to your skin then it’s just down to comfort. So, whether you like to wear a bra or let your boobs fly free, it’s purely down to your comfort and preference
#3 Plus-size models missing
As a small business that is striving to be size-inclusive, we’ve noticed the modelling industry doesn’t reflect this. Trying to find a model that is larger than a size 18-20 is almost impossible with modelling agencies. In some cases, many “plus-size” models you see modelling larger sizes aren’t plus-size in real life!
@coolquinn Based on questions for my video “from skinny to plus size” with 3M views, link in comments ➡️
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
It’s one of the reasons more and more fashion brands are leaning on real women and fashion influencers for plus size models. For a small business with limited resources, it can be a huge struggle to truly represent the customers we want to cater to.
#4 Most of it is Fast Fashion
Most lingerie these days is made in sweatshop factories in China, India, and Pakistan. The garment makers are paid very little and work extremely long hours. Due to their mass production, the items are not made to be long lasting. The underwire casing in your bra may give out after a couple of months, and the stitching of your underwear will start to unravel.
This is where paying more with ethical brands that are either British-made or European-made will benefit you and the garment makers. This is because most European countries have laws in place to protect workers, have a set minimum wage, and better work conditions. You are guaranteed to know that your items have a healthier production history.
