Market Insight about Shapewear in 2012

Felina Minimizer Longpant AW12

A massive 93 percent of women would like their lingerie to give a little help with shaping and contouring, according to a world-wide consumer survey conducted by INVISTA.

The same report revealed that one third of women said that they would consider wearing shapewear every day.

If these statistics can be taken at face value, there would appear to be no immediate risk of demand declining in the shapewear sector.

This is a point of view that INVISTA would surely agree with. INVISTA commissioned the survey of women in the USA, France, the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain, this year, as part of its ongoing development of innovative LYCRA® fabrics for the intimate apparel industry.

Similar research in 2009 found a considerable gap between what women want from their lingerie and hosiery, and what they feel it delivers. For example, 88 percent of women said that they wanted underwear to enhance their shape, but only 63 percent said that they were satisfied that this requirement was being met.

Lycra beauty, INVISTA’s fabric shaping certification programme, launched in 2010. It has since been expanded to cover the areas of hosiery and swimwear, a clear indicator of the company’s commitment towards this area of intimate apparel.

Dogi International, Liebaert, Eurojersey, Carvico and Jersey Lomellina are just a few of the textile manufacturers to have produced fabrics within the scheme, while brand’s using these fabrics include the likes of Anita, Hanro, Maidenform, Body Wrap, Huit, Naturana, Spanx, Triumph, Playtex, Felina, Berlei and Wacoal.

Shapewear has performed very well for Wacoal over the past year, with up to 20 percent growth in some stores.

Wacoal sales director Susan Bradley said: “The market is so saturated with brands introducing shapewear that you really need to have a point of difference.”

It is for this reason Wacoal has introduced its anti-cellulite iPant and 'Control Freak,' a product designed to fit different body shapes. Both ranges are being expanded for AW12.

Yet, despite Bradley’s recognition that the market is becoming increasingly competitive, she still thinks demand will remain buoyant.

"I think shapewear will continue to be popular,” she says. “It is now an established part of many women's lingerie drawer and since this is a product that is especially innovative there will always be something new to offer the consumer.”

Penelope Giguere, marketing co-ordinator of competitor Body Wrap, agrees that the market is saturated, something she attributes to the continued high level of demand for shaping products.

"Shapewear, being so popular at this time, it seems that there is a new line launching every week,” she says. “Unfortunately, most of them do not work and it can discourage someone who is trying it for the first time.”