You have probably heard the recent buzz from the bra industry (sorry, maybe not you men) in the news and in discussion. It has become evident that women wear the wrong size bra and bra manufacturers/retailers are looking to capitalize on this fact. The statistic says that 85% of women wear the wrong size bra. While I know little about the survey methods used in this study, I want to point out that fabric stretches and shrinks and women’s bodies change constantly. I like this famous quote from Times magazine: "'Eighty percent of American women are wearing the wrong bra' is the 'more likely to be killed by a terrorist than get married' statistic of the new millennium." I am also unsure about the survey methods used in the latter statistic.
So maybe the statistic is accurate but does not take into account all the women who bought a bra that fit a month ago. Honestly, the bra industry hit a jackpot when they discovered this 85% figure. What about the other clothing articles of a woman’s ensemble? Walking around the grocery store, I would venture a guess that 80% of the women do not wear the correct size pants. I see muffin tops, too-short hemlines, too-long hemlines, but the pants seem to still serve their functional purpose. Are bras different? I think that there must be a different relationship between women with their pants and women with their bras for such a dramatic conversation to have sparked from this statistic. Bras are much more intimate in nature. They are distinctively woman. If we look at the way companies have promoted bras, they almost unanimously leverage these sentiments. The thought of blemishing the appearance or even damaging the well-being of her breasts is a very scary thought to a woman.
What brought this topic to the forefront of my mind yet again was the campaign that came out a few days ago advertising the Canadian lingerie company “The Boobie Trap.” Instead of relying on sex appeal or product features these ads look like horror movie posters with captions that read bad bra-fit archetypes like “The Quadraboob” or “The Shelf.” I thought the campaign was very creative and I see how women would react and pursue a better fitting undergarment. But I also think this sort of reaction is highly illogical. In asserting that the issue is fit, the bra manufacturer or retailer needs to provide the woman with the fitting service. It’s a service needed, not a product. It is amusing that the advertisers would even try to promote a product based on a demand in service. But hey, crazier things have worked! While it is way too early in this campaign to analyze the results, I will be interested to see the ROI. If the campaign instigates emotions of fear- fear that their current bra renders them a “quadraboob”- women will buy a “Boobie Trap” bra. The consumer will grasp at any solution presented to them if they perceive a problem, even if a bra tailor or fitting specialist would better serve their interests.
-Emily McGraw
I also saw these ads and could not help but laugh. This is definitely a unique way to get the attention of the consumer among the glitz and glamour of industry giants such as Victoria's Secret and La Perla. I agree that the service of bra fitting is what needs to be provided and improved upon; personally, I have not had the best/most accurate experience with these fittings. It will definitely be interesting to see this campaign's ROI, and I'll be interested to see if they do any related ads in the future. While the company has identified the problem, they next need to pose the solution. I think it would be cute to have romantic comedy or happily ever after-type ads with perfectly fitting bras featured. Ultimately, I think that women are just looking for something that is comfortable and makes them feel confident; it looks like this company can do just that.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you propose that 80% of the women do not wear the correct size pants (or whatever clothes they might be). However, I think that a lot of women just don't wear the right clothing. Women (and men) come in all shapes and sizes, and there are fashionable clothes out there to make them look good. For example, a 125-lb. college girl could easily look good in a v-neck tee. Put that v-neck tee on a 250-lb. woman in an XL size, and it would not look so great. Some might argue that the size is off, but in reality, not all clothes are meant for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI think clothing manufacturers attempt to do a good job in promoting their clothing lines to the right type of people (especially with "Plus Size" stores that cater to slightly heftier women who still want to look good). I am not trying to say that overweight women cannot look good, I am saying that there is clothing out there for everyone - regardless of weight, shape, or size - to make you look good and embrace your power as a woman. Not everything is meant for everyone.
-TFL