Love is in the....lingerie?

       In the past couple of years the fashion trend for the post-Christmas season (entering into Valentine's day) has been primarily focused on animal prints, and spring colors such as bright greens, purples, and blues. However, it's refreshing to see that this year the traditional colors of red and pink are back! Just in time for Valentine's day, stores are unloading new designs that are more vibrant than ever. The addition of sparkle has been added to these traditional colors to really make them pop.
       Traditional reds and pinks tend to sell best for this holiday, and have been long awaited. I have had customers who have turned right around and walked out the door because in past years she did not have the choice of red or pink for her lingerie. Black for a long while had been a top seller, but black is considered the go-to "sexy" lingerie color. Women tend to purchase this color year round and opt for something fresh and different when given the option during holidays. For Valentine's day women want something unique and representative of the day of love. Take into careful consideration the colors you pick for launches, and more importantly, the time at which these colors are launched. This can have great influences on whether your customers are excited to shop with you or whether they decide to shop somewhere else.

Push-ups, Padding, and Uplift. Oh My!

        In continuation to my last blog entry, another trend that piggy backs this phenomenon of perky ladies, is the distrintion between push-ups, lined bras, and uplift bras. Over the holiday season the biggest seller in bra varieties has been the varying lines of push-up bras. We have nearly sold out entirely of push-ups in the classic colors (white, nude, and black) and have begun seeing more and more vibrant colors of push-ups flying out the door. One thing, however, that also seems to be occuring is the confusion to what the differences between a push-up bra, a lined bra, and an uplift bra are. Women seem to think of these terms as a colloquialism for the same meaning. In reality, a push-up literally pushes the girls up and in, adding roughly a cup size (or even two) to the overall size. For instance, a woman who measures as a B cup will be transformed to look like a perky C while wearing a push-up.
       Uplift does just what the name implies, it boosts the girls up, creating that perky, youthful look without adding to the overall cup size. Women who have larger ladies frequently do not want to add to the overall size. These ladies often tend to confuse this term with push-up and miss out on the benefits of this bra. Along with this, these same women think that lined bras means that they are padded. Lined means that there is an additional layer of material (or lining) to the inside of the bra so that women will not get the "cold" effect. Both uplifts and lined bras are the ideal product for well-endowed women.
       Its important not only to fit women properly and make sure that the customer maintains the proper fitting information, but to also take the time to thouroughly explain and detail benefits, distinctions, and features of the many different bra types. Many stores do not provide this information thouroughly enough and leave customers confused, frustrated, and ultimately disappointed. Building brand reputation begins with giving the customer superior customer service, answering any questions about products, and taking the time to ensure that the customer is more than satisfied with their purchase. This is turn will build positive brand reputation and brand loyalty.