The key points
- The growing interest in inclusiveness pushes plus size and modeling underwear
- The shapewear sector is heading towards 7 billion dollars
- It represents an opportunity for Italian companies of cutting-edge yarns and fabrics
It’s all a matter of perspective. Just change your point of view and here the former models, the “angels” of Victoria’s Secret, those who for years have represented an often unattainable aesthetic perfection, become the testimonial of an underwear brand that has built its own on the exaltation of imperfection success.
The engine is body positivity
In the new campaign of Skims, the inclusive lingerie brand launched by influencer Kim Kardashian, four super-models appear who, while remaining perfect, speak, today, the language of inclusiveness, of body positivity. Two values that revolutionized the underwear industry, replacing the Victoria’s Secret formula (which came close to failure) with another that brought sizes and models to the market suitable for all body types. An offer that therefore enormously expands the consumer base, ready to respond with enthusiasm: according to Allied Market Research, the global shapewear market – literally, modeling garments – will reach 6.95 billion dollars by 2030, growing to a average annual rate of 7.7%. A success confirmed by the prospects of brands such as Savage x Fenty, launched by Rihanna and one of the first in the sector, which seems to be heading towards an IPO with a valuation of 3 billion dollars, and by the choices of private equity funds such as Blackstone, which a November took over the majority of Spanx, the brand considered thecategory creator.
“The fashion industry has always been unresponsive to the demand for more inclusive sizes, but things change as inclusiveness becomes an increasingly important attribute for a brand – notes Fflur Roberts, head of the Global Luxury Goods segment. Research by Euromonitor International -. This transition towards positive body creations requires new investments, also in the conception of fitting ».
Trendy underwear drives innovation
The particular nature of this avant-garde underwear, which must guarantee wearability, comfort, breathability, offers an important boost to innovation also in the technical fabrics industry: “Innovation that passes from increasing comfort, but also from sustainability – continues the analyst -. Given that shapewear is determining the future direction of underwear, textile manufacturers who will be able to respond to this request for innovation will certainly benefit from it ». This is demonstrated by the case of The Lycra Company, a historic company in technical textiles, which in 2009 supported the birth of the segment with its Lycra Beauty technology, and which at the end of 2021 launched the new Lycra Adaptiv: “A revolutionary fiber that promotes a personalized fit and allows garments to naturally adapt to different body shapes – underlines Denise Sakuma, vice president of marketing and communication for Lycra -. Made with a special polymer, this adaptive fiber, which is patent pending, features a technology that allows it to adapt to the functional needs of the wearer in a hybrid way: if you move, it follows your movements perfectly, while at rest it stays perfectly in its place, like a second skin. A yarn which, moreover, also represents an advantage for producers and for those who sell online, because it considerably reduces the problem of returns and stock in the warehouse: a garment, in fact, is able to dress more sizes and adapt perfectly to every shape of the body”.
The hi-tech, adaptable and sustainable yarns of Italian textile excellence, such as Econyl by Aquafil, Renycle by RadiciGroup and Qnova by Fulgar, are also used by Cifra, a Verano Brianza-based company specializing in hi-tech knitwear, for fabrics produced with Warp Knit Seamless (Wks) patent, with which garments are made without seams, adaptable, warp-knit, but also light and breathable, therefore very suitable for shapewear: “In the 13 major world markets for Cifra the average size is between 46 and 48 , with the United States in the lead with the 50th – notes the CEO Cesare Citterio -. Almost a third of American women buy plus size clothing, and in Europe too the figure is growing and stands at 23 per cent ».