How To Encourage Lingerie Brands To Make What You Want to Buy
Do you have a favourite lingerie label, one that you shop with season after season because they keep on bringing out new designs that are simply everything you could want in a bra? Or are you still hunting down this elusive brand, the one that feels like it was created especially for you?
It’s frustrating to be in that latter camp. It can feel like you may never find your perfect bra. Don’t give up just yet though! Instead of continually seeking out new lingerie brands to try, why not invest that energy into encouraging the ones you already know and like to make a few changes to the way they do things?
“What’s the point?”, you may be asking yourself, “Why would the lingerie brand listen to me?”. And you’d be right that they aren’t going to go ahead and tweak a design simply because one customer asked for it. If you’re one of fifty customers however, they just might.
The truth is that lingerie brands really do value customer feedback. That’s why they spend money on consumer satisfaction surveys, and work with fit models not just to see how the lingerie looks but to get an opinion on things like comfort too. The brand is only going to stay in business if enough people buy its bras, so they want to make the lingerie that you want to buy.
Perhaps you know a bra brand that makes your perfect fit, but the colours they choose are rather boring. Or there’s one creating stunning bra designs that you absolutely love, but the size range stops just below the one you need.
Whatever your frustration is, here are three ways to maximise your chances of things changing in future collections.
Leave a review
If a lingerie brand allows customers to write product reviews on their site, and many do, then this is the quickest and most straightforward way to share your thoughts. You may think you’re helping other customers, and you are, but you can be sure the brand is going to read your feedback too!
Remember to be constructive – “I didn’t find this bra comfortable” doesn’t really give them anything to work off of. On the other hand, “The straps were too thin and dug in” or “the mesh wasn’t soft enough and felt scratchy” tells the brand exactly what they could do differently next time.
No option to leave a review? You can still drop the brand an email. Even if it’s a simple question such as “Do you have any plans to expand into 40 band sizes?”, you’ll still be making it known that there’s an audience out there who’d be buying their lingerie if only they could.
Related: Here’s Why Bras Cost What They Do
Spread the word
As I mentioned earlier, a single customer is going to have a tough time trying to influence a lingerie brand on their own. That’s why it’s important to get other people involved too.
Love a brand’s latest campaign featuring plus-sized models? Share it on social media. Seen a newly-released bra set you absolutely adore? Share that with your friends, even if it’s just over a glass of wine come Friday night – they may just fall in love with it too.
A thumbs up on Facebook might not seem like much, but having a product or campaign ‘go viral’ can lead to positive press coverage for the brand, and make them seem more popular in the eyes of retailers – and the better the brand is doing financially, the better-equipped they’ll be to invest in things like improving their fit!
Buy – and not just on sale!
At the end of the day, the success of any brand depends on whether people are buying its products. Introducing new sizes in particular requires a considerable financial investment. If a lingerie brand responds to hundreds of requests for G+ cups by introducing them, only to find that very few get bought, you can expect those larger cup sizes to be dropped again in future collections.
So if you’re vocal about wanting something from your favourite lingerie brand and they take that feedback on board, be the first person in line to purchase it. Show them that they were right to listen to their customers!
Importantly, this means purchasing the lingerie at full price. Selling a bra on sale is better than not selling it at all. However, it still tells the brand that they’re not going to make a profit on this product. And if you’ve waited until it was steeply discounted, such as 60% off, then it’s very likely the brand has actually made a loss.
Related: Why Don’t I Wear The Same Bra Size In Every Brand?
Don’t forget
Of course, you need to be realistic about what to ask from brands. Asking, “can you make your bras cheaper?” is unlikely to get you what you want, because there’s a reason good bras cost what they do. You’ll also have a lot more success asking a brand to cater to your G-cupped chest if they currently make DD-F sizes, rather than asking one that’s only doing A-D.
All of this goes for lingerie boutiques too, not just the brands creating the lingerie. Did you know that it’s not uncommon for a brand to offer an extensive size range, but only end up producing the ‘standard’ sizes because no retailers placed orders for the larger or unusual ones? So don’t be afraid to tell your local, independent lingerie boutique what you want – brands you like, colours you love, sizes you’d love to see them stock… They may even offer to order a product in just for you!
We Highly Recommend
Whether you’re shopping for new everyday bras or lingerie for a special occasion, it’s always a good idea to seek out a second opinion. We know how hard it is to find bras that fit well and feel good, especially when you’re doing it on your own. If you’ve ever felt unsure about your bra size or you just don’t know where to go to find good bras, it’s time to let a bra fitter help.
Many specialty lingerie boutiques offer bra fittings. Their expert bra fitters will take the pain and frustration out of bra shopping and do all the work for you. Even better, their product knowledge can save you time and money. Plus, they know where all of the best bras are hiding.
If you’ve struggled with finding bras in the right size, it’s time to make a change. Visit our specialty store locator to find a store near you and schedule an appointment.
Happy bra shopping!
