In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, many brands introduce racier and raunchier lingerie sets, but what do women really want from their lingerie on Valentine’s Day? Underwear choice in 2020 is vastly different from the mid-1990s when Victoria’s Secret dominated and the industry was shaped solely on men’s ideas of what was sexy. For a long time, Victoria’s Secret was the authority on what encapsulated modern-day sex-appeal, but in the wake of the Me Too movement and the backlash the brand has faced for its belligerent inability to represent women who aren’t a size 6, it no longer holds the sway it used to.
Enter 2020 and the rise of brands that reflect real-life underwear needs, representing women of all different shapes, sizes and ethnicities in their adverts. Has any of this made men more receptive to what women want from their underwear though?
“Men shopping for lingerie in the lead-up tend to favour a few specific styles. We see the most popular searched items as traditionally sexy styles, such as dress-up outfits, silk slips, shapewear and babydolls, but men are also shopping for cuddly, fleece onesies, so it’s a real mix,” says Vince Sharp, Director at Camille.
The sales data in the lead up to Valentine’s Day reflects this, with a floral lace bodysuit the best-selling item in the lead up to the holiday at Camille, with the black, sexy shapewear dress below coming a close second.
But the more interesting sales data from Camille comes from the fact that fleecy pyjamas and onesies are runners up in the most searched for and bought items before February 14th by men. Valentine’s Day in a onesie conjures images of cuddling up to a loved one on the sofa – and is there a better gift than that?
