Power & passion Red undergarments invigorating sales and spirits
October 11, 2015 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
Comments Off
TOKYO – 2016 will be the year of the monkey, one of the 12 zodiac signs in Chinese astrology. In Japan, it is widely believed that a person can spend the entire year healthy and happy if they wear red knickers, reflecting the red-bottomed simian.
Sogo Seibu’s main store in Ikebukuro, in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward, organized an in-house sales promotion of red undergarments in August.
Close
Sogo Seibu’s main store in Ikebukuro, in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward, organized an in-house sales promotion of red undergarments in August.
In a bid to cash in on a business opportunity, which comes up for grabs only once every 12 years, apparel makers are launching wider varieties of undergarments in red. And shoppers are already snapping them up.
The last time the year of the monkey came around, in 2004, sales of red-colored underclothes were also strong, with apparel maker Wacoal Holdings selling 500,000 pieces, or 400% more than usual. According to an official at the company, the best-selling colors for women’s underwear are beige, black and pink, with red generally worn sparingly, often as an accent color.
This year, however, shoppers are choosing more and more red underclothing over other colors.
Power charm
A female office worker, 37, who recently bought a red brassiere and underwear set, said she decided on the color because she hoped the bright color would boost her spirit just like an amulet. She added that she didn’t mind wearing red undergarments, because no one would know about it, unless she let it be known. She was glad to learn that red is a lucky color for 2016. “I didn’t know about this, but the combination will be a lucky charm when the new year comes,” she said.
In the past, red underclothing was often marketed to health-conscious elderly people because, according to some traditional Asian medicine practitioners and other color experts, red cloth supposedly warms the body. Many red undergarments were purchased as gifts for the elderly 12 years ago.
However, the color is now becoming more popular among women in their 20s to 40s. Miyoko Kawaguchi, a senior buyer at department store operator Sogo Seibu, said red lingerie, especially products with lace, have been selling well amongst women in this age group. “They call red underwear ‘power red,’” Kawaguchi said.
At Sogo Seibu’s main store in Ikebukuro, located on the northwest side of central Tokyo, the women’s undergarments department had a sales promotion in August featuring various items under the slogan, “Red is the color of passion.”
The sales staff creatively folded and wrapped underwear to look like flowers so that they could be given as gifts. Thanks to those efforts, sales of red drawers at the store in the month grew 11% from a year ago.
More than Victoria’s secret
Kawaguchi said consumers were increasingly choosing gayer and more vivid colors for their intimate underclothes, even if they wear plain items over them.
Red is in vogue this year for all sorts of undergarments: bras, camisoles, shapewear, warm underwear, long johns and belly warmers.
Wacoal’s latest target is pregnant women. The company will soon start selling red pelvic belts that are designed to firmly support the pelvic area to ease strain on the lower back. Underwear for mothers-to-be typically has been available only in such plain colors as pink.
Triumph International, a major rival of Wacoal, has gone a step further. It is making three-guarter sleeved undershirts in two reddish colors: vermilion and Bordeaux. Rumiko Kageyama, who is responsible for the brand marketing section at Triumph, said the company decided to market two colors so consumers would have more choice.
A 26-year-old woman welcomed the lineup, saying she believed the red color lifted her mood. Another female customer, 34, also said that red underwear would serve as a lift-me-up item when she was feeling blue.
Changing views
According to Kageyama, red undergarments have usually been regarded as a unique item for special occasions, such as dates. However, they are now becoming clothing that will help women elate or motivate themselves in everyday life.
Leading hosiery and underwear maker Fukusuke estimates sales of boxer briefs and boxer shorts in red will expand by roughly 100% this winter.
Close
Leading hosiery and underwear maker Fukusuke estimates sales of boxer briefs and boxer shorts in red will expand by roughly 100% this winter.
Cashing in on this trend, in March last year, Triumph introduced a brassiere that featured red for its mainline “Tenshi no bra” series, which literally means “angel’s bra,” for the first time since the launch of the line 20 years ago. Red bras sold better than green and orange ones launched at the same time.
The strong sales of red lingerie are also attributable to a change in views on undergarments. According to Kageyama, relatively conservative Japanese women used to prefer underwear in pastel colors such as pink, but they are feeling less and less resistance to wearing bright colors in everyday life over the past few years.
Naoko Takeda, a fashion journalist and expert on underwear, said red was becoming more popular globally as people feel liberated in the choice of underclothing colors they wore. ”Red is a color that makes people feel happy, and it is a color that many people love to look at.”
The color red is likely to be in vogue in men’s underwear soon, too. Leading hosiery and underwear maker Fukusuke estimates sales of red boxer briefs and boxer shorts will expand by roughly 100% later this year and early next year. Department store operator Takashimaya plans to feature red boxers in December, especially at its five major outlets.
Thalma Lobel, an internationally recognized psychologist and a professor at the School of Psychological Science at Tel Aviv University, published the book “Sensation: The New Science of Physical Intelligence” in Japan in August. In her work, she said people tend to find members of the opposite sex attractive and sexy when they are wearing red.
Share and Enjoy
Liberate The Lingerie With UROSTEMOL
October 11, 2015 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
Comments Off
Urostemol
Research shows that three quarters of women in the UK are choosing ‘safe’ underwear because they have a fear or urine leakage. The research revealed that 89% of women don’t feel confident being seen in their underwear.
The research marks the launch of UROSTEMOL FEMINA, a herbal product traditionally used to relieve symptoms of weak and overactive bladder. 2,000 women over 40 were polled and one of the main reasons they were insecure about their underwear was that over a quarter of those polled need to wear incontinence pads.
Approximately 13 million people, around 4 million men and 9 million women have a bladder problem like a weak or overactive bladder, conditions that leave sufferers having a frequent and urgent need to urinate, or experiencing urinary leakage. A possible national concern, this is the UK’s second biggest health worry when it comes to getting older, beaten only by joint troubles. With 44% of the population saying they’re nervous about losing control of their bodily functions, this comes ahead of diabetes (21%) and even heart problems (39%).
UROSTEMOL FEMINA is part of the new UROSTEMOL range, an over the counter licensed herbal medicine for use in the relief of weak and overactive bladder, based on long standing use. The well tolerated herbal products all contain the unique Fink therapeutic pumpkin seed, which has an exceptionally high content of delta-7-sterols, believed to have a positive effect on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and offer Omega Pharma’s first OTC self-medicated treatment option for those affected by such symptoms.
Dr Dawn Harper, best known for her work on TV’s Embarrassing Bodies, chaired a recent summit on behalf of Urostemol, and says over active bladder is an issue that needs to be urgently addressed, she says “Although having a weak or overactive bladder is not life threatening, it is life changing for many men and women. In fact, the survey results show that 7 in 10 adults have had to make significant changes to their lifestyle because of the condition.” She continues, “Not being able to wear nice underwear is just the tip of the iceberg, with toilet ‘mapping’, avoiding drink, dark clothing and shunning socialising all deemed necessary means of coping. The ripple effect can include anything from damaged relationships, to poor sleep, to anxiety and low self-esteem.”
For many, the condition can also have a knock-on effect on their romantic life, with results showing that around four in ten people affected (37%) claim their bladder challenges have caused problems in their relationship. Communication between partners can suffer, as well as sex life because the person affected no longer feels desirable or attractive. This may lead to a decreased libido or lack of sex drive. In spite of the above, however, results show that one in three still refuses to speak to a healthcare professional until they think their wee problems have become ‘really bad’.
Nathalie Beckers, Brand Manager of UROSTEMOL, says “Up until now, OTC treatment options for lower urinary tract symptoms and overactive bladder have been very limited. People have either had to put up with symptoms or use prescription medicines, which are often associated with considerable side effects. New UROSTEMOL is an OTC range that has been traditionally used to relieve complaints like frequent and urgent urination, frequent night-time urination and urinary incontinence, and offers an alternative treatment option for the 13 million people in the UK who have to live with these symptoms every day.”
The UROSTEMOL range offers products for all LUTS related to over active bladder and bladder weakness and is available exclusively at Boots. Tailor made products are available for both men and women.