Debenhams reveal increased demand for traditional styles of lingerie

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:57:49 GMT

Debenhams has revealed surprising new figures that show a sharp rise in sales of traditional lingerie styles, with the distinctive, alluring snap of stockings being fastened to a suspender belt becoming popular in Britain again for the first time in almost 50 years.

Demand for the traditional style of lingerie is rocketing, reversing the universal popularity of tights which captured the market in the early 1960s.

The unpredictable spring and summer weather, as well as a growing number of celebrities showcasing their stockings on stage and at star-studded events, may be behind the trend.

Debenhams spokesperson, Ruth Attridge said: "Our British summer has started in the traditional way with frequent spells of sun and rain in the same day, leaving British women up in air about what to wear.

"Stockings and suspenders, just like leggings, have become the popular alternative to tights. They provide coverage for legs on an unexpectedly chilly day, but at the same time are cooler than tights and far more comfortable to wear in over heated City offices."

Suspender belts effectively fell out of fashion with the introduction of self supporting tights in the decades after the war.

Woman rapidly abandoned the mechanical nature of suspenders in favour of the new, easy-to-wear and wash hosiery style.

Sleek tights also removed the suspender belt’s tell-tale clasp outline which frequently showed through tight outer clothing.

However, this taboo has now been overcome by fashion with celebrities making 'underwear as outerwear' the trend for summer 2010. Recent stars bringing sexy suspenders to the cutting edge of fashion include Kylie, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry and of course, Dita Von Teese.

Black suspender belts, with embroidery, sequins and bows are the store's biggest sellers, with sales soaring by 238 per cent in the last month alone. Hot pink satin suspenders are the next in demand.

Ivory suspender belts made from luxurious silk with ribbons, pearls and bows are also firm favourites, and a popular choice with brides.

Black stockings with back seams from J by Jasper Conran and Jonathan Aston are the items most commonly bought with suspender belts, closely followed by natural sheen ivory lace top stockings.

Ruth Attridge concluded: "St Valentine's Day and Christmas are our traditional peak sales periods for stockings and suspenders, but the powerful combination of celebrity influence and the weather means that we’ve had to change our buying patterns to accommodate customer demand."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
Debenhams lingerie sale selection is made up of Aristoc, Ballet, by Caprice, Calvin Klein, Debenhams, Ebone, Fantasie, Flexees, Freya, Gorgeous, Jonathan Aston, Lepel, Levante, Playtex, Presence, Pretty Polly, Red Herring, Shock Absorber, Sloggi, Trinny & Susannah, Triumph, Ultimate, Ultimo and Wonderbra.

Designers at Debenhams lingerie includes Reger by Janet Reger, Floozie by Frost French, J by Jasper Conran, and Rocha.John Rocha.

Debenhams currently stocks bras ranging from 28AA to 38KK with a dedicated fuller bust section and own brand collection, Gorgeous.

About Debenhams
Debenhams is a leading department stores group, and has a strong presence in key product categories including women's fashion, such as dresses, women's shoes, bikinis, jeans, make-up, health and beauty, accessories, perfume, l

Debenhams exposes The Cougar Effect driving sexy lingerie sales

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:04:12 GMT

Debenhams, leading lingerie retailer, is reporting sales of sultry lingerie among women of a 'certain age' are booming thanks to the glamorous 40-somethings of Sex and the City 2 and Cougar Town.

The hit TV show, and forthcoming movie, showing the bedroom antics of women in their 40's and 50's and their much younger partners, is being credited by Debenhams with the rise in demand from women of the same age.

A nationwide analysis of the most popular lingerie styles from October 2009 to April 2010, by the high street store, revealed that empowered 40 plus women have given the more seductive side of the lingerie industry a big boost.

These women are rediscovering their figures, often after having children or getting divorced, and are enjoying the confidence boost that a great fitting bra can give.

Previously the peak purchasers of cleavage enhancing bras, basques, thongs, stockings and suspenders, have been women in their early 20s. However, the survey showed that women aged 40 plus are spending more time and money in the lingerie department.

Head Lingerie Buyer for Debenhams, Annette Warburton said: "It's important that women at any age feel fantastic in their underwear.

"Over the last six months, our lingerie fitters have reported a sharp rise in the number of women in their 40's and 50's booking consultations to overhaul their lingerie wardrobes.

"We currently bra fit over 250,000 women a year and the 40 plus age group is now our fastest growing market.

"Positive female role models in this age group such as the women in the Sex and the City movies and Courtney Cox in TV's Cougar Town are giving the women confidence to splash out on themselves.

"With women's 40's being touted as the new 20's, and lingerie designers stepping up to the mark to feed this demand, it's a market we expect to see grow further in the future".

According to Debenhams the top cities for sexy lingerie sales among women in their 40's and 50's are London, Edinburgh and Brighton.

About Debenhams:
Debenhams is a leading department stores group with a strong presence in lingerie retail, stocking brands like Wonderbra, Calvin Klein and Sloggi. Debenhams is also renowned in a number of other key product categories including women's wear with dresses, bikinis, petite clothing, make-up, health and beauty, perfume, lingerie, jeans, men's fashion, home ware, accessories and children's wear.

Debenhams issues lingerie commandments for Valentines' Day

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:46:28 GMT

Debenhams lends a helping hand to hapless men, who constantly buy their wives and girlfriends the wrong kind of underwear.

In the lead up to Valentines' day the fashion store, Debenhams, has compiled a 10 point "Lingerie Commandments" guide to help men choose lingerie that women want to wear - rather than styles they want them to wear.

The first rule which Debenhams stresses for men to bear in mind is to: "Forget Pussycat Dolls - red PVC lingerie might appeal to you, but don't expect it to turn your woman into a minx"

Another important commandment is: "Don't EVER buy her Control Wear". Knickers and bras which keep flabby bulges hidden may be her first choice, but buying them as a present will reduce the chances of romance.

Debenhams has compiled the guide because so much lingerie bought by men at this time of year is then quickly returned by women. So great is the trend that experts at the store have given it the name - 'Monday Undies' - because they're usually bought by men on a Saturday and returned by women on a Monday.

The two peak times when it occurs most are running up to Christmas and Valentine's Day.

Debenhams is hoping that by issuing the Lingerie Commandments guide now, it will help male customers to buy the right gift and also help Debenhams save time and money by reducing the amount of lingerie brought back to be exchanged.

The guide has been issued to all 161 Debenhams stores and staff have been trained to recognise hapless men in need of lingerie advice in the run up to Valentine's Day.

Lingerie personal shopper at Debenhams Oxford Street, Mina Abban-Mensah, said, "We see swarms of men in the lingerie department in the run up to Valentines' Day - but few seem to know how or why they ended up there.

"Most men can easily identify the parts of an engine, or change a tyre in a matter of minutes; yet when faced with the option of a balconette, basque or push-up, they are instantly puzzled."

If each commandment is adhered to, wives and girlfriends across the UK will be unwrapping luscious lingerie they couldn't have picked better themselves this February 14th, and the men will be reaping the rewards later on that evening.

Mina continued: "The lingerie commandments are a great introduction, as they mean that all our staff will be able to offer relevant, important expert advice on shopping for lingerie gifts."

Research into shopping habits by the lingerie retailer revealed that men get it wrong most of the time when it comes to buying lingerie, with 68% of women admitting to being less than impressed when they have received Valentines lingerie in the past.

About Debenhams:
Debenhams is a leading department stores group with a strong presence in key product categories including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, home and health and beauty.
Debenhams operates 160 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland, comprising 147 full department stores and 13 Desire by Debenhams stores, which is a small store concept featuring an edited product range. Debenhams also has 60 international franchise stores in 23 countries.

House of Fraser launches new and exclusive Untold and Therapy lingerie collections

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:48:44 GMT

House of Fraser, the premium department store, has launched the new 'Untold' and 'Therapy' lingerie collections.

House of Fraser has launched the eagerly anticipated lingerie collections from 'Untold' and 'Therapy' online, allowing customers to cheer themselves up in the cold weather with a new underwear wardrobe. Shoppers can now feel great underneath all the woolly layers this season, with a touch of sexy lace lingerie from 'Untold' or a playful print from 'Therapy'.

House of Fraser shoppers can purchase the new collections online where they will also find a variety of lingerie from other designer brands, including Calvin Klein. The Untold lingerie oozes feminine charm and this lingerie collection has been intricately designed in delicate blush tones with accents of black and ruby.

The 'Untold' collection sees silk and lace combined with fine embroidery and subtle bow details, creating a collection that will keep ladies feeling sexy throughout the season as well as providing ideas for Valentine's Day gifts. The collection consists of long-line and standard bras, briefs, thongs, shorts, high-waisted briefs and corsets. For a more simple option, customers can look to the 'Untold' ruffle trim T-shirt bra in pink and black, an easy-to-wear everyday bra that doesn’t compromise on the feminine factor.

'Therapy' offers a younger, trend-led collection that features bright lace separates and bodysuits with contrasting trims and playful ditsy prints with sequin details which embrace a flirty, ultra-girly style. For ladies who want to make an underwear statement this season can look to the vintage-inspired floral print corset dress that is both sophisticated and seductive. The 'Therapy' lingerie collection consists of long-line and standard bras, briefs, thongs, shorts, high-waisted briefs and corset dresses.

'Untold' and 'Therapy' lingerie, along with Calvin Klein underwear and many other renowned brands can be purchased on the House of Fraser website.

- ENDS -

About House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a department store group with 61 enviable locations across the UK and Ireland and a fully transactional website. As one of the best known names on the high street, House of Fraser has presented customers with an unrivalled nationwide department store for more than 160 years. The company was acquired by the Highland consortium in November 2006 marking the beginning an exciting new chapter in its history. The group has annual sales in excess of £1.25bn and employs 6,500 House of Fraser staff and 10,000 concession staff through 5 million sq ft of selling space. HouseofFraser.co.uk launched in 2007 and currently boasts over 850 brands and 125,000 individual products.

Tesco exclusive Diamond Boutique creates new bra innovation

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:10:21 GMT

The Tesco exclusive lingerie brand, Diamond Boutique has unveiled a pioneering new bra design, The Limitless Bra, which can be worn a never-ending number of ways. This will be Tesco's most innovative lingerie invention ever to be introduced to stores throughout the UK.

The bra comes in several parts, including two cups and a selection of straps, giving its wearer the power to make it up 'DIY-style'. Each cup features 24 hook positions and the back strap another 28, making the Limitless Bra one of the first bra designs ever to offer limitless ways of wearing it.

MJM International, the producer of Diamond Boutique has taken over a year and hundreds of hours of testing to perfect the revolutionary bra created exclusively for Tesco customers. The product will retail at £16.00 and will be available in sizes 32-38 A-D in black and nude.

The bra's inventor Michelle Mone, co-founder of MJM International and creator of Diamond Boutique said; "Diamond Boutique is committed to meeting womens lingerie needs, which is why I'm so excited about this phenomenal new design. The Limitless Bra is unlike any other bra available on the market and can be worn hundreds of different ways. Women will be thrilled to find out that this really does deliver every bra style they will ever need, plus some"

She added; "This is without doubt a 'must have' garment for every lingerie drawer and is the bra women have been waiting for. These days fashion is so experimental, it's often a hassle finding the right bra for the right outfit, any girl will tell you. But this bra can be easily constructed and adjusted to sit perfectly underneath any garment, with no straps showing and providing all the support your bust needs. It really is an unbelievable product."

Jan Marchant, Buying Director of Tesco Clothing, said; "The Limitless Bra is the most innovative and unique lingerie design Tesco has ever seen and we're incredibly excited about offering it in store. The product offers incredible versatility and just by moving the straps around the edge of the cups women can create any bra style they want. We anticipate that the Limitless Bra will be a must-have for the Christmas party season and that Tesco shoppers will be racing to their nearest store to bag theirs."

Made from smooth micro-fibre material and available in black and nude, The Limitless Bra is invisible under any outfit. The Limitless Bra is available from Tesco stores nationwide and the Tesco Clothing website.

ENDS

About Tesco:
Tesco plc, a UK-based international grocery and merchandising retailer, is Britain's largest supplier and the world's third largest grocery retailer, by both global sales and domestic market share.

Founded as a food specialist in 1929, Tesco has now expanded into diverse areas such as flowers, books, music, clothes, gifts, telecoms and even baby buggies. The company employs over 250,000 people, operates 1,779 stores across Europe and Asia and serves over 15 million customers.

Images of Elen Rivas wearing the new Limitless Bra available on request

Tesco sign Elen Rivas to Diamond Boutique for her first ever lingerie campaign

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:22:09 GMT

Tesco Clothing has signed Elen Rivas, the Spanish former fiancée of Frank Lampard, the Chelsea and England football star, to help show off the latest collection from Diamond Boutique, the luxury lingerie range available exclusively from 169 Tesco stores.

The 34 year old mother-of-two, who appears in a Spanish inspired-shoot for the supermarket giant, has been chosen to front the latest campaign in which she models the brand's new Christmas collection. Her pictures will appear in Tesco stores throughout the UK and online through the Tesco Clothing site.

This is Elen's very first lingerie campaign and her first-ever modeling assignment, but Elen looks confident and relaxed as she poses seductively in a Spanish villa, flaunting her womanly curves and dazzling smile, wearing the luxurious new Diamond Boutique designs.

Elen, who has also made several TV appearances on GMTV this year, said; "I was so delighted when Michelle Mone asked me to front the new Diamond Boutique campaign. I was at first daunted, but I had so much fun on the shoot and I'm so pleased with the final results. I've never modeled before and after two kids I wasn't sure how the pictures would look, but I'm very proud of them."

She added; "Diamond Boutique delivers everything a designer brand should. The designs are elegant, stylish and fit to perfection. What's more, even if you buy the entire collection you won't feel guilty as it's so easy on the pocket. I wear the range every day, whether I'm off to the supermarket or glamming up for a night out."

Michelle Mone, creator of the Diamond Boutique range, said; "Elen looks beautiful in the new collection. She has a fantastic personality that shines through and I think women will really relate to her. Not only is she a mother, but she's incredibly down to earth and exudes an inner confidence and sensuality like only a Spanish senorita can."

Michelle added; "The new Diamond Boutique range sparkles from every direction. It's the perfect Christmas collection and the purse-friendly prices mean that everyone can have a slice of luxury in their lingerie drawer this season."

Terry Green, CEO of Tesco Clothing, said; "The new Diamond Boutique Christmas collection is incredibly luxurious, but continues our focus on value with prices starting from just £7.00. Elen is a great signing for the brand and proves that budget lingerie can look just as good as expensive designer lingerie."

Available from a purse-friendly £7.00, the new Diamond Boutique Christmas collection comes in sizes 32A to 38D for bras and 8-18 for briefs crafted from silks, satins and lace. The new collection is available from Tesco stores nationwide and online.