Meet the Editor, Nicole Rollender
More Than Boxers
My guilty and secret pleasure (though not so secret anymore) is reading snarky celebrity gossip blogs, such as Perez Hilton, Hollywood Rag and Celebrity Smack (those of you who are as addicted as I am will know the Web addresses of these sites by heart). Through these sites, I’ve learned a lot about underwear or the lack of it, in Britney Spears’ case.
Did you know that after the birth of her first child, Apple, Gwyneth Paltrow wore two pairs of Spanx Power Panties with Tummy Control to rein in her belly? Pillow-lipped Lisa Rinna, a former Dancing With the Stars contestant, wears Hanes men’s cotton briefs under her shorts and jeans. And, did you know that part of the reason thongs and G-strings are so in is because of the paparazzi’s love of snapping stars with VPL (visible panty lines)? To avoid VPL, J-Lo wears the Commando thong by Her Look, which is precision cut to eliminate panty lines and hip-gouging bulges. The Cosabella Ceylon Camisole is a star in its own right, appearing on lots of magazine covers, and on Nicollette Sheridan in Desperate Housewives.
So here we are in 2008, and while we’re not wearing underwear over our clothes anymore (that’s one ’80s fashion statement I’m not sad hasn’t made a comeback), we were curious about unmentionables’ place in the wearables market. We did a search in ASI’s ESP Online database of more than 700,000 ad specialty products and wearables. We found – while not a huge selection – a decent array of cotton and polyester camisoles, lacy bras, sports bras, boy short underwear, organic cotton thongs, and men’s and women’s imprinted boxers. Our cover story this month is devoted to showing you how to pitch undergarments and who’s interested in buying them. You might be surprised at how many markets there are. For example:
■ Vacation giveaways. Hotels and resorts can offer something a little different than a standard terry cloth robe – think camis and boy short panties. And, if a resort offers bachelorette parties or honeymoon packages, it could provide guests with logoed satin robes, drawstring boxers and camisole/panty sets, offered at check-in so guests can pick their size.
■ College campuses. Gen-Y doesn’t seem to be shocked by much, and racy underwear is no exception. Andrea Engel, vice president of merchandising at Broder (asi/42090), sees “a lot of intimate-wear end-uses in sorority and fraternity” clients. Thongs, boxers and boxer-inspired lounge pants (worn everywhere by Gen-Yers), can be embellished with a group or university’s logo.
■ Special events. Sure, T-shirts are great event souvenirs, but pitching underwear as a viable promotional giveaway can make you stand out from other distributors. For example, Morey Mayeri, president of Royal Apparel (asi/83731), says, “We sell a lot [of underwear-type items] for liquor companies, nightclubs and even for events such as Spring Break.” And, Engel says embellished underwear is a popular concert giveaway item.
■ Ubiquitous boxers. Most guys and gals love a pair of boxers either as underwear or for lounging around. Jon Carroll, founder of Boxercraft (asi/41325), tells us, “At first, corporate marketers targeted the youth market, and we did lots of orders in the ’90s for campus promotions for video games and TV shows. Since then, boxers have become a staple of promotional products across all age groups.”
We know – selling underwear isn’t for the faint of heart. So for those distributors up for the challenge, we also have top selling tips in our cover story, “Don’t Underestimate Underwear.” One I like: Let research, not stereotypes, be your guide. Think a boomer-aged women’s club would blush at the sight of a thong? Check out the group’s Web site. Talk with a few members. Maybe an imprinted thong will be more like a gag gift giveaway than something they’ll actually wear, but you might be surprised at their openness.
What’s new
Well, besides my snazzy new editor’s picture? Behind the scenes, Wearables’ Editorial Advisory Board is very active in providing feedback on the magazine’s design and editorial topics – and what they like and what they think we can improve. Starting with this issue, we’re giving them a platform in “Ask the Advisory Board” to answer your questions. Turn to page 14 for their advice on motivating top salespeople.
As always, let me know what’s on your mind, and send me your selling and apparel-related questions. E-mail me at nrollender@asicentral.com.
Cheers,
Nicole Rollender
