Men are also the era of “lace underwear”! In the case of selling out, we learned about the “change in men’s aesthetic consciousness” through commoditization
When it comes to men’s panties, it’s briefs and boxers. Then the words for women are lace panties … This idea may be outdated. Wacoal, a large lingerie manufacturer, began selling “men’s lace underwear” and sold out. Isn’t lace all for women, and why should it be made for men? Weekly Women interviewed developers and male lace lovers. What are the new lingerie trends for 2022?
Men’s “Changes in Aesthetic Consciousness”
What comes to mind when you hear lace fabrics? Dresses, shirts, skirts, and underwear. When you think of people wearing these clothes, many people think of them as “women”.
However, please discard this “fixed idea”. Wacoal, a major underwear manufacturer, sells boxer shorts for men. The shape is the shape of a general boxer shorts. However, the material is all lace. “Men wear lace underwear?” Perhaps many people will doubt it. But I have to admit that this product sells very well.
“It has been available in limited quantities on e-commerce sites and three stores since December, and the sales target of the first three months was achieved within 10 days. Now that it is basically sold out, it has decided to increase production by the end of March. (Head of Propaganda at Wacoal, the same below)
The trade name is “lace boxers”, which belongs to Wacoal’s men’s underwear brand “Wacoal Men”. What is the opportunity for the commercialization of men’s lace lingerie, which was born in a diverse modern society?
“When we conducted a customer questionnaire survey two years ago, we found that the demand for Wacoal men is as elegant, clean and high-quality as women’s underwear. Previously, we targeted 40~50-year-old male employees with the positioning of ‘masculinity’, but I began to feel that it was actually different from the customer’s needs.
Unlike the brand concept so far, men’s aesthetic consciousness has changed, and the technical know-how and brand impression cultivated through women’s underwear have been developed in combination with the advantages of Wacoal, and “lace boxers” were born.
When development began, what was the reaction within the company?
“Since it was a product that had not been seen before, I made a sample first, and then I asked about it in-house and got various opinions there. Of course, there are opinions such as “not like Wacoal men” or “I can’t wear it”, but most of the reviews say that it is an interesting product.
Women are more likely to evaluate them as “cute” and “want to give as gifts”, and many men regardless of age, even older people, say they want it. I deeply feel that the change in men’s aesthetic consciousness and women’s requirements for male handsomeness have obviously changed. ”
The response to the actual sale is sold out as mentioned above. What is the meaning of using lace for men’s underwear in terms of “function”?
“The functional aspect is not the biggest meaning, but the elegance, high-end, and transparency of the lace material can make men feel the unique wearing sense and sexy wearing sense that men do not know.
In terms of function, the transparency and ventilation properties of lace reduce the overall sensation of hot flashes in underwear. In addition, the texture is thin, there are few seams, and it is not easy to affect the appearance. Lace is a material that is very slender, has a strong stretch, and has a unique fit. The lace used was developed for men alone, and the increased strength can prevent breakage. ”
Men’s lace lingerie “sold out” twice
In fact, this is the second time that such lace boxers have been “sold out”. At the end of November last year, before the official commercialization, a crowdfunding was conducted, and the amount sold 10 times the target amount was sold, which shows its popularity.
“The first purpose is to test the market. The purpose of crowdfunding is to collect funds from people who resonate and support the production of goods. We also hope to use crowdfunding to investigate whether new products can get customer support. The actual results of the support are then fed back into the quarterly production plan, size and color composition. ”
The voice of the “lover”
A company employee living in Tokyo, Mr. Yota Shibuki (24), a user of lace boxers. Mr. Shibuki does not care about gender in the world from the beginning, and does not distinguish between men’s and women’s clothes, as long as the size of the clothes can be worn, it is “clothes that can be worn”, but “it is different in underwear”.
“Although there are differences in body shapes between men and women, I didn’t want to wear women’s clothing, so I chose men’s underwear. Unlike women’s underwear, the types of men’s use and occasions for purchase are also limited, and men who like fashion cannot pursue it even if they have a lot of persistence, and this society is so embarrassing. (Mr. Shibuki, the same below)
At that time, I heard about the sale of men’s underwear made of lace from female friends. Materials such as lace and frills are only occasionally used in high-fashion men’s suits that participate in performances, and are unknown materials for underwear.
“Before wearing it, I think the lace will be very hard, and when I sit on the chair, it will be very tied, and there will be an incongruous feeling. But in fact, the material is very soft, so don’t worry about it at all. Men who usually wear beach pants will feel a little tight. But this proper fit easily pairs with slender pants. ”
The “realm” is gradually disappearing
The “realm” is gradually disappearing, even if it is the size of the body. Wacoal also launched the “Panty Holic” that supports the waist from 68 cm to 104 cm boxers.
These pants are not like S.M.L., which vary in size and size, but only “one size”. The dimensions are marked as “S-LL”. This kind of underwear, which has “no size boundaries”, is also “used by both men and women”. The pants were released in February in collaboration with the fashion brand “Beautiful People” (hereinafter referred to as BP), which participated in the Paris fashion show.
“The products we work with BP are genderless lingerie, so-called gender-neutral products.
BP designer Mr. Hidenori Kumakiri hopes to liberate people’s clothing from established concepts and preconceived notions, not only without the gender difference between men and women, but also without prejudice in size, material, and color. He resonated with Wacoal’s idea of “underwear holic” and decided to develop the product together.
Partnered products use organic cotton and share the same size for men and women, minimizing the number of products and achieving their own sustainability. (Former Head of Publicity of Wacoal)
What to wear because it is a man, and what to wear because it is a woman. Because the body is XXX, what to wear…. That time is over. This is also why lace panties are popular with men.
Do you want to try such a product?
Text: Weekly Female Prime
Translation: Trembling Panda
