The intimate apparel industry is a sneaky beast.
Their marketing play is sexually-charged photos of young women.
Consumer grievances and cries for change make headlines, but big brands do little to alter their ways. In the end, most frustrations simmer down simply due to exhaustion.
Thankfully, one daring new bra company just won't accept that.
It has burned the usual bra business model and is blazing a new way to shop for bras.
Enter: ThirdLove. By accumulating data on real female body shapes, sizes and preferences, San Francisco's ThirdLove now boasts some of the lowest shopper returns in the bra industry. The company is challenging the mammoth marketing-machine that is the bra industry. The result? A very different bra collection informed and designed by women.
Truth #1: Most women hate the bra shopping experience.
Truth #2: Many women don't know their bra size.
So the task of starting a successful bra company is understandably daunting.
I sat down with Heidi Zak and Ra'el Cohen, the power team behind ThirdLove.
"We focus on fit." Heidi says. And she means it. Starting the journey in 2013, the team collected real insights about sizing, shape and fit from women. And when the data analysis results came in, ThirdLove realized that 50% of women (size A-D) fall in between these standard cup sizes. Sure enough and on top of that, most of us are wearing the wrong size. Armed with real information about customers, ThirdLove designed its line to include many elements based on real breast measurements and added half-cup sizes for women who fall in between.
"Unless you're custom bra shopping or have the option to regularly shop at a high-end department store, the average woman normally goes to a store at the mall, tries something on, or buys it online, then hopes for the best. We're designing quality products based on real customer measurements and preferences."
Designing based on real customers sounds logical enough, but it's traditionally not done that way. The traditional bra industry uses a fit model (read: busty supermodel) to build a bra and then creates the rest of the standard sizes around that ideal fit. The world's biggest brands then pump out padding and perfume and put their marketing dollars to use promoting products featuring the fit model.
"We don't use fit models. We use real customer sizing that we've collected over time to design our products and to build out the sizes in our collection."
The brand's approach is product-forward, seeks the perfect fit, and keeps the objectification of women out of the bra shopping experience.
ThirdLove's collection is centered around classic staples with some stylish pieces, all offered in half-cup and full-sizes from AA-F cups and 30-40" bands, for a total of 47 sizes for each bra in the collection.
The relentless pursuit of the perfect bra fitting experience is also evident with the investment in technology that allows women to be personally fitted for a bra in the comfort of your own home using the ThirdLove app. Two easy-to-shoot images allow the app to infer measurements and make product recommendations based on individual fit.
For those who are worried about the technology, the company assures customers that measurement images are not stored after the dimensions are uploaded; not on their servers, and not even on your photo reel.
As it turns out, 60-70% of ThirdLove's customers buy their bras using the fitting technology. There's also the option of going onto their website and answering a few questions to determine the right bra for you based on breast shape, gathering information about your current fit issues and style preferences. If you want to be talked through the process, the web-chat feature allows you speak to an expert who will further advise on product choices.
For ThirdLove, the proof is in the pudding. While most average customer return rates for bras are notoriously high, the team boasts happy customers and single digit return rates. Moreover, customers make their second ThirdLove purchase within less than 30 days, an astounding achievement in customer retention.
Online shopping has grown accordingly to the expectations of some analysts, and for others it has fallen short. A large part of the problem is the perfect fit for the clothing, with return rates as much as 40%. Bras are infamous for being returned for the wrong fit. 15% of all bra sales are made online with growth anticipated in coming years. As it turns out, ThirdLove enjoys a wide customer range: early teens to those in their early 60s. The company will continue to expand their collection this year, and will also include strapless and wireless options based on customer feedback. Check out iTunes for more details on their app technology.
Using an app to fit people for bras is the stuff of fashion pioneers but ThirdLove saw the massive opportunity to create a valuable feedback loop between the technology and the product design process. The result is product design business built and informed by customer data. "It's usually the tough problems that are worth solving." says Heidi.
As a result, ThirdLove turned what is normally a risky retail venture into an opportunity for unmatched access to useful customer insights.
On my left: Heidi Zak, CEO, ThirdLove
On my right: Ra'el Cohen, VP of Product Design & Development, ThirdLove
More on the technology here:
The iPhone technology has evolved over time, allowing ThirdLove to continuously develop its fitting app. Based on the iphone or ipad that a customer is using, the phone sensors and technology work in tandem to achieve a successful output: a calculation of how far she is standing from the mirror based on the proportionate size of the phone in the image. Next comes a calculation of the women's body measurements in relation to the phone itself. The app calculates her overbust and her underbust measurement. The data is plugged into an algorithm which develops the recommended sizing and product.