The Shape of Things to Come

Men are sizing up the shapewear category and finding a good fit

In recent weeks the men’s shapewear business has been making headlines. To the surprise of some (women, mostly) and delight of others (manufacturers and retailers) the men’s shapers market is, well, shaping up pretty nicely.
Stephen Viscusi, a career coach, thinks that all men over 40 should wear Spanx to job interviews. “When you feel good about the way you look, you interview well,” says Viscusi, the author of the book “Bulletproof Your Job.”

Viscusi, 49, wears Spanx T-shirts routinely. He recently wore them to see executives from Bravo and VH1. “It gave me pecs, gave me definition, it gave me confidence,” he says.

Other executives are also buying into the shapers trend. “We are selling them as quickly as Spanx can make them,” says Nickelson Wooster, the men’s fashion director at Neiman Marcus in an article appearing in The New York Times. “Men may not be talking about it, but they’re buying it.”

Spanx for Men is also sold at Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, and at Web sites like freshpair.com.

Men’s “shapewear” is “the next big thing,” declares Michael Kleinmann, the president of Freshpair, in the New York Times article. The retailer sells underwear to both sexes. He reports that compression garments from brands like Equmen and Sculptees, have been selling briskly.

Shapewear is not just an American phenomenon. Internationally, man-bras have emerged as a fashion trend among Japanese and Chinese men. According to an article in the Shanghai Daily, China’s largest online retailer, Taobao, is selling out of the items in just days.

Taobao is offering more than 160 varieties of “brossieres” ranging in price from $2 to $44 and available in a variety of sizes and colors. Jin Huashi, a Shanghai-based online seller of male bras, says he began importing the products from Japan and selling them via Taobao.com after the first batch of 50 sold out in three days. “I thought this new idea might not be accepted by Chinese people, who are generally conservative, but I was wrong,” he says.

A Niche, or Not?

Despite the positive reports from major retailers, spandex suppliers to the active/outdoor segment remain for the most part still on the sidelines. Marketers say they are aware of the trend, but are generally low-key about their involvement in what they consider a niche business.

“It’s a market that I think has growth potential,” says Kim Hall, RadiciSpandex. “But I think it will be more niche than the women’s shapewear market.”

Hall says that her customers report sampling in the men’s wear market, however, that is as far along as they’ve gotten in the process.
Hall also did her own “non-scientific” consumer survey on the topic that included calls and emails with men ranging in age from 30 to 60 years old living in the States as well as in Europe. “The Europeans were more willing to embrace the trend,” says Hall. “Also it seemed like the men who are already trim and fit were the guys more likely to purchase shapewear.”

She feels the industry needs to come up with a catchier way to market the garments in order to appeal to a wider audience. “Maybe something like “buffwear,” she suggests. (In Europe the category is referred to as “slim fit” for example.)

Others also question the appeal of the word “shapewear.” “The biggest obstacle is to get a guy to understand it’s a new category, and it’s okay to wear it,” says Kleinmann. “It is still a little taboo.”

Wooster of Neiman Marcus suggests that one way for men to think of a foundation garment (as he called Spanx) is that it is about “problem solving, and another way of feeling secure and prepared for life.”

“I think the industry needs to figure out a more macho way to market the category,” adds Hall, who says her company, RadiciSpandex, has done nicely in the women’s shapewear business.

“Of course we like this category because for us it uses lots of spandex,” Hall explains. In general, active type performance wear uses between five percent and 18 percent spandex. A “control” type garment uses upwards of 30 percent spandex.

RadiciSpandex product 17B has whiteners which works well in the shapewear category considering most garments are either white or black.

Shapewear Solutions

Invista looks to keep pace with the evolving shapewear market with an innovation called Lycra beauty fabric. According to the company the product has been “engineered to meet demanding standards and is set to create new solutions for shapewear that will satisfy the expectations of this fast-changing category.” Lycra beauty fabric will debut at this year’s Paris Mode City in early September in a “Science of Shaping” display.

Roseann Beutel of Invista says the innovation is an aid to designers, brands and mills. “It will help guide them all what do with our fiber.”

Dianne Lober, Invista explains, “We conducted a global consumer study that confirmed that 93 percent of women show interest in the shaping attribute when purchasing intimate apparel.”
Lycra beauty fabric is targeted at the women’s business, but that’s not to discount the men’s category. “The men’s market is an emerging market, especially with the younger (men),” notes Beutel.

“Everyone wants to look better,” says Beutel. “We may not call it Lycra beauty fabric if we are targeting men. Maybe something like body enhancement sounds better.”

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