You would think that the word hate
is a bit strong when it comes to shopping for clothing- after all it
is a favorite past time for many women. But that’s exactly what
David Robinson says: “ Your
average woman in a swimsuit hates it; she hates going shopping for it
no matter how good a body she has, she feels terrible.”
He
should know. Robinson is the CEO of Speedo,
the leading manufacturer of branded swimwear in the world. To learn
what drives his market he has commissioned interviews with thousands
of women. His findings confirm what other industry observers, like
Malcolm Newberry, concluded when they estimate that the aversion to
shopping for swimsuits is so pronounced, up to half of all women in
Europe and the Americas don’t even bother. “Finding
the right size and fit in a swimsuit is a struggle for most women; an
experience a just a bit more pleasant, and not by much, than having a
root canal” adds
Mary Bauer, noted swimwear guru and president of the upscale
specialty retailer Aqua Beachwear.
Why
is that? For sure there are practical reasons. Unlike lingerie -
swimwear’s close cousin - a woman does not customarily wear
something over it. When lingerie does not really fit or flatter, or
when there is a quality issue, few people if any other than the
wearer will know. If a swimsuit does not really fit, or worse- if it
has a quality issue- everybody will notice.
The
right fit is probably the most important aspect in a swimsuit,
probably more so than in any other item in a woman’s wardrobe. Of
course the right fit gets a little trickier as the body gets affected
by age. No matter how much the personal trainers and the plastic
surgeons try, as the body matures, women will look to her swimsuit
for some level of support.
There
is of course the issue of “body image” or what the psychologists
the “self-objectification”. Some people, (women, more so than
men) are found to be chronically preoccupied with their appearance
than others. Insecurity objectification, or what the psychologists
refer to as “body shame” probably causes a lot of women to forgo
the swimsuit shopping experience altogether, else make a hasty,
uninformed choices to “get the process over with”.
The
swimwear industry, the manufacturers and retailers of one-piece
suits, tankinis and bikinis, do not do themselves any favors here
either. Size information in swimsuits vary greatly from brand to
brand without even a hint of standardization and conformity. And the
interpretations of size information are probably twice as wild as one
would expect them in other apparel items.
Material
standards and quality control leave much to be desired. The use of
substandard materials, a common practice in house brands, will take
away from the elasticity, causing the suit not to mold to the body
after a short time. To avoid this problem the consumer must know the
properties of a variety of synthetic materials used – hardly a
realistic proposition. Swimsuits also should undergo a series of
tests to ensure that the material, the seams and the accessories hold
up to chlorine, salt, sand and sun. Unfortunately only the top
manufacturers of premium brands such as Gottex swim and LaBlanca do
have a rigorous quality testing process.
Retailers,
on the other hand, often sell swimsuits as one of many soft articles
in their assortment. More often than not, the selection of suits and
sizes is limited and staff training to assist customers with fabrics
or fitting is awfully wanting. Swimsuits are just too different than
the other merchandise for sale in the store. And because of the very
nature of the swimsuit as a wardrobe item, buyers should be extra
cautious of bargains and deals.