WHY IS THE LINGERIE MARKET IN INDIA STILL FRAGMENTED?

By Saloni Dhruv
27 April, 2022

WHY IS THE LINGERIE MARKET IN INDIA STILL FRAGMENTED?

By Saloni Dhruv
27 April, 2022

The innerwear industry is having a moment globally, but is India catching up to this trend?

If you go on Zivame’s website, there’s a calculator to help you find the right bra. All you have to do is answer a few questions: what’s the size you usually wear, what’s the shape, how do your straps fit (do they dig into your shoulders or slide off?), how does your band fit (do your assets spill out or does your bra gape?). After five minutes of evaluating the way I bought and wore a bra, the result that flashed on the screen was, well, unexpected. I got recommended a plain, dull red bra in a size that was bigger than what I normally would wear. When I tried the bigger size, it, unsurprisingly, didn’t fit well. Why is it hard to find a perfect bra?

“In my experience, innerwear has always been difficult to find,” says Sobia Ameen, an influencer for body positivity who has more than 28,000 followers on Instagram. “The options are limited to neutrals for people who are bigger in size; you’ll never see sexy, colourful or geometric designs,” she says. Nikita Jain, one half of clothing label EZRA, shares similar concerns as Ameen when it comes to buying lingerie for her slender frame. “It’s difficult and tricky to find good designs in bras, they are either loud or blingy. If they do happen to have a good design, it turns out to be uncomfortable,” she says.

Finding the right bra is like finding the right companion. You have to try a bunch until you settle on a few that will give you what you need: support, while looking good. With the issues about style and comfort being constant complaints for many, why haven’t lingerie brands and innerwear labels in India figured out a balance between the two yet? Is the idea of a perfect bra, just like the idea of a perfect person, a myth?

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