Tomima's Blog – Lingerie & Underwear Expert

(un)covering what's under everything

Retailers Reselling Used Underwear

March 29, 2010

Talk about the Yuck factor!   The Today Show on NBC did a hidden camera investigation on several prominant retailers to see if they would return to stock underwear that had signs of use.

Eight retailers including Victoria’s Secret, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and The Gap in a mall in New Jersey were targeted. Lingerie was purchased in each location.  The investigators then removed the tags and protective strips, marked each purchase with two small black dots on the label, and then went back to the store to try and return them. Oh, and the investigators also stained each garment with a few drops of baby oil so that this underwear would have a "used" look to it.

All eight stores accepted the returns for full refund. And, at Bloomingdales, Victoria’s Secret, Nordstrom, Macy’s and the Gap, the investigators found the merchandise re-tagged and back out on the selling floor for another customer to purchase.  The investigators did not find their merchandise returned to the floor at J. Crew, Saks, or Express.

All the stores claimed that this was not their policy and that they would be educating their employees immediately.

Like everyone, I watched this expose in horror.  The idea of buying underwear that has been used is appalling.  And, it is just one more reason to consider buying underwear on the Internet.  I can proudly state that all the garments we sell are pristine and new.  Our returns are very closely scrutinized and run through biological testing.  Those garments not passing the tests are not put back into inventory.

Hats off to my return team for their outstanding efforts to maintain the highest standard of quality and safety for our customers.

You can see the video on HerRoom’s page on Facebook.

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Posted by Tomima at 8:59am
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Beyonce at Odds With Triumph

March 19, 2010

What do Beyonce and Pablo Picasso have in common?  Apparently a lawsuit! 

Here’s what happened.   Beyonce’s video for ‘Video Phone’ has her wearing a unique black and white costume.  Meanwhile, German lingerie manufacturer, Triumph hosted a lingerie design contest similar to American Idol.  A Bulgarian lingerie designer named Iskren Lozanov was a finalist with his Picasso-inspired black and white lingerie that looks shockingly similar to Beyonce’s costume in the video.  The competition rules required that the designer give Triumph the intellectual property rights to his designs.  The contest aired the design before the video was launched.

Triumph, upon seeing the video filed a lawsuit against Sony, Beyonce’s record label, in Munich Germany.  Both sides argued their inspiration was Picasso. And the result?  Judge Peter Guntz recognized the bra designs owned by Triumph as ‘highly original’ and therefore deserved ‘a very broad scope of protection.’ He then ordered that the ‘Video Phone’ video be removed from German television and banned from viewing in Germany.

Prior to the ruling, Triumph extended an olive branch: If Beyonce would agree to be a judge in their next lingerie competition, they would drop the suit.  Beyonce and her team rejected the offer.  Triumph attorneys responded by saying this was a sign of Beyonce’s arrogance.

So, now going from bad to worse, attorneys for Beyonce and Sony are filing papers to appeal the ruling.

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Posted by Tomima at 7:55am
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Rosie the Riveter Wore a Safety Bra

February 19, 2010

I ran across this little piece of bra history and found it fascinating.  Many of us know that women were the ones working in the factories while the men were sent off to fight in WWII.  This marked the beginning of American women entering the workforce in mass.

 A California company, clearly in an attempt to increase safety in the workplace for women, had female employees wearing a hard, plastic bra while they worked in their factories.  I wish this photo had more detail, but, this was the only image I could find.

A couple of fascinating points.  First, the breast shape.  Unlike women of the day, the shape was rounded rather than conical.  It’s also seamless so could really be considered the first molded bra on the market.  And, this bra really looks to lift and separate.

But, I also wonder, how many sizes this safety bra came in?  Did one size fit all women?  And, you have to wonder how hot and sticky it felt at the end of the day.

I tip my hat to this innovative company for attempting to solve a potential safety concern.  When you think about it, by protecting women’s breasts from injury, they were also protecting future generations as well.

Find molded bras, although not plastic ones, at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

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Posted by Tomima at 7:34am
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