Tomima's Blog – Lingerie & Underwear Expert

Have you heard that our Government is flirting with the notion of imposing a VAT tax to help pay down our incredible budget deficit?  Well, they are.  VAT stands for "value-added-tax" and is assessed on goods as they go through the various stages in our economy.

The VAT tax is very common throughout the world with typical exemptions being food and children’s clothing.  Which leads me to my question of when does a girl child become a woman when it comes to bras? When is a bra ‘children’s clothing’ and when does it become ‘adult clothing?’

The UK is known for having the largest-chested demographic in the world.  That’s right, British women purchase the largest cup sized bras per capita of any other country.  So, it’s rather curious that the UK was forced to determine which bra size should be the cutoff between being girls’ clothing and women’s clothing for tax collection.

The winner?  Any bra larger than a 34B. 

If this notion of a VAT tax should make its way into our tax schema, I wonder what bra size will be the demarcation between American girls and American women?

Find bras at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras

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Posted by Tomima at 12:44pm
Tags: bra sizes, girls' bras
1 Comment »

I came across a curious online survey recently  A UK based retailer, Wickedelic Lingerie, found that 24% of the 500 respondents felt allowing larger women to model lingerie was promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.

Whether you agree or not, my website from time to time gets input from large-sized customers saying they wish we would display our products on models more their size.  So, several years ago, we ran a test on one of our more popular bras where we tracked sales with two different images – half the time we displayed the image of the bra on an average-framed woman, and the other half on a full-figure woman.  The results were signficant–  the average model image generated more sales.

If you think about this, it really makes sense.  I will buy an item I see displayed on a model that is smaller than me.  But, I can honestly say I have never purchased an item when it has been shown on a model that is larger than I am.  Take a look at these two photos of the same dress.  Would you buy this dress if you only saw the model wearing it?  Or would you buy the dress based on the display on the mannequin?   I think most would agree they find the mannequin shot more appealing – unless they are the same size or larger than the model.

I don’t think this is discrimination.  I think this is simple marketing.  However, having said that, I have tried very hard to answer the need for women who wear larger bra sizes to see a model wearing a garment more to their size.

You may not know this, but the HerRoom site has alternate shots on a larger model (usually a 36DD) for bras that come in larger sizes.  For example, look at our page for the Chantelle Fete Bra style 1960. You will see that we also show another image of a 36DD model wearing the same bra.

It is true that some bras have subtle design changes in the larger sizes.  We make every effort to show the larger size on a fuller model, or at least mention the design change in our descriptions. 

No one is here to judge.  Yes, marketing is important, but we also want to satisfy all our customer needs.  If anyone has a suggestion to improve what we are doing, I’m all ears!

Find bras that come in larger sizes at HerRoom in these departments:
Bras
Plus-Size Lingerie

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Posted by Tomima at 7:32pm
Tags: body types, Full-figure, plus-size
6 Comments »

We vote for our favorite celebs, fave YouTube videos, even commercials…why not for the one thing we wear (or most of us wear) each and every day? That’s right—our undies. Since 2007, over 100,000 votes have come in for favorite bras, panties, shapewear and men’s underwear. It’s easy to make your opinion known–just go the The Undies site and have at it.

Why should you use 5 minutes of your busy day to vote in the Undies?

Well, for starters, once you vote, you’ll get 10% off any order at HerRoom and HisRoom.

For another thing, your votes show manufacturers what we like, what we don’t like and what we want more of.  By casting your vote, you’re saying ‘here’s what works, here’s what doesn’t work.’ You’re not just a voter, you’re a style-maker.

And–your opinions help other people decide what to buy. When confronted with hundreds of styles in dozens of sizes, bra-buying especially, can be daunting. By voting for your favorites, you become a valued resource for shoppers. Doesn’t that feel like a good deed?

So, save money, dictate style and help other shoppers–surely that’s worth a few minutes of time. Start at the Undies website or go right to the voting. Women vote here, men– Undies voting is right this way.

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Posted by Jan at 11:32am
Tags: best bras, best men's underwear, best panties, undie awards
1 Comment »