
If there was any doubt that shapewear for men was becoming a growing, and competitive category, then Kim Kardashian’s Skim brand has put the issue to rest. Skims has just added men’s boxers, briefs, t-shirts, tanks, and more to its product offering.
But what is shapewear? Briefly (no pun intended), shapewear is tight-fitting underwear that controls and shapes a figure. This is a significant industry segment that is estimated by market research firm Circana to reach nearly $6 billion in the last 12 months.
The latest trend in the industry today? The hottest trend in the shapewear industry are garments designed specifically for men. Just as for women, the men’s shapewear is intended to help men look their best under clothes.
The upmarket Skims brand is seizing an opportunity to bring higher-end products to men’s wear, long comminated by mass brands selling multi-packs and discount-priced items. Skims, along with several other higher-end brands, is taking a different approach, showing men there is a different level of comfort and performance for their under garments.
Skims is using star athletes to promote the brand, including soccer stars, NBA players, and NFL players in its ads. Sports is a good place to reach men who are looking for performance wear.
Skims launched in 2019 with women’s shapewear and lingerie and is expected to have revenues of $750 million this year. Skims also stated that it started its menswear line at the request of its female shoppers.
What will you buy?
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Poll students: Who has bought higher-end shapewear for themselves or others? Why?
- Discuss the stages in the product life cycle. What are the marketing objectives in each stage?
- Where is women’s shapewear on the PLC? Where is men’s shapewear?
- Show websites for men’s shapewear: Skims for Men: https://skims.com/pages/mens
- Spanx: https://spanx.com/collections/mens
- Core Wear: https://getcorewear.com/
- HisRoom: https://www.hisroom.com/
- Students may also look for additional manufacturers. What are the main marketing messages being used?
- Divide students into teams. Have each team draw a PLC and plot various clothing and accessories on the chart.
- What does it take to reposition a product on the PLC?
Source: Lieber, C. (23 October 2023). Kim Kardashian wants men to wear Skims, too. Wall Street Journal; Valinsky, J. (23 October 2023). Kim Kardashian is making Skims for men. CNN; other news sources.