Many treat my (religious) loyalty to Victoria’s Secret as one of my many character quirks. I will not wear other underwear. There is however a very sound theoretical background for this decision which is that Victoria’s Secret have perfected the user experience of buying underwear.
Many of you (the ca 50% who are male) don’t have a strong opinion on the experience of buying underwear so let me explain.
Buying underwear is an unpleasant experience. You’re naked in a foreign place being measured against a popularized body image impossible to fulfill. It’s awkward, it’s uncomfortable and it can be downright humiliating.
I remember stepping into an underwear shop back home. I picked out an item that seemed to fit the criteria and was pointed to a fitting booth. The humiliation began forthwith.
The booth was very small. I kept on bumping against the sides. This made me feel like a beached whale. I kept hearing the person next to me struggle as well. The booth only had a curtain. The booth was cold. I stripped down to topless and felt exposed. The booth was lighted with strong white light which made all the flaws in my skin appear. I was pale, had shadows under my eyes, scars from acne, operations and other marking events stood out. All in all it made me feel overweight, sickly and vulnerable: Unattractive.
This is what Victoria’s Secret have perfected. The booths are warm, spacious and private. There lighting is soft and I’ll bet that the mirrors are tainted. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were slightly concave. There is a person dedicated to assisting you in finding the right model and size. When you’re trying on the merchandise you feel like a dame. Even in my very pregnant state I felt attractive.
And Victoria’s Secret was well compensated for their effort.
MD
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