Victoria's Secret is rebranding but lingerie should always have been about 'what women want'

Only now do some brands seem to be discovering what seems to have been true for years - that women mostly buy lingerie for themselves.

The Victoria's Secret angels walk the runway during the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Source: Getty Images North America

In welcomed news, the lingerie company Victoria’s Secret last week announced that it would be getting rid of their ‘Angels’ and rebranding to cater more for "what women want."

“When the world was changing, we were too slow to respond,” the Chief Executive of the brand, Martin Waters, told The New York Times. “We needed to stop being about what men want and to be about what women want.” And yes the irony of a man making that statement probably wouldn’t be lost on many.

As part of their rebranding effort, they will be consulting with a number of famous faces, including actor Priyanka Chopra, model Adut Akech and famed American footballer Megan Rapinoe.

The reason why the company is making such a drastic change to its branding is up for debate. The company has seen its sales drop since 2019. In 2020 the UK arm of the brand went into administration. Then there was the widespread criticism of the label and its use of ‘Angels’ in fashion shows that were seen to objectify women. Then in 2019 the Angels runway show was cancelled altogether due to falling ratings. Meanwhile Rihanna with her brand Savage X Fenty began to step into the gap left by Victoria’s Secret.

Savage X Fenty with its empowered fashion shows where all sizes and body shapes were represented, was seen as a first within the lingerie world, especially as it seemed to dismantle the male gaze.

Two years later, Victoria’s Secret is now beginning to realise that ultimately the people who wear lingerie are women – it should never have been "about what men want."

But do women still want to wear pointy, lacy, pokey bras and undies? During COVID-19, some women banished the bra altogether. We went braless as we ran errands, whether making a run to the shops or picking up children from school. After all, everyone was in a similar state of disarray as none of us were dressing up for the office or even each other anymore.

And it seems there is no medical reason for women to wear bras either. "A bra is an article of clothing, not a medical device," Dr Amanda Newman from the Jean Hailes Women's Health Organisation told the ABC. "One can choose to wear a bra or not wear a bra without worrying about whether it's going to affect breast health," she also said.

And when it comes to the undies we are wearing, many of us are opting for comfort once again. Brands such as ASOS and PrettyLittleThing have been reporting that sales for high-waisted knickers and fuller briefs are higher than ever before. Who amongst us hasn’t appreciated wearing a pair of Bridget Jones undies?

All of this means that brands are finally beginning to notice the end of the male gaze when it comes to lingerie. That's because women are buying lingerie for themselves, not men.

As Gesche Stevens, the founder of lingerie brand Phaein told UK’s The Telegraph newspaper: “It has also become clear that the underwear that is under-performing is the underwear that has been primarily designed for a male audience. This is the root of all the change we are seeing.”

Only now do some brands seem to be discovering what seems to have been true for years.

While Victoria’s Secret dispensing of their 'Angels' under of the guise of feminism could have been motivated by decreasing sales, at the end of the day, re-brand or not, women will only buy what they want. And no matter who wears the products down the runway, it’ll be hard to convince us away from the granny knickers and no bra state that we've become so fond of during lockdown.

Saman Shad is a freelance writer.