Is Breast Augmentation Out of Style?

L Brands, the company behind Victoria’s Secret, recently announced they are going to exit the swimwear business category as well as cut back on some promotions.  These decisions have seen the shares of the company fall and some experts fear that L Brands stock prices might take a long time to recover.

One of the reasons the company has decided to move away from these items is the fact that Americans seem to be turning away from the “bombshell look” typically associated with Victoria’s Secret. Instead, the company is counting on a more natural look with unstructured bralettes. This comes after recent news that Urban Outfitters and American Eagle cited bralettes as one of their best selling items.

One analyst pointed out that the declining number of breast augmentations performed in recent years is one of the reasons behind the change in business strategy. Around 279,000 women in America had breast augmentation in 2015 as opposed to the 331,000 women from just three years earlier. This number marks the third consecutive year that the breast augmentation number has fallen.

Another sign of the changing times was recently mentioned by Vogue UK as they stated that the showing of cleavage is not considered fashionable anymore. The evolution of the definition of beauty has had a big impact on Victoria’s Secret beyond their stores. There were 10-million viewers for their annual television fashion show in 2011. In recent years, that number has fallen by almost 30% of the total number of viewers.

Victoria’s Secret plans to jump on the trend of a more natural look by promoting a bra from its new “Beautiful” line which offers a push-up for the person wearing the bra without the traditional padding. One promotion they do plan to offer is a price promotion along with the broader assortment of bralettes offered in their stores. This strategy does mean that the company runs the risk of cutting into its profits since a bralette traditionally costs much less than a regular bra.

It is too early to tell how long the trend towards a more natural look will last. Victoria’s Secret does well with younger customers who tend to make more frequent purchases. By trying to make a course correction towards the more natural look for females, they hope that Victoria’s Secret will not be a secret anymore but rather a story of of big profits and small losses.

MA