Sex has always been a major selling strategy for leading fashion brands. From lingerie to sportswear, evening gowns to denims, apparel manufacturers have peddled sex one way or another to promote their brand but it seems like the dirty trick has soured consumers.
Proof of this recent trend comes in the form of American Apparel CEO Dov Charney's recent termination. According to media reports, Charney was sacked due to sexual misconduct and for promoting the brand in a highly provocative manner. The American Apparel retail company's racy ads and controversial merchandising tactics have not gone down well with the new generation of young women.
American Apparel is not the only brand that has come under scrutiny from shoppers. Sales at teen chain Abercrombie & Fitch and fashion retailer Bebe Stores haven't been good after shoppers began boycotting their stores.
"Sexy clothes have limited appeal right now," Jane Hali, vice president and director of custom research for trend forecasting service WGSN Group, told Forbes. "They've been 'cool' too long. There is no such thing as elder-statesperson cool - it's just old. Young people always want to find what's new and claim it. Once it's been around a couple of generations, it's a tough sell to the next generation of trendsetters."
Comfort is the new sexy!
Shoppers now want clothes that are comfortable rather than sexy. Of course, it doesn't hurt when designers manage to add comfort to clothes that make them look like a million bucks! Some A-list designers have taken the cue and moved on to create clothes that cater to a larger audience than just sexy models and celebrities.
Recently, New York Daily reported that actress Melissa McCarthy could not find anyone to dress her for the Oscars two years ago, but some designers have started catering to a larger plus-size demographic. Isabel Toledo and French designer Sophie Theallet have also jumped on the bandwagon.
"I'm not a size 0 myself, so it's fun to do this collaboration," Theallet said. "It makes me feel good. It's not really 'plus-size' for me - it's about the woman and her curves. I want her to feel beautiful."
Why Sex is Not Sexy Anymore
The digital revolution has a big role to play in this. Gone are the days when sexily dressed women dominated over-priced glossy magazines.
"Pressing hard on the sexy angle is not producing the return it once was," said Steve Nevill, managing director for Alix Partners' retail practice. "Just look at the number of celebrities who Tweet and Instagram selfies daily of racy images. Not only are teens much more desensitized to it, but it's also not a huge way to be unique versus years ago. And many celebrities are pushing past sexy to almost vulgar or trashy, which even teens know crosses the lines of acceptability," he said. "All of our data also shows that teens want fashion and to create looks. A lot of 'sexy' items are just items, not outfits."
