By Ali Cudby
For the past few years, there has been much talk about innovations in shapewear, whether they are focused on fashion, knitting technologies or cosmetic benefits embedded into shapewear fabrics.
Customers may not understand these innovations, and explaining them can help make a sale – or an upsell. In addition to understanding a product’s features and benefits, it’s both interesting and fun to learn about the story behind a new product. Sharing that story with customers brings a product to life and has the added bonus of cementing your role as an industry expert.
For Farnaz Kahn, inspiration struck after having four children. After each pregnancy, it became increasingly challenging to get her pre-baby body back quickly. Eventually – as with many new Moms – she started looking for a little help to smooth certain pockets that stubbornly refused to return to their original shape.
An entrepreneur at heart, Kahn realized that if she could solve her own personal frustration there was likely a market for helping other women do the same.
Kahn started playing with the principles of heat and weight loss. In one early trial, she actually rolled cling film onto her body, then donned shapewear over it. The unusual combination worked to help her shed inches – but the plastic wrap made noise when she walked and the unyielding fabric brought on heat flashes. Not exactly the desired effect!
In time, Kahn developed an intelligent fabric with a yarn that emits a subtle heat. The heat isn’t warm enough to be noticed by the wearer but the effects produce a range of health benefits. After four long years of tweaking and perfecting the product, new shapewear entrant Fit Britches was born.
The products range from leggings to tops and the classic shapewear bottoms and provide benefits that go beyond the basics of smoothing. After being assessed by an independent laboratory, the product makes the following claims:
- Lose up to 5 inches from the waist and hips
- Drop a dress size
- 8% more skin elasticity
- 11% improved cellulite signs
- 9% more collagen synthesis
Of course, these claims are not instantaneous. They are based on the product being worn 8 hours a day for 60 days. After following 50 women ranging in age from 20 to 60, and asking for no other change in diet or lifestyle, the average results were fairly dramatic. These women lost an average of five inches from their waist, three inches from their hips and bottom, and four inches from their thighs. Kahn doesn’t claim the product to be a permanent weight loss solution, rather a great motivator toward healthier living.
Lose inches, look smoother and get healthier – that’s an easy sell
Fit Britches is located in the UK and is available for stocking in US retail locations. They will also be at Curve in August.
