My Take/ Curve NY & Evolution: Tariffs, Joy and Pajamas

By ELLEN LEWIS

In this overview of the August 2025 NY Lingerie Trade Shows, I decided to whittle down the presentation to a merchandising perspective: the macro vision that is/will drive sales. For me, the message was loud and clear, Tariffs, Joy and Pajamas. And Sheerness led design.

I didn’t focus on one color because joyous colors prevailed throughout the shows, and dynamic prints were everywhere. The entire palette was festive, counter intuitive to the current cultural buzz. And Pajamas still hold the sleepwear business hostage, variation on fabrics being the differential. Of course there were the usual suspects, anchor brands with interesting design updates. As expected, the French served up extraordinary embroideries. Italians made their elegant presence known.  Classic lingerie design elements remained front and center: beautiful laces, precious details, expert tailoring motifs and excellence in fit

Less brands were on display, but the brands to whom I spoke were pleased with the business. Traffic seemed down, but shoppers were focused. There were fewer new players. However, two in particular struck a nerve with me.  Tusq, a body image booster for Men, is a shaping solution for men who think their clothes shrunk in the wash. And, a product that has never been in my wheelhouse, a pastie, body jewelry brand, Be Appeeling, which was the most creative thing I saw.

I questioned everyone I met about the impact of tariffs. The response was relatively universal. The unknown rules. Wait and see prevails. Most are considering compromise, sharing the pricing burden with stores. Some raised prices this Fall so the process has already begun.  It’s pretty clear that the impact won’t trickle down to consumers until later in 2026.

I didn’t photograph everything, which doesn’t mean that a brand wasn’t relevant. When mining a venue, I prefer to read the room from what dominates my view.

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