Lingerie Market and Sustainability Survey

Sustainability is the megatrend in the fashion industry and an explicit customer wish in the lingerie segment as well. This is shown by a recent survey conducted by students of Macromedia University under the direction of Prof. Dr. Elena Patten and Lena C. Roth together with the company’s partner Triumph International. But does a consistent value chain optimized for sustainability also promise maximum success in sales – or are other factors decisive? The “Lingerie Market and Sustainability Survey” conducted by Macromedia University and Triumph International also provides clues in this regard.

The 3 most important takeaways of the analysis:

1. consumers have so far measured companies more by their transparent communication regarding production, materials and working conditions than by a sustainable strategy in the true sense, which takes into account the 3 pillars of economy, ecology and social issues along the entire textile value chain.
2. consumers’ ambivalence between desired social behavior and actual purchasing behavior is similarly high in the lingerie segment as in the fashion segment. According to the survey, #sustainability is fundamentally important to consumers; however, more than 90% of respondents actually state (n=520) that they have not yet purchased a sustainably produced lingerie item.
3. the requirements for research and development of sustainable materials and sustainable manufacturing processes are particularly high in the lingerie segment: here, alternative solutions must be found for the use of polyester, polyamide, elastane and PU cups that have been common up to now.