HanesBrands Inc. - Curvy is the New Full Figure: Body Positive Millennials Driving Change in Intimate Apparel

By A Mystery Man Writer

Body positive women, led by vocal millennials, are prompting HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI) to change how it meets the needs of the full-figure/plus-size consumer. For starters, millennials and other body positive women of all ages prefer the term “curvy” to describe themselves and the apparel they wear. Curvy women, nearly a third of the intimate apparel industry, are also demanding intimate apparel products designed and made specifically for their body types without compromising the fit, variety, selection, style, color and features available in other sizes. Following a yearlong immersion with curvy women, the company’s Maidenform and Playtex intimate apparel brands are introducing new bras, panties and shapewear designed to meet the needs and tastes of curvy women using language they prefer. “Body positive women are embracing their curves and have become a force in the intimate apparel category,” said Jay Turner, HanesBrands’ president and general manager for intimates. “They want to