NEW YORK — More than a decade after Madonna ignited the innerwear-outerwear trend in her 1991 Blonde Ambition tour when she wore Jean-Paul Gaultier’s bullet-shaped bustiers, mainstream America has finally embraced this dual-purpose dressing, according to NPDFashionworld.
The Port Washington, N.Y.-based consumer marketing firm reported that the idea of camis, tank tops, boxers and pajama pants worn to the shopping mall, or as loungewear and sleepwear, has made a permanent mark with adults and teens.
Information gathered by NPD from its online consumer panel of 10,000 women over the past 12 months concluded that there is a significant contingent of women — though not a majority — who appear comfortable wearing sleepwear items as casual sportswear or ready-to-wear.
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“The big news is 42 percent of women over 18 are wearing these items, and so are 25 percent of women over 40,’’ said Marshal Cohen, NPD’s chief industry analyst. “I make sure I speak to 100 consumers a week.”
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He said that on a recent client presentation trip, which encompassed the West Coast, the Midwest and the Southeast, “many women were wearing innerwear as outerwear.”
Overall, the report said about one out of four women and four out of 10 teen girls agree with this statement: “I often wear innerwear or sleepwear items as part of my casual wardrobe.”
Here’s the lowdown on what 10,000 women and teens said they “strongly agree or somewhat agree” with:
- I sometimes wear men’s or boys’ items like boxers, pajama pants or ribbed shirts as sleepwear: 63 percent women, 75 percent teens.
- I wear A shirts [athletic tanks] or ribbed tank tops exclusively as a casual outerwear piece: 56 percent women, 64 percent teens.
- With today’s fashions, it doesn’t matter if a woman’s or girl’s bra straps are showing: 41 percent adults, 61 percent teens.
- I sometimes wear a sheer blouse or shirt that shows my bra underneath: 22 percent women, 24 percent teens.
- I only wear a cami if it has a shelf-lined bra: 44 percent women, 37 percent teens.
- I often wear innerwear or sleepwear items as part of my regular, casual clothing wardrobe: 26 percent adults, 44 percent teens.
- I sometimes wear boys’ or men’s items such as boxers, pajama pants or ribbed shirts as casual clothing: 29 percent adults, 40 percent teens.
- I sometimes wear pants, shorts or skirts low on my hips so my panties or thong are exposed: 5 percent adults, 21 percent teens.
Regarding the question of enhanced comfort, Cohen said: “Manufacturers kept on telling me it’s all about tailored clothing right now. I wasn’t hearing that from women or seeing it on the street. In the report, cotton and spandex blends and synthetic fibers scored very high, and 54 percent of consumers said they look to stretch for comfort.”
— K.M.