Victoria's Secret Is Struggling Because Women Want to Be Comfortable

When you think about Victoria's Secret, you think push-ups, Miracle Bras and sexy lingerie. The problem for Victoria's Secret is that women don't want those anymore. In early 2016, Victoria's Secret doubled down on sexy underwear. It pulled its swimsuit and apparel collections off the shelves, slashed promotional deals and stopped printing the Victoria's Secret catalog. While Victoria's Secret was in the middle of its reboot, a consumer shift took hold that opened the door for competitors: "Bralettes." Designed for comfort, bralettes are unconstructed bras without padding or underwire. They're around half the price of Victoria's Secret underwire bras, which run about $35. Victoria's Secret tried to step up its bralette appeal, promoting "no padding is sexy" ads. But the consumer shift chipped away at the store's stronghold on bras and paved the way for more options online and lower-cost retailers.