Currently, in the women’s underwear market, there is demand for high-value-added products with functionality even if the prices are somewhat high. However, there is also a growing trend of selective consumption that balances savings and luxury. Promoting functionality is a critical concept in product development, along with considering attractive designs (colors, shapes, and materials). Company A, which runs underwear specialty stores, plans to develop underwear in colors that are not visible through clothing as part of its original brand products for the next spring and summer seasons. At Company A’s request, we collected experimental data on underwear that is visible through clothing and provided some advice for developing their new main products for the 2025 spring and summer seasons. In the experiments, we placed forty pieces of cotton twill fabric with different colors under four types of white shirts to measure the colors using a color chromatometer. And we conducted sensory tests to identify colors that are difficult to see through clothing under fluorescent light and artificial sunlight. We also performed a questionnaire survey and found that most of the subjects were worried about their underwear being visible through their clothing. We found that developing products with colors and materials that are difficult to see through clothing is a practical approach to meeting customer needs. Furthermore, the interview survey results revealed that developing underwear that combines functionality and aesthetics plays an essential role in positioning original brands. Company A comprehensively reviewed the results of the experiments in this study and then developed bras and panties that reflected the results. The garments were produced in the colors it refers to as “mushroom,” “coral,” and “smoky purple.”
宮武 恵子、加藤 裕子、後藤 純子
