In the early stages of our FANCIES journey, we enlisted the help of hundreds of men and women to find out what people look for when buying underwear for themselves or the men in their lives. We had a few thoughts about what type of underwear we wanted to make, but we wanted to ensure that our product would not only be something needed (unless you go commando!) but wanted as well. Were we surprised by the results? You bet!
Shopping Habits
We asked our survey audience whether they purchased men's underwear online. We expected 80% of the respondents to prefer brick & mortar stores and we were right. While 46% responded that they wouldn't purchase underwear online (COVID-19 pandemic might have changed that now), 24% had, and another 30% were open to shopping online. Some commented that once you know your size and style, it should be easier to shop online.
We also asked where our respondents preferred to shop. This time, 20% stated that they preferred online stores. 51% shopped at department stores, 36% went for the discount stores, 24% preferred high-end designer stores, and the rest chose large retailers such as Zara and H&M.
We see the value of our brand's presence in physical retail outlets, and therefore, we partner with select boutiques in Singapore and we are always open to new partnerships. You can always find the latest collections at our online store, shopfancies.com.
And to make the shopping process even less frictionless, we now offer a subscription service! Our customers can choose to subscribe to receive a new pair of underwear monthly - order once and forget about it for the rest of the year!
Price Point
We asked our survey participants how much they would spend on a pair of men's underwear in US dollars. Nearly 80% said they would only spend 10-20 USD (14-28 SGD) per pair. With our 18.50 SGD pricing, we knew we would not only please our clients with our quality, but also with our price point.
We are a family business based in Turkey. We’ve been in the textile industry for nearly three decades. We have access to top quality fabrics and materials, and by sourcing everything locally, we can keep our costs low and transfer these savings to our customers.
Style and Design
We also asked our audience what type of underwear they preferred and their style choice. The majority of our audience went for boxers and boxer briefs, while some preferred good old white briefs and a good portion liked trunks. So, for our first collection, we chose a hybrid boxer briefs style: they don’t go all the way to cover your thighs but sit midway. And with many requests for an even shorter style, we are very excited to add trunks to our collection in Fall 2020! Trunks are just as practical as boxer briefs, but with their short length, they're sexy and flattering on any body type! You will not see "panty-lines" with our trunks so they’re great under linen or other thin materials. Check out our earlier post to find out more about men's underwear styles.
When it came to the designs on the underwear, the majority of our respondents (85%) preferred plain colors. We knew we had to pick gorgeous shades to stand out and please our clients. Luckily, micromodal as a fabric has a shimmery finish inherently, as such, any Pantone shade we pick come out beautifully. While our audience preferred plain colors, 44% also added that they liked some sort of patterns and prints.
We want to make underwear that makes the wearer feel special and sexy. Nothing insinuates luxury, seductiveness, glamour, and charisma more than an animal print. We are obsessed with zebra, leopard, and tiger prints, and we play with different colors to create unique designs. Our prints look incredible on any skin tone.
Last Word
With all these answers at hand, we started to think: what did men really like about their favorite pair of undies? When we asked them to rank what mattered to them most, they picked comfort and fit. To our surprise, the brand of the underwear came the last. So, no, men do not care if they're wearing Calvin Kleins or Tom Fords. This is indeed encouraging to every brand starting out: delight your customers with comfortable and well-fitting products, and don't be intimidated by the big brands out there!
There you have it. Our underwear survey helped guide our product decisions when we launched FANCIES and we continue to incorporate all the feedback from our customers into our new collections. Surveys are a great way to gather feedback from our diverse customer base: both men and women love FANCIES – for themselves and as gifts for their loved ones. We strive to make comfortable, well-fitting, breathable men’s underwear that can be worn for any activity or occasion. But don’t wait for our next survey: tell us what you think of our products and your shopping experience, anytime! We’d love to hear from you!