(Filed Under wholesale Lingerie News). Anthony Coombs, the owner of the intimates brand Splendies, explained the brand’s close connection with the curvy consumer in an interview with BODY publisher Nick Monjo. Formerly a subscription only brand, the company has recently launched a wholesale collection.

MONJO: Splendies has invested a great deal of effort into catering to the needs of the curvy or voluptuous consumer.

COOMBS: Well actually when we started Splendies way back in 2013 we ONLY catered to the plus size audience. We started out as a company called Volupties and

our mission was to provide an alternative way for the plus size woman to find fun, sexy, and cute underwear without the need to shop in stores. We would source brands that actually made underwear for the plus size category. But it wasn’t the same in 2013 as it is now. Not every brand had a plus size division back then. And the ones that did really only did one off runs, so it was as difficult for us to source items as it was for the customers to find them. Things really changed a few years into the brand when we had enough members that we could make our own line of plus size undies.

MONJO: Splendies has also made a point of providing sexy and fun underwear to the curvy customer.

COOMBS: Once we started producing our own lines (Splendies, Wilshire & Montana Intimates and Miss Vickie’s Intimates) and had full control of the product, we could really start providing our plus size customers a product that I think is second to none. We were seeing that a lot of the plus size offerings were frankly boring and lacked a lot of ingenuity. It was the same black, white, and nude three-packs. Why should the non-plus customer get all of the fun prints while the plus size customer didn’t. Things have changed since then, but it’s ALWAYS been a focus of ours. And I think that we have the most fun and cute undies for the plus size customer anywhere on the market. Who else has done sloths doing yoga (an old favorite of mine) or a Totally 80s retro style? We wanted the plus size customer to feel as cute as anyone else and we still do this to this day.

MONJO: How can retailers take advantage of the built-in base of support that Splendies already enjoys?

COOMBS: Internally we call them the Splendies Army. We have hundreds of thousands of people across the country who have purchased Splendies over the years, many of whom are just fanatical about the brand. They can’t wait to get their package and see the next drop. But up until now they could only get items through the subscription and that presents its own problems. So we launched an online store a couple of years ago where people can get specific cuts, colors, or styles. But not everyone shops online. People still like to be able to feel the quality and touch the product in person. We want to partner with stores and promote them to our online communities. So our fans know that they can now get Splendies in a store near them.

MONJO: How would you advise retailers to start to embrace the curvy, voluptuous consumer?

COOMBS: Go Unique or Go Home! We have some styles that really stand out from other brands. Because we’re an online first company we’ve always strived for fun and bright patterns. The same way that they stand out online they’ll stand out in stores. Now, we have your blacks and your nudes too, don’t get me wrong. But we have them because we know that they always have been the staples. But we want to stop your customers in the store. Some of our really different unique prints will do that. Especially our holiday selections. We’ve long been known for having some really fun roll outs for Halloween and the holidays. And we sell out of them every year!

MONJO: What are some of the things about Splendies that appeal to this consumer?

COOMBS: Besides the uniqueness and difference of prints, I think two things: We have such a vast variety of styles and silhouettes that we’ve produced over the years, we know through data what was popular and what was not. So only our most popular styles are being offered for retailers. And second: Quality. For the price point I believe that we offer the BEST mix of quality and fit for the price. We spend countless time fitting the product before it reaches our customers. Some styles can take a year before we know that the fit is perfect. It’s important that our name is always synonymous with affordability and quality.

MONJO: What else would you like to say about the curvy, voluptuous customer and your offerings?

COOMBS: Curvy women deserve to have the same offerings as the non-plus size customer. We’ve embraced this idea since day one. So it’s not enough just to have underwear for plus sizes or just give them some of the catalog. They deserve to have every option afforded to the non-plus customer. And it’s important that the fit is on point. We work with fit models just about every week to ensure that the size works and the fit for each style is what it needs to be. That’s what will keep them coming back.

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Published 05-23-2023 by Nick Monjo