The Panty Debate
Toronto has been in a tizzy lately because of the grand opening of Victoria’s Secret location at Yorkdale
(Opened August 25) and upcoming location at Eaton Centre (October 28) malls.
(picture by:Tannis Toohey)
The iconic lingerie store opened its first ever Canadian location at Edmonton Mall (August 12).
Prior to this summer the demand for a VS location in Toronto has been huge. Up until now,
pantie lovers have been relegated to ordering from their website.
My question is: What was wrong with La Senza? The Canadian store for all our
unmentionable needs has been a steady fixture in most malls and outlets.
They have a huge selection of everything sexy to downright flannel cozy.
Excuse me while I try to get to the bottom of it.
One of the first indicators of why VS seems to be the more popular choice is because of advertisement.
Victoria’s Secret is all about the huge posters with big name models wearing their brand.
Not to mention a little runway show called The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Arguably one of the biggest events of the year, this highly televised show features models
like Gisele Bunchen, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, and more recently Chanel Iman,
Miranda Kerr and Candice Swanepoel.
Here’s a huge factor in this battle: Victoria’s Secret provides more then just bra and panty combos,
they actually sell dresses, jeans, purses and more. And I’m not talking about styles for young
girls like in La Senza’s La Senza Girl area. The clothes sell for reasonable prices and come
in really great styles. They also have a selection of beauty and body products that have
been selling in La Senza ever since the two companies merged.
The two stores will be in a tougher battle when more VS locations open.
The bottom line is: La Senza is cheaper, has practically the same products but no clothing options.
Victoria’s Secret is a bit of an undie connoisseur and Canadian women have been
ordering off their website for years. Now that VS has finally come to our country,
ladies can actually go into the stores. Of course, one of VS’s other secret weapons is their
sister store Pink that caters to a younger, more flavorful crowd. This brand sells
boy short styles with words emblazoned on the back as well as colorful pajamas
and frilly party dresses. The only thing La Senza has that topples VS is their prices.
Don’t expect to see very many bras at La Senza that are more then $50.
But as I said before, the name is all in the branding. Will anyone know if you’re wearing
La Senza or Victoria’s Secret? No. But you’ll know.
