The new garment that Wacoal released in July of this year, the Yakusoku No Bra (in the headline photo), is a bra that adds a slimming effect to the traditional “push and lift”. Yoseage Shiito (patent pending) is a band that connects the straps to the sides of the cup and rounds out the shape of the bust, fixing the base and underwire with the so-called Kiyase Naname Bone, an inverted V-shaped wire that stylizes the sides of the bust.

It seems that nowadays lingerie is not limited to stylizing the silhouette and is looking for new functions, such as adapting to movement and embellishing the anatomy.

Chakuseki Bijin, for the working woman

Chakuseki Bijin, the new ally in the office. She supports the abdomen from the lower back to the belly to prevent the pelvis from tilting back even when she is sitting. Combined with the Yakusoku No Bra bra, an even better sitting posture is achieved.

This summer Chakuseki Bijin went on sale, a girdle that helps maintain a correct posture when sitting by preventing the pelvis from tilting backwards. Thanks to its design with supports that go from the lower back to the belly, it supports the pelvis so that when standing the hips rise and when sitting the pelvis remains vertical.

Sakamoto Akiko, who was involved in the design as a fellow at the Wacoal Center for Human Research, comments, “Most women who work in offices spend most of the day sitting down. In this position, the torso inevitably leans forward and the pelvis tends to tilt backwards, thereby overloading the lower back. I myself spend the whole day working on my chair, and for this reason I wanted to design a garment that would reduce fatigue even when sitting for many hours. The result is Chakuseki Bijin.”

Unveiling the mechanism of anatomical change caused by age

The Wacoal Human Research Center scientifically studies the female body and bases its product development on research data. Every year the Center collects the anatomical data of 1,000 women between the ages of 4 and 69; After 50 years carrying out these studies, the total number of women analyzed exceeds 40,000. A sample of 200 of these women have undergone biannual studies for approximately 30 years to collect their data chronologically. This valuable information has allowed us to deduce certain rules related to the anatomical changes that occur with age, such as the change in the shape of the chest and the change in the shape of the hip (see illustrations).

First, the body expands overall and the waist loses definition, while the chest and hips drop. Finally, the abdomen expands forward and the chest spreads out. The age at which these changes appear depends on each individual, but the phases of the process always develop in the same order. Also, when going from one phase to another, it is impossible to go back.

The change in the shape of the breast with age: between the ages of 20 and 29 the breast begins to sag and some women enter the second phase.

The change in the shape of the hip with age: the age at which the process begins varies from person to person, and there are women between 40 and 49 who remain in phase 0.

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According to Sakamoto: “With age, the hormonal balance is altered and the proportion of mammary gland and fat changes. In addition to the fact that the amount of mammary gland and fat between the ages of 10 and 19 —the growth phase— and between the ages of 40 and 49 is different, the firmness and elasticity of the skin also change with age. That is why when choosing a bra it is not enough that the size is correct, but it is important that it adapts to the tone and shape of the chest.”

Bust models at 20-29 years (left) and 40-49 years (right), based on research measurements. The models reflect both the shape and the tone, and the chest of 40-49 years old is observed to be noticeably saggy.

Daily habits to maintain a youthful figure

In addition to collecting anatomical data, the study also investigates the behavior and thinking of the participants. The interviews carried out revealed some common points in the lifestyle of the participants who remained young despite their age, such as maintaining a correct posture (lateral balance), walking a lot, walking fast and with long strides, following a regular diet and sleeping good. In addition, it was discovered that women who follow this type of customs continuously for a long time -10 or 20 years- are able to maintain a youthful body for more years that pass.

Changing habits that have been followed for years is no easy task, but Wacoal develops a wide variety of products that help change posture and other day-to-day habits. So, one way to start changing bad habits is to change the type of underwear.

Fitness Walker and Cross Walker models incorporate reinforcing materials similar to bandages that offer support in the thighs and hip joints, helping to walk with larger steps and faster. Thanks to this system, walking becomes a good exercise to burn calories and get fit.

An original system to measure comfort

In the system to assess the adequacy of the pressure of the garment, walking movements are carried out with the garment on and the level of support and looseness are measured of the different parts by means of pressure sensors.

As much as lingerie offers interesting benefits such as stylizing the figure and controlling posture and movement, the truth is that if it is not comfortable to wear, it cannot sell well.

“Comfort comes first: touch and support, adaptation to movement, etc. And, being a garment that is worn daily, qualities such as resistance and design are also crucial. That's why we develop our products with many factors in mind besides functionality,” says Sakamoto.

Being in direct contact with the skin, lingerie is uncomfortable if it is too tight, and causes discomfort if it dislodges when you move. That's why Wacoal has developed a unique garment pressure adequacy system that measures garment comfort numerically.

To take anatomical measurements, in addition to the traditional tape measure, Wacoal uses a non-contact three-dimensional laser measuring device. The device allows taking all three-dimensional body measurements without touching the body to be measured. Parameters related to sensation, which do not lend themselves to exact quantification, are simply used to measure the five senses of the researchers.

Researcher Sakamoto Akiko of the Wacoal Center for Human Research sits at the control table of the non-contact three-dimensional laser measurement device

This is how Wacoal develops its products: collecting the data of women of all ages to create garments that adapt to their anatomical characteristics. In addition, Wacoal proposes different types of lingerie suitable for each daily activity, such as sports, office work or night rest.

According to Sakamoto: “Lingerie is something that is often worn without paying too much attention to it, but I would like to make women aware of its importance in lifestyle and maintaining a beautiful body for tomorrow.”

As our lifestyles transform, the concept of lingerie will no doubt continue to evolve.

Reporting and writing by Ushijima Bifue