Lingerie shopping can be an intimidating and stressful experience for many women. Victoria’s Secret has dominated the market for decades as the go-to destination for bras, panties and loungewear.
However, a new contender has recently emerged to challenge the retail giant: Adore Me.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Aspects | Adore Me | Victoria’s Secret |
| Pricing | Affordable, bras from $39.95 | Premium pricing, bras from $40-$65 |
| Size Range | Extended sizes, 30-46 bands, A-I cups | Core sizes only, 32A-40DDD bras |
| Quality | Soft microfiber fabrics, sometimes thin materials | Luxurious fabrics like satin and silk |
| Comfort | Designed for comfort and everyday wear | Some styles prioritize looks over comfort |
| Online Experience | Superior – detailed product info, virtual fit tools | Polished website but lacking some key details |
| Brand Image | Inclusive, body positive, empowering | Traditionally sexy supermodels, now seen as lacking diversity |
| Style Selection | Solid basics collection | Huge selection of styles, colors and designs |
| Subscription | Monthly options available | No subscription service offered |
Overview Of Adore Me
Founded in 2011, Adore Me is a relative newcomer to the lingerie scene. The company pioneered the lingerie subscription model, allowing customers to sign up for monthly deliveries of bras, underwear and sleepwear. Adore Me aims to offer high-quality lingerie at affordable prices compared to Victoria’s Secret.
Some key things to know about Adore Me:
- Affordable pricing – Adore Me bras start at $39.95 with panties starting at $12.95. This is generally 20-30% cheaper than Victoria’s Secret.
- Extended sizes – Adore Me offers band sizes 30-46, and cup sizes A-I. This extensive size range accommodates more body types.
- Subscription flexibility – Customers aren’t locked in and can skip months, pause or cancel memberships anytime.
- Seamless online experience – Easy online shopping, free shipping and returns, and virtual fit tools.
- Inclusive branding – Adore Me uses diverse models and aims to empower women of all shapes and sizes.
Overview Of Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s Secret is a household name in women’s lingerie founded in 1977. Though sales have declined in recent years, it remains the market leader. Here are some Victoria’s Secret basics:
- Premium pricing – Bras generally range from $40-$65 with panties from $7-$17. Prices are higher than competitors.
- Core sizes – Victoria’s Secret offers a more limited range, typically 32A-40DDD for bras and XS-XXL for panties.
- In-store focus – Most sales still occur in Victoria’s Secret’s hundreds of stores rather than online.
- Sexy brand image – Heavily marketed around supermodels and the annual fashion show. Criticized in recent years for lack of diversity.
- Robust selection – Offers a huge array of bra styles, materials, colors and designs beyond basic lingerie.
Now that we’ve outlined the basics, let’s do a detailed comparison of the two brands across key factors:
Pricing And Value
Without question, Adore Me offers more affordable pricing on lingerie. Exact product comparisons can be tricky since the two brands sell different items. However, when evaluating similar products, Adore Me bras are generally $10-20 less than Victoria’s Secret while panties are $2-5 cheaper per pair.
Adore Me shoppers feel they get an excellent value, especially with discounts like the VIP Membership credit and frequent sales. Victoria’s Secret is viewed as overpriced by many, though fans feel the quality and brand cachet justify the higher cost.
Overall, advantage goes to Adore Me if you’re on a budget. But Victoria’s Secret devotees feel the price reflects the premium products and experience.
Size Range And Fit
Adore Me has a clear advantage when it comes to size inclusivity and accommodation of diverse body types. By offering band sizes from 30-46 and cups from A-I, they cover a much wider range than Victoria’s Secret.
For customers who struggle to find bras in their size, Adore Me is a go-to destination. Their bras and panties are designed to fit and flatter all figures.
Victoria’s Secret still has work to do when it comes to fit. Their bras tend to run small in the band and cups. While they expanded their size range in 2019 up to 40DDD and 42DDD, they still don’t serve many body types.
For shoppers outside the “norm” of 32A-36D, Adore Me is likely the better option for size selection and fit. But Victoria’s Secret still rules for those within their size matrix.
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Comfort And Quality
With both brands, comfort and quality differs by specific products rather than across the board. However, some generalizations can be made.
Adore Me bras tend to use soft microfiber fabrics with stretch lace that feel great against skin. Their seamless options are ultra-comfortable. Materials can sometimes be thin though, compromising durability over time.
Victoria’s Secret is known for premium materials like satin, silk and velvet along with embellishments like rhinestones and embroidery. These luxurious details come at a price though – bras often lack adequate support and can cut into skin. But quality and craftsmanship is excellent.
For everyday wear, Adore Me may be more comfortable. But for special occasions, Victoria’s Secret offers fancier lingerie that feels luxurious despite comfort sacrifices.
Online Experience
Shopping online is seamless and easy at both brands, but Adore Me has an edge when it comes to the virtual experience.
Adore Me’s website and mobile app make browsing and purchasing effortless. Product pages have extensive photos, detailed information and size charts. Their online Fit Quiz helps identify your proper size if unsure. They also have virtual fit tools that show what items may look like on your specific body type.
Victoria’s Secret site is polished and robust but light on product details. They offer some basic fit guidelines and a measurement chart but no virtual fit tool. Information and photos are not as extensive as Adore Me.
For online lingerie shopping, most customers find Adore Me’s experience superior. But Victoria’s Secret still excels at the in-store experience.
Brand Identity
Victoria’s Secret built an empire around the idea of sexy, unattainable supermodels as the epitome of female desirability. Their catalogues and fashion shows promoted this fantasy image for decades.
In recent years though, Victoria’s Secret’s oversexualized brand identity has sparked backlash and falling sales. Critics say they promote unrealistic body standards, objectify women and lack diversity.
Meanwhile, Adore Me has staked their brand around the concepts of diversity, inclusivity and female empowerment. They use a wide range of models to promote loving your body at any size. Their messaging aims to make women feel confident and comfortable.
Victoria’s Secret still maintains a strong brand identity, if one now seen as outdated by many. Adore Me’s rebranding of lingerie has clearly resonated with consumers.
Style Selection
Victoria’s Secret dominates when it comes to style selection and breadth of inventory. Their massive catalog dwarfs Adore Me’s choices.
At Victoria’s Secret, you can shop hundreds of different bra styles in every color imaginable, from basics to push-ups, sports bras, bralettes and more. They also offer a staggering array of panties – thongs, cheekies, hipsters, boyshorts and others.
Adore Me has a solid but more limited selection focused on their core pieces. These are enough for most shoppers, but selection is nowhere near Victoria’s Secret. Adore Me also lacks some specialty lingerie like maternity and post-surgery bras.
If you want basic bras and panties at a low cost, Adore Me delivers. For a wider range of specialty lingerie and more choice in colors and patterns, Victoria’s Secret can’t be matched.
Subscription Services
A key differentiator is Adore Me’s subscription option that lets you sign up to get monthly lingerie automatically shipped. Victoria’s Secret lacks any subscription offering.
Adore Me’s subscription includes discounted member prices, earnings credits, exclusive access to sales, and the flexibility to modify, skip or cancel at any time. It’s a convenient way to replenish your top drawer without hassle.
Given Victoria Secret’s focus on in-store shopping, it’s no surprise they don’t offer subscriptions. You need to manually purchase each month. The contrast shows how Adore Me is designing for online shoppers first.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The key differences are pricing (Adore Me is cheaper), size range (Adore Me is more inclusive), online experience (Adore Me is superior) and brand image (Adore Me celebrates diverse body types). Adore Me also offers subscriptions while Victoria’s Secret focuses on in-store shopping.
No, Adore Me is not owned by Victoria’s Secret. Adore Me was founded in 2011 as an independent startup to disrupt the lingerie industry.
Adore Me faced controversy in 2016 when Plus-size model Tess Holliday posted an Instagram photo wearing their lingerie but they did not repost it. Some viewed this as them not wanting to be associated with plus-size models. Adore Me later apologized and said all women should feel represented.
Victoria’s Secret has not purchased or acquired Adore Me. Adore Me operates independently and the two brands have no corporate affiliation or ownership ties.
Also Read: Differences Between Ruby Ribbon And Spanx.
Final Verdict
When all factors are considered, is one brand clearly better overall? The answer largely depends on your lingerie priorities.
For shoppers wanting an affordable monthly subscription, size inclusivity, seamless online experience and feel-good inclusive branding, Adore Me is likely the preferable choice. They cater superbly to the modern online shopper.
But for widest style selection, luxury fabrics and in-store experience, Victoria’s Secret still leads – though likely not for long if they can’t adapt to changing consumer preferences. Their declining sales indicate they may be losing relevance.
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Both brands have their merits and ideal target customer. While Victoria’s Secret has long dominated the lingerie world, nimble young brands like Adore Me are poised to disrupt the old guard. Savvy shoppers should evaluate both against their needs.
The lingerie landscape is changing quickly. Consumers now demand diversity, affordability and online convenience that legacy brands like Victoria’s Secret are struggling to provide. As shopper mindsets evolve, expect even more competition and potential unseating of former market leaders.
