#wheelswednesday is on a one-week hiatus as we continue to celebrate #IntimateApparelMarketWeek today and for the rest of the week.
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Intimate Apparel Market Week is a time when industry leaders to come together and exchange information and ideas about this vital sector of the fashion industry. Four times a year during the first week of February, May, August, and November, the Underfashion Club sponsors Intimate Apparel Market Week. This nonprofit organization was formed in 1958 as the Corset and Brassiere Women’s Club. In 1963 the name was changed to the Underfashion Club.
In the fashion world, intimate apparel is one of the fastest-growing markets. In 2021, the global industry generated nearly $85 billion. At its current growth rate, the market is expected to reach over $325 billion by 2025.
The most popular types of intimate apparel include bras, underpants, sleepwear, shapewear and even thermal wear. Women account for two-thirds of the total intimate apparel market share, with individuals over 36 making up a majority of buyers. The average bra size in the US is a 36C and the average American woman owns 21 pairs of underwear. (On a personal note: Based on a causal glance around the laundry room, my wife seems to own many more than that.)
How To Observe #IntimateApparelMarketWeek: Go shopping for new lingerie. Men should buy some new intimate apparel for their significant other. Attend a fashion show in your area. Learn about the intriguing history of lingerie. You can even read the history of some of it, specially see-through lingerie right here on this blog.
About the Model: I first photographed Pam Simpson—aka Satin Pam—for the first time on August 16, 2012 when she was a brunette having discovered her on an on-line modeling site. When she showed up for our first shoot, she was a blonde! Together we had eighteen shoots, mostly for lighting reviews that were written for the then-print edition of Shutterbug magazine. But there were a few other shoots we did including a few for her portfolio and one for a book we created for her significant other. And there other shoots, like when the featured image was made, that were made just for fun! Over the years, Pam is probably the one model who I’ve done more—and more different kinds of—shoots with than any other model I’ve ever photographed. She is a truly remarkable woman and while she has moved on with her career, I treasure each and every one of the photo sessions that we had together. Want to see more? Pam is featured in the pages and the cover of my book Posing for Portrait & Glamour Photography.
How I Made the Shot: I photographed the incredible Pam Simpson in my 11 x15-foor home studio using two NEO 2 LED lights (from the Rotolight NEO 2 LED 3-Light Kit.) The main light was placed at camera right with a 30-inch translucent umbrella mounted in shoot-through mode to soften the light. I’ve found that some, but not all, models find LED lighting to be harsh and can make them squint. Using an umbrella minimized that effect and softens the light while only slightly reducing the light’s output.
Another NEO 2 LED light was placed behind the subject and at 45-degrees to Pam to highlight her blonde hair and the side of her body. All of the lights were set on their maximum output; the NEO 2’s produce 2000 lux at three-feet and are 85% brighter than the NEO 1. The camera used was a Canon EOS 5D Mark I with EF 85mm f/1.8 lens and an exposure of 1/30 sec at f/1.8 and ISO 1600.
If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to treat me to a cup of Earl Grey tea ($2.50), click here. And if you do, thank you very much.
You can learn more about my posing techniques in Posing for Portrait & Glamour Photography and brand new books are available from Amazon.com for just $29.95 with used copies starting around sixteen bucks as I write this. Kindle versions are $28.45 for those preferring to have the book in digital form.