Yes, Skims’ cutting-edge jumpsuit on TikTok makes me look hot
Oct. 8, 2023
The jumpsuits helped suppress my socially unacceptable body and the accompanying constant low hum of learned shame. So every time I see my body, I don’t have to expend precious mental energy fighting against the constraints of patriarchy and diet culture.
(Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
I don’t keep up with the Kardashians, but I do spend a lot of time scrolling through TikTok, where there are countless users who love Skims’ jumpsuits.
The clothing brand is ubiquitous on the app, and its clothes have earned legions of fans whether or not they know the Kardashians’ story, but the sheer rush of Skims’ jumpsuits seems to be proof enough.
Skims’ valuation has exceeded 4 billion dollars as of September 2023, which is 2.6 times the market value of the underwear brand Victoria’s Secret. In the few short years since the company was founded, the popularity of its products has exploded. This success is mostly and undoubtedly due to the star power of its celebrity co-founder , but part of what sustains is that Skims is popularity on social media. A quick TikTok search for the brand turns out countless related videos. The videos show creators taking apart ridiculously small-looking shapewear and frumpy dresses, then trying them on, happily marveling at the tight fit they’re tucked into.
(Kim Kardashian at her Skims pop-up store in Los Angeles.Credit…Greg Swales for The New York Times)
With so many ecstatic reviews, it’s hard not to get caught up in the Skims’ hype. If this shapewear is as effective as TikTok fans claim, then picking up a few seems like a good investment for anyone who cares about her body. That is, any woman raised under mainstream Hollywood beauty standards.
Especially when I saw a video on TikTok of a girl who was shot four times without a leash, and claimed that she was able to survive because she was wearing a Skims’ jumpsuit at that time. “Fucking crazy now” was the first thought that came to my mind and that’s actually what I said.
Redefining beauty (re-deceiving)
In September 2019, Skims launched its first “fits everybody” collection. It offers shapewear and lingerie for every body type in sizes from XXS to 5XL, and it’s also available in nine different nude color options. The initial product sold out within minutes, and TMZ reports the company has made an estimated $2 million in sales since launch. This number has not been confirmed by the Skims.
(Source：Skims official website)
Friends who are familiar with the European and American entertainment cultures must know that the diversity and tolerance of products was not pioneered by Skims. Rihanna’s beauty brand is also famous for its tolerance of base makeup colors, as are other underwear brands and sports yoga brands. There are more and more models for consumers to choose from. But where is the real scam? Kardashian’s jumpsuits make women feel confident, and they can stuff their bodies into jumpsuits to achieve perfect body contours, and become popular.
But the fact is that Kardashian gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to work out, and fills and removes parts of her body that she is not satisfied with. This creates a perfect female figure. I was puzzled. If I had a figure that costs a lot of money, is time-consuming, and has such traces of training, do I still need to wear jumpsuit to feel good? Just like that kind of good student who works hard secretly at school, every time he takes first place in a test, he always claims: “I never study.” Ironically, Kardashian, who defines female beauty with plumpness and health, has secretly lost weight. Even though she burst out Monroe’s dress at the Met Gala, she still stuffed herself into a size 4 dress. Then I thought: why did Monroe’s dress only burst on her butts?
But people naturally associate the two: No one else is better suited to endorse shapewear than Kardashian.
(Kardashian talks about Skims’ inclusivity and comfort)
Slip dresses are a dangerous type of clothing. In a society that obsessively focuses on people’s body shapes, clothing that conforms so closely to body seems like the perfect conduit for inflicting emotional harm. Despite this, countless TikTok creators embraced the Skims Soft Lounge maxi slip dress, claiming it flatters all body types. The fire of popularity has even spread to the other side of the ocean, and every East Asian girl on Xiaohongshu is eager to try it on. Don’t be afraid if you are skinny. Wearing a Skims long slip dress makes you become a Kardashian, or at least Yu Shuyin.
As a result, European and American girls with heavy makeup and thick lips and neutral colors began to equal the world with girls in Han Chinese clothing. They walked proudly on the street and were happy to be judged. I am confused and angry. Where are all the girls who once enjoyed the comic shows? ! Jumpsuits help suppress our socially unacceptable physicality and the constant low hum of learned shame that comes with it. So we don’t have to spend precious time whenever we are reminded of our own body shape. And we don’t have to expend precious mental energy fighting against the constraints of patriarchy and diet culture.
（Source: TikTok screenshot）
Deception is largely a user-driven phenomenon. Even if Shein or Fashion Nova tricked you into buying a piece of clothing, they wouldn’t label it as such. It’s up to the consumer to make the connection, and that’s what brands are doing.
Brands may not call their products dupes, but we sure do. We’ve rounded up some of the best dupes for popular products like Apple AirPods Max, SKIMS dress, and Dyson Airwrap. Most of them are ones we’ve personally tested (and love).
Blurring the definition of clothing and occasion boundaries
In December 2019, Skims launched its first comfort collection, which includes loungewear such as robes, pajamas and two-piece sets made of soft materials. When the pandemic began and customers no longer needed shapewear, the brand launched a second collection of loungewear. When the purchasing power of global clothing stores continued to decline, people stayed at home more. The Skims was leaning toward loungewear to make up for the drop in demand for workwear and evening wear during the early days of the quarantine. Skims catered to the pandemic demand for loungewear and earned a $1 billion valuation.
(Source：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3X2T-7rAKU)
Kardashian herself also showed off Skims’ different outfits in all kinds of scenarios on the show, such as accompanying her children at home, attending her own birthday party and “slaying” in the workplace… Skims’ clothes are always so fashionable and comfortable. After watching a lot of Skims videos, I once again admired Kardashian’s charm. No matter whether she is impressive in reality shows or short videos, she is naturally born to be an Internet celebrity.
Some tips for DTC brands
Although most brands do not have founders as famous as Kardashian, the marketing ideas of Skims still worth analyzing:
1.Brand concepts need to embrace diverse and personalized aesthetics and values
(Source: Kim Kardashian’s Instgram)
As time has passed, the mainstream aesthetics of white women represented by Barbie and Victoria’s Secret have been replaced by more diverse and inclusive aesthetic concepts. Everyone yearns for a perfect body, and begins to appreciate less-than-perfect bodies. “There’s a solution for everyone, and jumpsuit is an outdated term,” Skims vice president Collier-Ungano said of what sets Skims apart from other brands. “If you have a problem with your body, you need it. We want women to feel like their most confident selves.”
Brand positioning is something that entrepreneurs must think carefully from the beginning. For example, Steve Jobs insisted that Apple computers use a closed system since the 1980s, which was neither open nor compatible. Women’s consumer products must take an open and diversified approach and truly be accessible to all girls. Only by being friendly can we welcome more consumers.
2.Marketing or deceiving?
Whether it’s IKEA frantically printing brochures three times the number of the Bible, or Temu spending heavily on advertising on the Super Bowl. These companies are focusing on brand marketing in order to let more people know about their products and the brand itself.
Nowadays, apps like TikTok and Instagram are driving lightning-fast popularity cycles, with marketing shifting from brochures and TV ads to content on social platforms. From Skims to Dyson, deceiving is the biggest shopping trend on 2023 so far. And TikTok’s resurgence of deceptive recommendations has sparked a new trend on social media. Everyone wants to see the legendary story of the Skims girl who was shot four times.
(Source: Adriana Barich (left) shared a review of the Skims’ briefs (right) she ordered on TikTok. The video currently has 17 million views and over 2.1 million likes.)
But most of us don’t have the traffic exposure as Kardashian does. We can’t cooperate with first-line popular artists and stars at the beginning of the brand’s establishment, neither can we work with big brands like FENDI. However, brands with sufficient budgets can still choose to cooperate with KOLs of different levels. From top celebrities, KOLs to amateur creators on TikTok or other platforms, we ought to choose influencers who fit our brand. By carrying out diversified cooperation, we can build brand potential more quickly.
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