VS SWIMWEAR SCANDAL

This weekend, I went home to Columbus, Ohio. Of course, I went shopping with my younger sister, Lily. In a wave of panic, Lily ran into Victoria’s Secret saying “I need to buy as many swimsuits as possible before they are gone.” I was confused. Why would Victoria’s Secret discontinue something that seemed to be pretty popular? There must be something I'm missing.

Victoria’s Secret claims that the reason behind their sudden departure stems from a desire to refocus their products. They want to focus on items that have more year-round use, particularly sports bras, according to a sales associate at the Columbus flagship location.

Later, I began thinking about the designs of the pieces. There appears to be a large variation in style and color. Yet, one of the largest characteristics of the brand’s swimsuits would not appear so obvious to someone who shops strictly at VS Swim for their bathing suit needs. In the past few years, VS Swim have looked oddly similar to brands like Triangl and Maaji.
 

Could Victoria’s Secret really have ripped off some of these brands, and if so, could the discontinuing of VS Swim be due to a fear of lawsuit? 

Here are some of the most obvious examples of design matches between both Triangl and Maaji with VS Swim:
 

This first one is obvious because of the basic nature of the swimsuit. Triangl specializes in this specific shape of suit, yet VS Swim has made it a part of their collection, even when they are best known for their push-up tops.

VS

TRIANGL

Not only is the crochet detailing of both suits a telling sign of copy-catting, but the colors are similar as well. The crochet pieces are also located in the same place as in the Triangl suit.

VS

TRIANGL

The flowy nature of the VS bathing suit is uncharacteristic for the brand. For the most part, VS takes an athletic approach to their swimwear, as seen with the Triangl-like pieces. Yet, they choose to include this ruffled swim top in their collection?

VS

MAAJI

The copycat crochet detailing is seen again in these two bikinis. While the VS one is more simple, the crochet outlining is very similar to the Maaji model. The Maaji style is busier, but perhaps Victoria’s Secret believes that their customers prefer something simpler, or they are trying to appeal to a wider audience?

VS

MAAJI

Again, VS Swim’s approach to the tankini-like top has detailing that is very similar to Maaji’s. The color scheme of Maaji’s tops are similar to VS Swim’s, although Maaji’s detailing appears much more intricate. Again, this could be that VS is trying to appeal to a wider range of buyers.

VS

MAAJI

For now, consumers will continue to buy up VS Swim until it sells out this summer. In the meantime, however, it looks like Victoria’s Secret will focus on their sportswear lines. Only time will tell whether or not a brand known for its lingerie will be more successful at leggings and sports bras than swimsuits.