SKIMS, watch your back — Lizzo has entered the shapewear game.
The singer, long heralded as a leader of the body positive movement, just launched YITTY, a line of shapewear, underwear, and loungewear created in partnership with Fabletics.
The line debuted with three collections: "NEARLY NAKED," lightweight shaping garments; "MESH ME," smoothing mesh styles that can be worn as inner or outerwear; and "MAJOR LABEL," an assortment of athleisure essentials such as leggings and sweatshirts.
Available in sizes XS to 6X, YITTY's sizing doesn't just scale up and down — it takes different body types and proportions into consideration, too.
Interestingly, the range is priced based on a subscription model. To snag pieces at a major discount ($23.38 instead of $64.95 for a bodysuit, for example), prospective shoppers must join a VIP membership program for $49.95 a month — a feature some customers are complaining about on Twitter.
Lizzo, an outspoken proponent of normalizing all bodies, is an apt celebrity to take on the shapewear market.
"I felt that I was constantly being told through TV and magazines that my body wasn’t good enough. And, in order to be considered ‘acceptable’ I had to inflict some sort of pain upon it to fit into an archetype of beauty," she said in a press release. "Because of this, I’ve been wearing shapewear for a long time, maybe since I was in fifth or sixth grade.”
As high-octane campaign images reveal, YITTY mirror Lizzo's empowering, celebratory music. Full of bright colors and patterns, the collection takes a bold, directional design approach — much different than SKIMS, known for its simple cuts and muted, solid colorways.
As pandemic restrictions ease up, shapewear sales have spiked, opening the door for newcomers to the category — and consequently, more competition.
Authenticity and storytelling are cornerstones of any successful brand, keys that Lizzo skillfully wields when it comes to her public persona. Just like her musical career, I daresay YITTY is a banger.
