What do you wear when you go for an interview for that fantastic retail role you’ve spotted on s1jobs? Your lucky pants, of course!
The art of dressing the part always starts at the bottom line.
You wear what makes you confident, flatters your figure and won’t have you tugging at your knicker elastic when the interviewer is asking about retail skills.
The fact is pants are big business.
The underwear market in the UK is worth £1.5 billion and the likes of Victoria’s Secret, Boux Avenue and now Adore Me from the US, have added an extra squeeze to what was a crowded market.
The reason there’s so much competition is everyone wants something different and retailers have to span the range from Granny Ina pants to G-strings.
While online sales of intimate apparel are flourishing – John Lewis has recorded a rise of 207% in five years – there’s still a place in the market for the specialist lingerie boutique where each customer is treated as a VIP.
So what’s it like to spend your days helping customers in and out of their smalls? Lynn Cross, who has spent the past 15 years working as a lingerie sales consultant, gives us a glimpse.
Do your customers all resemble Victoria’s Angels?
“Not at all… We deal with an entire cross-section of the public, from young girls being fitted for their first bras to women who have had mastectomies.”
Some lingerie brands are ultra-expensive. Who buys them?
“You’d be surprised. Often it’s ordinary women wearing unremarkable clothes who like to indulge themselves with silks and satins.
We have many customers who come back every season to get the latest designs.”
Does the Bridezilla really exist?
“Very occasionally we’ll catch a glimpse of one but most women shopping for wedding lingerie want something lovely that will work with their dress.”
What skills do you need for this retail job?
“Discretion is a must. Customers need to trust you completely.
You also have to be sensitive to anyone who feels shy or uncomfortable with their figure.
Our job is to make people feel better and it’s great when you can do that.
Some women have been wearing the wrong bra size all their lives and when they finally see themselves in one that fits it can give their confidence a huge boost.”
Do men ever visit your shop?
“Constantly. Some visit regularly to buy gifts for wives or girlfriends and we have a number of transvestite customers who buy for themselves. It’s all in a day’s work.”