Fashion

Apparently, Blondes Don't Sell Lingerie Well

Selling lingerie isn't just about finding an impossibly attractive model and some good mood lighting. There's science and data behind it. In fact, one lingerie company in particular goes above and beyond what you'd expect to make sure their intimate pieces sell as well as they possibly can. According to Fast Company, Adore Me uses A/B testing to see which of their gorgeous models sell the most lingerie online, or rather, which of them gets the most clicks. And the data they've gathered might actually shock you — the most interesting being that blonde models can't sell lingerie.

Here's how it works. For every thousand online shoppers that visit the site, 500 will see picture A of a product (could be just a bra) and the other 500 will see picture B (which could be the same bra, but on a model). One will usually sell more than the other, and that informs Adore Me's choices on ways to get a product to sell better. But it isn't just whether a product is being worn by a model or not — it can even come down to super specific details. Take hand position for example: A hand on the hip doesn't sell as well as having a hand on the head (what? OK). A minor detail like that could result in sales doubling.

Some other findings: Sexy, boudoir shots do not sell well. Props can be a bit distracting, but models on couches is totally fine. Models who play with their hair (that goes right along with the hands-on-your-head thing) is always encouraged and welcome. Lastly, and perhaps most shockingly — blondes don't sell well. According to Adore Me's testing, no one wants to buy lingerie on a blonde model. In fact, a blonde model has never been able to successfully sell lingerie for the retailer.

Say what?! That can't be right. What about all of the golden-headed Victoria's Secret models like Candice Swanepoel, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Marisa Miller and um, one Miss Heidi Klum? What does Adore Me have to say about Claudia Schiffer?! I find it extremely hard to believe that none of their blonde models have been able to sell lingerie for them, but data is data. Guess blondes can't do it all!