This kind of reactionary drivel just kills me. VS sells exactly what people are buying. They have whole marketing departments that can tell you that chartreuse isn't moving and purple is the new black. They know what their consumer wants in the summer, and what they want in the winter. They give them exactly what they want or they go broke (like any other vendor of any other item).

Oh I am sure there is some aspiration instilled in their advertisements, but only the very young or deluded don't recognize what they are buying into. Some of it is actually more functional than a bargain store brand, some of it just looks better, and some of it just has that all important brand insignia. But we give those brands their power. Fact is they are all made on the same line by Malaysian kids...or something.

Same goes for SUVs. Oh, we are quite quick to murder the manufacturers (big mistake that BTW). But they were selling wht we wanted to buy. No one wants a small car. No one. They get the small car because it fits their lifestyle or their budget....but no one wants one...especially when you have to compete with the big SUVs on the road for safety.

In summary, we always blame the supplier, but we never look at the demander as a source of equal or greater culpability. Because I promise you, VS would sell you a gold plated chastity belt if they thought someone would buy it.

Having said all that I love VS (I am a man BTW). They are incredibly helpful to me as a shopper for my wife. They have always been gracious and accomodating even to the point of returning my money nearly 8 months after an undelivered sweater (yes really). My wife likes their functional products, I like the appearance. Win win. I don't mind giving them a little extra money for that privilege. Finally, they don't even mind if you sneak into a dressing room - assuming you're sneaking in with YOUR significant other. YMMV. Great company, great stuff.

They may be selling something that someone wants to buy, but they are damn sure not selling anything I want. They used to, mind you. I was married to a woman who was 5'0" and a 'D' cup, and VS bras used to be the best in the world for fit, support, comfort and wear. I loved that place, and it was always easy to slip in something a little less utilitarian. Fast forward 15 years, and the stuff they have is mostly crap. The staff doesnt know a damn thing about bra fitting, the lingerie is terrible and uncomfortable, its scattered everywhere (you cant find it unless youre GPS capable with a site map) and the value isnt there.

VS used to be the LL Bean of lace, now they are the 14 yo chick version of Abercrombie and Fitch....

i am a fwf freckled white female and i do not hurt cars or suv s or approve of murder of any sexy underwear or beutifull women of all shades and hues in barely there great undewear,evenign wear and sweaters.

Over the long term, advertising can create a market (within reason). This is probably more true of SUVs and trucks than of underwear though. SUVs and Trucks (as more than farm vehicles) were promoted when automakers petitioned for a loophole in the CAFE (fuel economy) regulations for Trucks (you know, for the "farmer") and pretty much invented the SUV market (before that there were Jeeps and, uh LandRovers) and expanded that little corner of the market from about 2% to over 50% (but it took about 10-15 years to really fully develop). Most of this was done by implying that a mans balls would get bigger if he drove a truck or an SUV (or smaller if he didn't). Just remember all of those commercials with big, young, muscled, tanned, and sweaty guys drivng about 6mph over boulder-strewn fields and through giant mud puddles and then getitng out of their trucks (in slow motion) to congradulate other guys who got there the same way. Yeah, we all commute at 60mph over rock-strewn field and through giant mud puddles (but man, those guys sure lookes manly doing its....).

And what do cars have to do with underwear? Well, lingerie is on the LEADING EDGE of colour fashion. Want to see what color cars we will be driving in 5 years? - just go to VS and look at the lingerie. This is a true tricke-down effect. Really!

I actually thought that their infinity-edge and wireless products are quite innovative, and I hear, quite comfortable. (I am a guy so I only have 2nd hand experience here).

Try finding a lace hemi cup with no padding, lol. I have been told that wearing those padded bras is like trying to look sexy in a wetsuit. I still dont understand the point of having a woman's breast look like it has been spackled to a smoothly differentiatable surface.

Underwear has a primary purpose, comfort. Long ago, VS had a simple idea, that women's underwear could be comfortable AND sexy, a winning combination. Perhaps now it is still sexy (not to me, mind you), but the comfort has gone out of the window. Yes, you can still get the comfort now, if you are willing to pay (alot) extra, something that used to come for free.

And how bout them new 'boobie bowls' they make. OMG, I am worried if this country thinks sexy is an electric chartruese wetsuit with all the give of a rubber ducky.

At the risk of revealing too much, there is a reason I buy those thickly padded bras.

My nipples often get erect for no discernible reason. I am a modest person. I don't like walking down the street with my "headlinghts on" and I don't think it's a very professional look, either. I consider it vulgar for the office, and not much better in any other public place, to be walking around with nipples sticking out all over the place - that's for private sexy times!

So I wear armor and try to deflect the male attention away from my breasts!

And here I thought I was the only woman with this problem! I don't want a lot of padding (my boobs are quite large) but I need some or my nipples poke out all day.

Maybe that is the secret of the magic Mormon underwear? It has some sort of 'high beam suppressor' that makes you look chaste and pure. I am not arguing that there isnt a need or a market for some level (or many levels) of padding, but trying to find a decent unpadded bra is seemingly impossible there. I took my current gf there a few weeks ago and was horribly shocked (and disappointed).

She has gained a cup size recently (shes not pregnant, but its amazing what 3/day endogenous activation of the oxytocin pathway will do) and I wanted her to have really good bras (9.8 m/s squared) so she would be comfortable and supported.

Having said that, where do you go now for good bras that are both functional and attractive, that dont require interaction with bored children or a home equity loan?