Maidenform vs. Victoria's Secret

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Difference between Maidenform and Victorias Secret

Maidenform and Victoria's Secret are two well-known manufacturers of lingerie, although both brands do actually produce a range of other items in addition to underwear. Both Maidenform and Victoria's Secret are American companies that are best known within the US.

Victorias Secret


The Maidenform Brands company was established in 1922 by Ida and William Rosenthal and Enid Bissett. They created their own company in order to produce underwear and clothing that broke away from the flat-chested, androgynous styles that were the norm during the 1920s. The company was begun in New Jersey, where its headquarters remain to this day. Maidenform became a public company in 2005, following a period of restructuring during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Victoria's Secret was created in California in 1977. Its founder was Roy Raymond, who had the idea of creating a new lingerie brand after experiencing embarrassment about buying a present for his wife in a department store. Soon after opening his first store, he began the mail order side of the business. His aim was to create a comfortable environment in which both men and women would be able to shop. Raymond sold the company to Leslie Wexner of The Limited in 1982. The company expanded across the US and developed a larger product range. By the 1990s, it had become the largest lingerie company in the US. Limited Brands made Victoria's Secret one of its main brands from 2007. Victoria's Secret is the largest section of the Limited Brands company. Its sales exceed 5 billion dollars a year. Victoria's Secret has more than a thousand stores in the US and it mails over 400 million catalogues every year. The company has recently begun to expand internationally, opening stores in Canada, Kuwait and the UAE.



Maidenform produces lingerie, including shaping underwear, swimwear, sleepwear and accessories. Victoria's Secret sells a wider range of products, including lingerie, sleepwear, hosiery, shoes, clothing and cosmetics. They also have a men's range.

Although both companies produce a wide range of different products and styles, they are both mostly associated with lingerie. Victoria's Secret has a reputation for producing sexy underwear, while Maidenform tends to be thought of as creating simple, comfortable underwear. It is also known for producing shaping underwear and lingerie that can be worn with all different styles of outerwear.


Both Maidenform and Victoria's Secret have become particularly notable for their most famous advertising campaigns. The most famous advertising strategy associated with the Maidenform brand was the campaign during the 1950s and 1960s which pictured people performing everyday tasks wearing only their underwear, alongside a slogan suggesting that they had dreamt of doing this in their Maidenform bra. Rather than appearing embarrassed, the photographs showed women proudly wearing just their underwear in public. This famous campaign was referenced in the television program Mad Men.

Victoria's Secret has used a number of famous women in its advertising campaigns and it refers to its models and spokeswomen as Angels. The Victoria's Secret Angles actually have a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Victoria's Secret is also well-known for its annual fashion shows, which are broadcast on television in the US.

Similarities and Differences

Maidenform and Victoria's Secret are both popular American brands that are most well-known for selling lingerie. Victoria's Secret is beginning to grow into the international market, while Maidenform is still focused on the US.

  • Victoria's Secret spokeswomen are known as Angels.
  • Victoria's Secret holds an annual televised fashion show.
  • Maidenform tends to be associated with simpler styles, comfort and shapewear.
  • Victoria's Secret has a more flamboyant, sexy brand image.

Which lingerie maker sells more bras?
  • Maidenform
  • Victorias Secret

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