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Happy 30th Birthday to Us! – Royce Lingerie enters the ‘flirty thirties’
Posted by Claire Boote, on July 2, 2021.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)
Break out the bubbly and cut yourself some cake – we’re in celebratory mode as July 2021 marks Royce Lingerie’s 30th birthday! From a sewing machine in an Oxfordshire home to becoming the world’s only dedicated wirefree bra specialist, with bras sold in 27 countries around the world – the past three decades have been an amazing ride. And with so many exciting plans for the future, Royce isn’t stopping now…
Back in 1991…
when husband and wife team Bob and Jane Fleming founded Royce, we were at the foothills of a decade that would give us lingerie looks such as Madonna’s infamous Gautier-designed conical bra, the ‘barely there’ nude slips of grunge, and the traffic-stopping adverts for the push-up Wonderbra.
But while trends come and go, high quality design, classic style and comfort never go out of fashion, which is why Royce focused on becoming a timeless lingerie brand. It’s a 30-year history that both Jane and Bob describe as exciting, successful, tough at times but also something to be extremely proud of.
30 years of supporting women
When Bob and Jane started Royce, they already had an impressive track record within the lingerie industry. Their initial focus was nursing bras, and their first customer was the National Childbirth Trust.
So began a 30-year history of supporting women through some of the most exciting and challenging stages of life. Wirefree maternity and nursing bras remain a core part of the Royce range, with pregnant and nursing women consulted during the design process for every new style.
As Royce began to find its feet, it also began making wirefree bras for women undergoing breast and chest surgery. While women could choose stylish wirefree bras that provide superb support post-surgery, it’s also a challenging and anxious time so Royce committed itself to providing not just healing bras but also advice, help and support for women emotionally. The business continues to collaborate with charities including Against Breast Cancer and Future Dreams to raise awareness of breast cancer, and help raise funds for research and support.
Sold around the world
In the early nineties, the term “online shopping” simply didn’t exist – if you didn’t want to trudge down the high street, flicking through a catalogue for home delivery was the most convenient shopping experience you could wish for. Nowadays, many of us can view hundreds of products from dozens of brands, 24/7 from our sofa. In fact, during lockdown Royce’s online sales have soared while physical shops have remained shut.
But Jane concedes,
“While online sales are so important, we nearly all enjoy a shopping experience where we are able to touch, feel, assess and try on a product before we commit to purchasing. It would be a sad day if bricks and mortar shops no longer existed.”
Real-life stockists have been the backbone…
of Royce’s 30-year success story. Bob describes his proudest moment at Royce as “seeing the Royce brand displayed in John Lewis for the first time”. But it’s not just the high street behemoths who are important – hundreds of independent boutiques across the UK and around the world sell Royce bras. Visit your local stockist and you can get friendly advice, an in-person fitting, and leave with your new perfect bra (or three) there and then with no wait for delivery. (We recently celebrated our independent stockists when shops reopened after lockdown).
Designing a sustainable future
And what do the next 30 years have in store? While Jane and Bob remain involved in the business they’re now taking a step back to enjoy their well-earned retirement. The next generation – son Richard and daughter Francesca – are on the board and steering Royce through exciting times.
Over the past few years, a new topic has moved close to Royce’s heart – sustainability. The impact of clothing manufacture on the environment, plus working conditions for cotton farmers and factory workers has, quite rightly, become a key concern for customers and Royce Lingerie.
In 2020,
Royce launched ‘Eden’, an organic cotton bra and the debut style in its sustainability range with more to come (we’re aiming for at least 20% of our range to be made from organic cotton and/or recycled materials by 2025). We were thrilled to be a finalist in the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards 2020 (‘Brand of the Year up to £30m’ category), due to our switch to recyclable and reclaimed materials and greener working practices.
Richard and Francesca have an eye on transforming Royce into a sustainable model for the industry to follow with both believing sustainable supply chains and innovative sustainable fabrics will be setting the agenda for the next 30 years in the industry.
Our loyal customers
But enough about us, what about you? Without our loyal customers Royce Lingerie simply wouldn’t be celebrating its 30 year anniversary today – so we owe you a massive ‘thank you’! We love designing brilliant bras; we love finding women the perfect fit; we love guiding women through shopping choices; we love hearing about how Royce bras make you feel; and we love supporting all fabulous, courageous, funny, kind, smart, savvy, inspirational women everywhere!
Don’t stop sharing with us, and we won’t stop giving you advice and gorgeous underwear wherever you are in life. And if that isn’t a great excuse to stop for a piece of cake in celebration, we don’t know what is.
