Who’s the biggest celebrity in the world? Donald Trump? Justin Bieber? A member of BLACKPINK? Beyoncé? What about Kim Kardashian? One could make a case for the TV personality, because of her multi-channel omnipresence: She has her TV shows, of course, dozens of endorsement deals and two brands of her own, KKW Beauty, a line of makeup and skincare products, and Skims, which started with simple shapewear but has since expanded into loungewear and lingerie.
Her diverse, uh, portfolio made Kardashian a billionaire in 2021, when Forbes estimated her net worth was $1.8 billion dollars, making her, at least then, the 1,645th richest person in the world. But the success of Skims has earned her plenty more. The brand, first called Kimono (but changed to Skims because of a copyright lawsuit and claims of cultural appropriation), is valued at $3.2 billion dollars, making it, according to the FashionUnited Index, one of the most valuable brands in the world — bigger than Puma, Dolce & Gabbana and American Eagle, for example.
But Skims, as expected, has been a brand for women exclusively since its launch in September 2019. (She reportedly made $2 million dollars in two minutes when it did.) That was until the Boyfriend Collection, a line of women’s underwear and loungewear that toyed with the concept of women wearing men’s underwear — hence the name. There were boxers and T-shirts, tanks and socks, each cut a little wider to give the illusion the wearer had stolen the pieces from their partner. It sold out fast, and a six figure waiting list formed for the restock.
Those anxiously awaiting it were relieved to see it arrive this week. This time, though, it puts less emphasis on women wearing men’s clothing. Despite the name, the Boyfriend Collection is proudly unisex. Within the description of each product, of which there are five, there are explanations for a proper fit. For the Boyfriend T-Shirt, for example, a soft cotton-modal-spandex mix women should “choose your regular size for a baggy, oversized look,” and men should “order true to size.”
Demand was ultra-high last time around, so the items sold out fast — and, like I mentioned, a waitlist formed. There’s no quantity restriction on this release, and a plethora of new colors implies an ample amount of stock is on standby. But don’t just buy it because of the name attached to it. In fact, ignore it. I have no issue with Kim, but the brand, I’d argue, has the potential to be bigger than her. Sure, she’ll always be attached to it, but with its brilliant CEO, Jens Grede, who is also the co-founder of BRADY, adaptive designs for disabled folks, unisex designs for non-binary folks and the rare ability to squeeze legacy brands out of spaces they started — see: Spanx — the brand is poised for serious growth. Hell, even the king of casual dressing himself, Pete Davidson, is on board. (But he’s biased, of course.)
SkimsBoyfriend T-Shirt
Sizes: XXS-4XL
Colors: 8
