Ever since True Religion was founded 22 years ago, the Los Angeles clothing company has tilted more toward the men’s market, with the women’s side of the business getting less attention.
But the jeans- and apparel-maker, known for its famous horseshoe-shaped back pocket design and emblem of a smiling Buddha strumming a guitar, is changing that. It wants more women to buy its products. With that in mind, True Religion is releasing a new women’s silhouette called the True Booty Perfector, which is part of the brand’s first shapewear collection.
“This is a huge thing out in the women’s market, and True Religion just really hadn’t tapped into that yet,” said Tina Blake, True Religion’s senior vice president, women’s design and brand image, who was hired 18 months ago. “Our customers have been asking for it, and we’re constantly listening to the feedback that we get online.”
That feedback influenced this booty-enhancing pant with an innovative curved-back yoke, which acts as a “booty lifting powerhouse” in a power stretch denim with retention. It snatches the body in all the right places and minimizes the appearance of the waist, while maximizing the wearer’s natural curves.
It is made of 74 percent cotton, 22 percent polyester, 2 percent viscose and 2 percent spandex and comes in three washes and three different leg openings — the straight, the skinny and the boot cut.
To launch this style, True Religion hired fashion influencer Anastasia “Stas” Karanikolaou to be the face of this new look. Kristen D’Arcy, True Religion’s chief marketing officer who was hired last year, said the marketing team spends a lot of time figuring out which influencers are right for the brand. “In this case, Stas has a sizable and engaged photo following,” D’Arcy said. “She is known for her fashion influence.”
The 26-year-old model from L.A. has 15 million followers across all social platforms and promotes body positivity. She is often on YouTube sharing her vlogs and documenting her love of beauty, fashion, exercise and travel.
She is no stranger to True Religion. A few years ago, she worked on one of the brand’s campaigns. “I have been a fan of True Religion for as long as I can remember. As soon as I tried on these jeans, I was obsessed with how well they fit and shaped my body,” she said in an email. “I knew this product would be a perfect fit for me.”
Blake said it took about one year to develop the shaping silhouette, getting all the parts just right. “We based it off our curvy Jenny fit jean, which has a little more room in the hips and a tighter waist and is more democratic for different body types,” the design expert explained.
The True Booty Perfector, which retails for $159, offers various sizes with the skinny-cut jean in sizes 24 to 42 and the boot-cut and straight leg jeans offered in sizes 24 to 38. It is being sold exclusively in True Religion’s 50 or so stores and on its website. “This particular shapewear launch is exclusive to us and our direct-to-consumer channels. But we are rolling out other programs later in the year for wholesale accounts,” Blake said.
Those other programs include a shapewear product called “Truly Snatched,” a pull-on pant with a double-layer waistband that helps suck in the abdomen. It will be released in the fourth quarter of this year. And the True Booty Perfector style will be incorporated into the company’s activewear line. That will launch in the first quarter of 2025.
All these new products come from True Religion listening to customer requests for more body-shaping silhouettes. It is also part of the company’s goal to increase its women’s business from 40 percent of total sales to 50 percent. “With the company being so focused on men’s for so long in the last decade, I think women’s styles had just been a reflection of a men’s style that didn’t give them their own identity,” Blake said. “So, we have been working to make sure our customer has the styles she wants.”