The market for erotic jewelry and pasties is shiny indeed, with customer interest — and purchases — substantially growing.
For Tara Christine, owner of Tyes by Tara in Greenwood Village, Colo., her customer base is made up primarily of women in their early 20s to late 30s who “value fashion, independence and adventure. They are not scared to try something new and enjoy feeling feminine and desired.”
The #freethenipple movement is an example of how people are welcoming nudity more in the mainstream. And with a rising acceptance of nudity comes more ways to experiment and celebrate it with new jewelry and accessories. -Tara Christine, Tyes by Tara
Christine notes that according to Google keyword search volume, the term “erotic jewelry” was searched for an average of 1,300 times a month. “Looking over the course of the past year, the search volume for this term has only slightly deviated around 1,300 searches a month for the last year. While I won’t necessarily say it’s a trend, I would say it’s something people are opening up to more,” she explains. “The #freethenipple movement is an example of how people are welcoming nudity more in the mainstream. And with a rising acceptance of nudity comes more ways to experiment and celebrate it with new jewelry and accessories.”
Christine says her designs are inspired by music. “I also get inspiration from social media and pop culture. I love staying fresh and finding new ways to design in order to bring an original product to market.” She currently offers “155 SKUs that span 25 different product categories.” Her best seller? The Teddy Niplace has been performing really well; it’s a necklace with nipple rings attached, adorned with handcrafted ties. I love wearing it and even have customers who wear it under a loose shirt because it makes them feel a little naughty in public.” She packages and displays her products in clear-top jewelry boxes. “The boxes have a high impact graphic designed to grab the customer’s attention, and we use creative copy to convey a message about the product and engage the customer’s imagination.” The boxes can be merchandised on a table or can be hung.
She notes that how much customers are willing to pay for accessories varies by market segment, location, and occasion. “If it’s a special date like an anniversary or wedding, I would say they are willing to pay more. If it’s treated like an impulse or afterthought item, they are not going to pay as much.”
At Beauty & Ah Bee, Inc., in Las Vegas, the company spokeswoman describes their customer base as “varied, but women from their 20s to their 40s are the primary buyers at all outlets.” Beauty & Ah Bee primarily retails at fashion accessory shops and hotel gift shops. “Interest in erotic jewelry is not a new trend,” she relates. “There’s always been a steady market for it. I would say our crystal bras are the most popular. They’re available in a variety of price ranges, created from Swarovski crystals on the higher end, rhinestones on the lower end.” The company’s retail pricing ranges from “a couple of hundred dollars per item down to the mid-nineties.” She notes that most of their products are displayed in clear plastic bags. “The more expensive items are boxed. For display, we recommend using mannequins in the shops, to let customers see what our pieces will look like when they’re worn.”
In Phoenix, at PHS International, CEO Chuck Harnish describes his main customer base as adult retail stores, “typically those which appeal to women, such as Fascinations, Babeland, She Bop, and Sarah’s Secret.” He notes that his company’s new pasties, which were shown at the spring edition of the International Lingerie Show, attracted more mainstream lingerie buyers, resulting in crossover of these items into that market.
Harnish relates that the original version of his Bijoux de Nip nipple clamps was extremely high-end. “The clamps were all handcrafted and assembled using semi-precious and precious stones. We had an enormous response to them, but sales were tepid because they were so high-end and expensive.” However, this response made it clear to Harnish that a more reasonably priced product range would succeed. “Our new Bijoux de Nip line of beaded and feathered clamps has exceeded all expectations, and has actually been the most successful product launch we have had in the last five years.” Harnish believes this is a continuing trend. “I think it’s a trend with legs. As long as we continue to evolve the designs as jewelry trends evolve, it will stay strong. Our Bijoux de Nip pasties are basically an off-shoot of the beaded clamps. We had many customers ask us to do pasties of the same quality and variety as the beaded and feathered clamps, so it was a very natural progression for us.”
Harnish says his designs are inspired by mainstream jewelry designs and the actual raw materials available. “The new Bijoux de Nip pasties line is 77 SKUs, primarily similar styles offered in many different colors. The basic line consists of sequin pasties available in star, heart and classic round shapes, accented with either bells, faceted beads, anodized beads with pearls, beads with charms, beaded hoops or feathers. We also have a classic round made in pink satin as well as classic rounds which are encrusted with crystals.” PHS packages and displays its items in custom see-through trays, and clam-shelled. “Our suggested retail for the pasties is $19.95, and the beaded and feathered clamps are $14.95.”
Xgen Products recently expanded its Peekaboos pasties line. The self-adhesive fashion pasties are now available it 20 new SKUs and offer graphic designs like Hot Kisses, Money Maker, Trucker Girls, and Schoolgirl, with premium Neon 3-Packs.
“As a fashion utility or sensual add-on, the demand for nipple pasties is immense, but what sets Peekaboos Pasties apart is the quality of form and function,” Xgen Products President Andy Green said. “Top-of-the-line self-adhesive technology and fabric composition is what keeps customers coming back, and we are proud and excited to offer new items from this bestselling line.”
All in all, when it comes to erotic jewelry, all that glitters can indeed turn to sales gold.
