You can now return underwear even if you’ve worn it already

Say hello to commitment-phobe fashion

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Ladies, listen up.

You spot a divine bra online: it’s your favourite shade of blue, it's 40 per cent off in the sale, it *might* make you look like Marilyn Monroe. Score.

However, said non-refundable bra arrives, you try it on, aghast, you realise that it makes you look more like Manson than Monroe, i.e. an under-wired tragedy.

For most brands, this all too familar series of events would simply a case of tough luck and a measly credit note.

But a new breed of “try before you buy” policies are emerging across retail, and yes, even lingerie brands are cottoning on.

US label ThirdLove give customers 30 days to trial their products before making a decision on whether or not to purchase it, allowing you to wear your undies free from the constraints of commitment. That means no tags, no labels and more importantly, no cost. The only charge is a shipping fee.

Then, you decide whether or not to pay the full price to keep it. “That’s how much we believe in our product,” ThirdLove founder Heidi Zak explained Racked.

Whilst unconventional, it’s a marketing ploy that seems to be working, with 76% of ThirdLove’s most popular bra being bought by those who have gone through the “Try Before Buying” policy.

“Anyone who is direct-to-consumer, we’re at a huge disadvantage in some ways,” Zak continued. “You haven’t felt the bra before, and there’s no store to go visit to try it on. You have to have unique ways of providing the confidence for a consumer to make that purchase.”

Similarly, on online-only underwear brand MeUndies, men and women can choose to sign up to a membership program where they can purchase their first pair of pants and return them 90 days later - no questions asked (yep, that’s a three whole months of free pants).

The brand's unique 100% satisfaction guarantee entitles customers to a full refund if they have a sudden epiphany that their new undies rub them up the wrong way.

According to the site, 20 per cent of MeUndies customers claim that the return policy is their main reason for buying from them in the first place.

This innovative risk-free approach to shopping has been embraced by a number of clothing brands.

Popular US activewear brand, Athleta, follow a “Give It a Workout Guarantee”, giving customers the opportunity to try their leggings out in the gym before committing to a purchase.

Plus, eyewear label, Warby Parker operates on a “home try-on” policy, where customers can select five frames to try for five days.

In 2017, the freebie is an entirely different (and hopefully stain-free) beast.