Wacoal International Corporation (WIC), the US parent of Wacoal America, has announced the acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares of Glamorise Foundations, Inc., a New York based women’s innerwear brand with 105 years of size inclusive innovation and a primarily e commerce driven business model. The deal, valued at approximately $33 million (5.3 billion yen), will be funded entirely in cash through Wacoal Direct Corp., a subsidiary of WIC, and is expected to close imminently.
A 105 Year Old DTC Powerhouse Joins a Japanese Intimates Giant
Glamorise is a 100% full figure focused brand, designing and selling women’s innerwear primarily in larger band and cup sizes through proprietary e commerce operations, third party marketplaces, and digital advertising channels, a commercial model that stands apart from Wacoal‘s historically brick and mortar, department store led approach in the US. Since entering the US market in 1985, Wacoal has built its reputation on fit, quality, and technical innovation, but has faced the same structural challenge as many legacy intimates brands: over reliance on wholesale and department store channels that are declining in traffic and relevance.
The Strategic Logic: DTC as an Operating System
Wacoal‘s filing makes the intent explicit: acquire Glamorise not just as a brand but as a DTC operating system that can be deployed across the broader WIC portfolio in the US later in 2026. By internalising Glamorise‘s e commerce know how, digital advertising capabilities, and marketplace expertise, Wacoal aims to reduce its reliance on brick and mortar department stores, increase the share of sales from online channels centered on DTC, and establish a more profitable, brand investment ready platform.
Mitch Kauffman, President and CEO of Wacoal America, said, “We are proud and excited to welcome Glamorise to the Wacoal group. This acquisition greatly enhances Wacoal’s position and experience in the digital commerce space and enables us to serve more women than ever before.” Jon Pundyk, CEO of Glamorise, said, “This partnership unites our history of size inclusivity with Wacoal’s world renowned technical excellence and dedication to meeting the unique needs of every woman.”
Size Inclusivity as a Growth Category
The acquisition also signals a deliberate step by Wacoal to strengthen its leadership in the full figure and plus size segment, where Glamorise‘s positioning, product expertise, and loyal consumer base give it a differentiated market position from Wacoal‘s existing portfolio. For the broader intimates industry, the deal reflects a growing investor and operator conviction that full figure sizing is not a niche but a substantial, underserved category, and that brands with genuine expertise in fit and digital native distribution are the most valuable assets in a category undergoing structural channel disruption.
