Let's talk about boobs. Or more specifically, the need for bras that allow you to live your best life wearing them. For some, that means finding ones that fit their breast shape. For others—and by that, I mean the average American woman who wears a size 16–18—it means companies making bras in extended sizes.
Demand for bigger bras has never been higher. For example, this year, when Thirdlove extended to 70 sizes, it amassed a 1.3 million-person waitlist. And when the Lively Busty Bralette ($35–$45) sold out within 24 hours of its debut (another 3,000 people put their names down for the next available delivery), the inclusive lingerie line started getting more than requests to restock from its customers. "Immediately, additional requests poured in from our community for more colors, prints, and iterations," says Michelle Cordeiro Grant, Lively's founder.
Among the asks was for a size 40 band, which Lively released this week in response. Cordeiro Grant says the decision to keep extending sizes was part of her plan from the start. But from a technical standpoint, it's meant scaling Lively's offerings in a mindful way that ensures that they're solving a real problem for women—not just capitalizing on the zeitgeist surrounding the body positivity movement. Bigger boobs need more support—not something sexy bralettes tend to offer. So, it was important for Cordeiro Grant that her team nail a design that could do both.
"Traditionally, we noticed that women had two rows in their drawers when it came to our category: one that had more 'style' but was terribly uncomfortable to wear and the other that was more comfortable but boring and basic in appearance," she says. "We needed to make sure that all the women in our community, regardless of bra size, are able to confidently wear a bralette if they want to."
To solve the problem, Lively's designers began by looking at another wardrobe staple of healthy gals everywhere: "We started by buying yoga pants and cutting the waistbands off and stapling them to feminine bralettes because this is what we wanted to wear all day," explains Cordeiro Grant.
The wider elastic band adds comfortable support for bigger cup sizes while design details like scooped and plunging necklines offer more sex appeal than sports bras. Together, they create a cozy cool aesthetic that makes the Lively Busty Bralette feel like the lingerie equivalent of your favorite pair of leggings.
When asked what's next for her line now that she's ticked "size 40 band" offer her to-do list, Cordeiro Grant says: "We won't stop until we can provide options for everyone. Lively's got your back." And your front, for that matter.
Buying a good bra isn't the only way to take care of your girls. Try giving your boobs a massage—you might just be surprised by how satisfying it can be. Breast orgasm, anyone?
Loading More Posts...
