A Bra, Underwear & Lingerie Blog | Bare Necessities
Author:Brooke Glassberg
Brooke is the editor of this here blog. In a previous life, she was an editor at Good Housekeeping and O, The Oprah Magazine. Brooke has written for Glamour, Travel+Leisure, New York Magazine and more. She’s into concerts, travel and her exceptionally adorable daughter and husband.
Everyone’s proclaiming the era of democratic fashion these days, calling for clothing lines that cater to every size.
But when Racked took a closer look, reality fell way short of expectation. While the average American woman is a size 16 or 18, Racked found fashion lines max out at a size 20, and bra brands like True & Co. extend only so far as a 38DD, a “combination easy to find at…any department store lingerie section.”
“Companies are always asking women over a certain size to wait just a little longer, apologize just a little more about the scale of difficulty their very common bodies represent, and be just a little more grateful that anyone is getting around to them at all,” wrote Amanda Mull in the article, “Why Aren’t Fashion ‘Disruptors’ Serving Plus-Size Customers?”
At Bare Necessities, we’ve seen firsthand how wearing the right size—starting with that very key base layer otherwise known as your bra—makes all the difference in the world in how your clothes fit and how you feel. That’s why, unlike the bra brands popping up in your newsfeed or on TV, we really do serve every body. The range of bras we carry (band sizes 28 to 58 and cup sizes AA to O) is, simply stated, unrivaled.
Here are the top brands that, taken together, deliver real support and style in every size.
Launched in 2017, BRABAR was designed to educate the girls of Generation Z on fit, beginning with that very first bra. Then, eventually, the brand instructs her in how to measure so when she becomes a woman, she feels empowered to get it right on her own.
“These seventh graders walk straight into Victoria’s Secret Pink and pick up a 32AA when they’re really 26 inches around,” said BRABAR founder Wendy Herman. “Right at this critical point in their development, they’re bombarded with this overly sexualized messaging. In school, they raise their hands, and the bra band rides right up over their chests. It gets exponentially worse from there.”
With a teenage daughter of her own and a lingerie biz background, Wendy gets it personally and professionally.
Brooks Nader spent her 21st birthday this past February on set here in the Bare Necessities studio. The Southern belle also known as Brooksie is as nice as pie, going so far as to bring in her own five-layer lemon birthday cake from a sought-after New York City bakery and introducing her mother to the entire crew over FaceTime.
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and based now in New York City, Brooks has modeled for Elle, Laura Mercier, Covergirl, Miami Swim Week and many more and has been featured as a Sports Illustrated Lovely Lady of the Day.
Get to know Brooks better in the latest installment of Confessions.
“We want to be the swimwear destination for customers of every size who expect quality and support in the season’s latest trends,” says swim buyer Megan Puma, who curated the assortment headed your way.
Here are some of the top swimwear trends for 2018:
Wedding season—that annual social calendar window loaded with romance, hors d’oeuvres and superspecific lingerie requirements—is coming back around. We walked down the aisle straight to the source for the best-of-the-best, all-things-bridal recommendations. That’d be Bare Necessities assistant buyer Jackie Garcia, who not only knows the category inside and out professionally, she also happens to be invested in the subject personally: She’s getting married this year.
Bare it All picked Jackie’s brain recently for everything a bride and her tribe could need. From subtly shaping underwear that won’t make you scowl in your photos to your something blue to the best swimsuits to pack for the honeymoon, we’ve put together the ultimate list of Big Day essentials. All you have to remember is to say “I do.”
Want to know what you’re going to be seeing filling your underwear and pajama drawers later this year? Bare Necessities just cruised the aisles of CurvExpo in New York City, the twice-yearly, industry-leading lingerie and swimwear exhibition, to find out what’s going to be in when it comes to in innerwear.
Read on for the 2018 lingerie trends you can look forward to:
The Little Bra Company
PURPLE REIGNS SUPREME
We saw purple everywhere we looked. This year’s shade is a softer, smokier plum that could be inspired by your eyeshadow palette. It’s not exactly the Ultra Violet shade chosen by Pantone as the Color of the Year, but it’s definitely derived from it. We saw mauve in the upcoming collections from some of our favorite bra brands like Le Mystère, The Little Bra Company(near left) and Curvy Kate. Burgundy was hot on its maribou heels, as we noticed at Elomi and others.
Green is also a go, trending in an emerald-inspired tone that’s a lightened-up take on forest, deeper than Kelly green yet brighter than olive drab. Robins-egg blue also made several unexpectedly spring-inspired appearances for fall/winter.
Millennial Pink keeps on keeping on, as blush tones are such a natural fit for intimate apparel; ditto every shade of skin, from pale beige to rich cocoa colors.
When it comes to swimwear, blue still rules the pool, particularly when played up against black or white in graphic, geometric prints.
YOU’LL BE PUTTING ON THE GLITZ
Adina Reay
More than a few brands integrated sparkly elements—silver glitter, gold stars, shimmering metallic threads and Swarovski crystal embellishment—making for some very extra night-out (be it with yourself or someone else) bras.
Other special little details we spied: buttons in untraditional shapes like stars, grommets and studs on bras, zipper details, appliqué flowers and the continuation of cheeky printed sayings.
EXPECT EMBROIDERY AND SHEER
Speaking of special detail, we noticed sheer mesh—often embroidered—at every turn. The look is modern and minimalist, not ornate and tutu-inspired. “Sheer and light” is the theme at Le Mystère; stitched pops of neon orange flowers dotted a shimmery beige mesh background at Adina Reay, the mistress of luxe metallics (near right). Sheer trim on ankle-length robes was a recurrent look, as well.
GO FROM “SLEEP TO STREET”
We also heard this trend referred to as “bed to breakfast,” and it means separates that effortlessly transition from in the house to on the go. The look that blurs the lines and defies strict categorization was a common thread at PJ Salvage, UGG and many others.
Now more than ever, celebrities are helping “to expand what ‘intimates’ means, to push the limits, to make them more visible,” said Sarah Healy of Commando, where leggings, bodysuits and mesh tops have transcended basic base layers and become pieces meant to be seen in their own right: “It’s not just about sizing up or down; every size has its own pattern. Fit, function and luxe, high-tech fabrics are being applied more broadly,” Sarah added, showing us real-world-road-tested features like built-in tummy shaping panels in the washable, dryable, faux-leather leggings to stretchy, snap-crotch bodysuits.
Mapalé
SETS SELL
Unlike ready-to-wear, innerwear is not a place where you’ll have to mix and match to create your own look. From timeless pajamas pairings at Karen Neuburger to a sexy-sweet Mapalé teddy (near left) with matching robe that also sounded the sheer trend note, pieces intentionally styled together take the guesswork out of getting undressed.
REACH FOR TOUCHY-FEELY TEXTURES
As one could hope to expect from intimate apparel, texture is half the equation. Inspired by outerwear and ready-to-wear were the nubby, fuzzy teddy bear robes and lounge layers, and faux-fur trim seen at the likes of Splendid, PJ Salvage and UGG. Smooth panne and crushed velvet carried over from last year in bras, sleep shorts and loungewear. Diaphanous waffle knits are as cozy as they are light. Modal fabric finds still more applications in everything from bras to pajamas. Super soft microfiber starred at Le Mystère, especially in wireless molded microfiber and mesh for light, smooth, breathable bras. Flat mesh is cleverly layered atop lace for a romantic look with a smooth finish at The Little Bra Company.
RUFFLES, RUFFLES EVERYWHERE
We noticed flounce details all around—on the hems of robes and bedroom jackets, nightgowns, bra straps, even eye masks—giving more feminine fashion interest to otherwise functional pieces.
Kisskill
CUTE EYE MASKS MAKE SLEEP CHIC
We saw them (ha!) all over the place, from PJ Salvage’s ruffled version to pretty and silky at Josie Natori to Kisskill’s edgy turns of phrase (“Go Away,” “Shhh…” and the more direct “F*** Off,” near right).
As the owner of Life As Fine Art Studio in Red Bank, NJ, she’s photographed women in their 20s and in their 70s, fiancées and divorcées, every conceivable body type and even a Real Housewife. In fact, she’s widely recognized as one of the country’s go-to photographers for these intimate boudoir (that’s French for “a woman’s private bedroom or sitting room”) sessions.
“There’s a misconception that you have to be 25, blonde and thin to do this, but my average clients are middle-aged women with big careers and money to spend on a Bucket List experience for themselves,” says Cate.
Find out why she left the corporate track to carve out her own niche, what’s so magical about lingerie and why she thinks stripping down is the most freeing thing a woman can do.
It starts with bras, and it extends into everything else. It’s why we bring together the best quality, best-fitting swimwear with benefits you’ll find. Sure, you can pick up a bathing suit next to the cat food and paper towels in any big box store, but if it’s confidence and support you’re after, why would you? We owe it to ourselves to rock something that fits and flatters our figures beyond what happens to be left hanging on some rack. After all, there aren’t that many times in life we’re out in public dressed in so little (and if you are, we want to hear more about your life!)—may as well make them count.
That’s the thinking behind this season’s expanded assortment. While we’re continuing with all the lines you know and love from the top bra-makers, as well as swim with shapewear and bras built in; there’s even more to explore. Whatever your most pressing fit need or style want, we have a functional, fashionable swim solution.
Let us help you find yours and make this your best swim season yet….
Julie Ashenfalder, 27, is a registered nurse in a Burn Intensive Care Unit who spends demanding 12-hour shifts on her feet in sneakers, scrubs and sports bras.
“I never really got properly fitted so I thought by this point I should probably know for sure what works for me and run with it,” said Julie. “I like the lacy, pretty stuff. Life is too short to not wear cute bras.”
We couldn’t agree more, but they also need to really fit if you want to feel good, and that’s where Julie found herself wanting. She was trying to make 36Ds and 38Cs from Victoria’s Secret work for her though they were falling short on support: “I like the different styles they offer, but the quality of the garments has declined, and they definitely don’t fit me as well as they used to.”
When she heard from a family member that Bare Necessities specializes in over-the-phone bra fittings, Julie said, “Heck, why not?” and dialed.
Annie Dean (above left) and Anna Auerbach (above right) were strangers living on opposite coasts when they quit their high-powered careers to change the world together.
Connected by a mutual friend over a call that was rescheduled three times, Annie, a “recovering corporate real estate attorney,” and Anna, an immigrant from Kiev who went to Harvard Business School before becoming a McKinsey consultant and social impact COO, bonded over working-mother worries. Though they could have commiserated and carried on with business as usual, they decided instead to disrupt the outdated system.
That’s how Werk was born. The service pre-screens for leadership-track, career-advancing jobs with built-in flexibility so that women don’t have to ramp down, opt out or never see their families. The 600+ openings listed come from the likes of HBO, Deloitte and MM.LaFleur.
“Employees no longer work standard hours in a single space with one parent at home,” reads Werk’s manifesto. “We cannot parent like we don’t have jobs and work like we don’t have children. Flexibility is the highest-impact, lowest-cost tool companies can use to optimize their workforce.” Maybe that’s why Fast Company recognized Werk as one of the Top 11 Innovations That Made Women’s Lives Better in 2017.
Since our mission at Bare Necessities is to lift women up, we’re firmly in favor of Anna and Annie’s script-flipping vision. Read on for how these friends are advocating for women in the workforce on a mass scale. Thanks to them, more of us will be able to “have it all” in the not-so-distant, female-led future.
An above-average bottle of Champagne. Seventy-percent-minimum dark chocolate. A ridiculously fancy candle. Some treats are timeless, best savored every so often all year long and filed under “self-care.”
Of course, they happen to be extra decadent when experienced altogether. Often the only time all those stars align is on Valentine’s Day.
Sexy lingerie is one of these things, too. Consider V-Day a perfect excuse to indulge or show off some of the more special pieces you’ve collected.
It’s 2018, the era of the Women’s March and the #MeToo movement, yet no woman has ever been elected U.S. president, 20 percent of Congress is female and 6 percent of Fortune 500 companies are lady-led.
So when an experienced executive literally writes the book on thriving in the corporate world while keeping the plates of her personal life spinning, you listen.
Karyn Schoenbart, CEO of market research firm The NPD Group, wrote Mom.B.A.: Essential Business Advice from One Generation to the Next, which came out this past fall. She’s also a wife and a mother of two. Recognized with award after award as one of the most influential women in business, Karyn is perfectly positioned to pay it forward. After all, what Millennial wants to hear she can’t have her cake and eat it, too?
In this exclusive interview with Bare Necessities, find out some of Karyn’s most liberating, hard-won insights and advice. Here’s to all of us leading the charge this year.
