Beyond The Bra

Hey, you! Hiding in the back row of yoga class. Get up here! No one should ever make you feel like you don’t belong at the gym but for way too many plus-size women that feeling is all too common. If you’ve joined and quit more gym memberships than you can count — either from a toxic gym culture of ripped-bods-only or not feeling confident using the equipment — it’s time to flip the script on gym anxiety.

Over on Team Front Close we have the curvy girls who swear by the convenience, comfort and versatility of their fave front-closure bras. On team Back Close, we have all the full-figured ladies who have sworn off any sort of front-open bra, worried about wardrobe malfunctions from clasps not up to the job. Here’s what you need to know about both to bring your A-game no matter what team you’re on.

Alexandra Waldman and Polina Veksler — co-founders of the fashion-disrupting brand Universal Standard — aren’t just building a size-inclusive brand, they’re redefining normal for all women (and the industry). We chose these two crush-worthy female founders as our first (of many) Curvy Crush highlights not only for opening access for all sizes to chic, minimalist style but also for their continued work dismantling size barriers that have long separated women into plus or non-plus camps.

Any curvy girl who has worn the wrong bra size knows that breast pain and backaches are no joke. The solution seems simple: find the right bra size. Easy, right? If only. Most women are walking around in an uncomfortable bra because measuring bra size correctly is just as much of a pain as being in the wrong size to begin with. 

Have you ever counted all the pieces in-sum that make up the total of your bra? Not just the straps, cups and band — but the center panel and closures, wings and wires, seam placements and fabric choices. Every day, the bra makers in our in-house design and sewing studio obsess over every little detail on every single size. If there’s one thing the team behind Glamorise bras knows from our 100 years in the biz, it’s that no one-size-fits-all bra formula exists.

Show of hands: Who here has walked into a store and felt the sting of anxiety because your size was nowhere to be found. Hun, you’re not alone. For too many women, it’s an all too common experience. For plus-size fashion designer Ashley Nell Tipton, it was time to do something about it. You may know her from Project Runway fame as Season 14’s barrier-breaking winner. We know her as the mega talent behind the best bodysuits in curvy fashion ever.

How many days of the week do you come home ready to rip your bra off (and contemplate burning it) because you are just so DONE? Done with the digging in, the slipping off, the riding up. All of it.  Even one day is too many in our book because the simple truth is you don’t have to (and shouldn’t be) uncomfortable in your bra if you have the best fit for your body. 

We’re excited to welcome a very special guest to the Glamorise blog today with a powerful message on self-love. Morgan Louise is a professional model and body positivity advocate who talks the talk, walks the walk and nails every pose with curvy perfection. 

Innovating perfect-fitting, plus-size bras doesn't happen overnight. We've been at it for a hundred years. We believe women of all cup sizes deserve a bra that doesn't just fit well enough but fits to a T — or in our case, an A to a K — without digging, slipping, pulling, or poking.

More and more plus-size women are pushing the boundaries in sports (just take a look at ultra-runner Mirna Valerio for proof (and hella inspiration!). But is your plus-size sports bra keeping up? They’ve been been a wardrobe basic since Glamorise invented the first sports bra in 1975 to support women getting not just into the spirit of the Tennis craze but onto the court. Through the ever-evolving world of sports technology, Glamorise sports bras have been at the forefront of plus-size fitness innovation. Here’s how our sports bras are staying ahead of the competition (and helping you stay ahead of yours):

Another New Year, another endless scroll of weight-loss resolutions feeding the IG algorithm (and your feed, inevitably). Now, we’re all about setting goals to be healthier, but there’s one teeny-tiny problem with society’s singular obsession with shedding pounds every new year: it does more harm than good. Goals rooted in self-criticism perpetuate a cycle of shame and usually end in a spiral of perceived failure. 

Becoming body positive is about embracing your shape, curves, highs and lows and loving every bit of you, because you are you. From Instagram to Twitter to runways across the country and in the pages of mainstream magazines, powerful women who wear sizes 14 to 30+ are confidently showing off their curves.