Inspired By Lifelong Bra Pain, She Founded A Company That Makes Ergonomically Efficient Wire-Free Bras

It is said that the bra industry is worth an estimated $27.8 billion and that amount is expected to increase to $46.5 billion by 2031. Yet when it comes to wearing bras, according to one study, 68% of women report that their bra makes them uncomfortable.

Bree McKeen was one of those women and it really took its toll on her life. Working as a partner at a boutique venture capital firm, she ended every workday in pain. “I wanted to rest my boobs on my desk and couldn't wait to tear my bra off when I walked through the door,” says McKeen who is a 34DDD.

She not only didn’t get the support that she needed in her bra, she experienced the strong pinching sensation of her underwire digging into her ribs. And she was so weighted down she developed poor posture and worried how that might impact her presence in business meetings. “I needed to stand tall and carry myself with power, says McKeen.

Ultimately she saw a physiologist and learned about the concept of a neuromuscular feedback loop. As the doctor explained when you get a pebble in your shoe, your foot automatically curls around the pain. In the same vein when your bra hurts when you stand up straight, your body will automatically slouch to compensate. The doctor advised that McKeen immediately buy a bra that felt great when she stood upright.

At that moment, McKeen had an epiphany of sorts. “I knew that bra didn't exist, because I had been looking for it for a decade,” says McKeen. “If my bra was at the root of unhealthy posture, how many millions of other women were having this experience?”

From there McKeen began an informal poll asking other women if they were happy with their bras. “Every woman I spoke to told a tale of daily disappointment, or worse,” says McKeen.“One woman even pulled up her shirt to show me scars that had developed where her underwire bras continuously rubbed her raw.”

Here was McKeen working in early stage investing, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Terms like “machine learning,” “VR” and “AI” were keywords in their lexicon. “How could it be that we could create all these future-forward technologies, but I was still wearing a 3-cent piece of steel around each breast,” says McKeen.

According to her research not much had changed in terms of product innovation and design since the first underwire bra was introduced in the 1930s. “Modern bras follow the same overall formula, hidden behind fun colors and designs,” she says. “Someone had to do better than this crude piece of wire invented in the 1930’s.”

When she decided to go out on her own and devote her life to building ergonomically efficient bras McKeen knew how many startups failed, especially consumer products. She consulted with a friend from her days at Stanford Graduate School of Business who worked for some successful women's fashion companies.

“I asked could he please tell me not to throw my career away,” says McKeen. “Of course, he told me that I definitely should do it.” McKeen remembers him saying something along the lines of, "if this industry hasn't been disrupted in 85 years, this is a huge opportunity for someone who simply makes a better bra." Now he is her CFO and COO. “We like to remember that day and laugh,” says McKeen of that initial meeting.

Once she went all-in McKeen moved to Portland, home to Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and many other apparel tech companies. “My plan was to tap talent from that ecosystem, and that has paid off,” says Mckeen. “We share almost our entire supply chain with those technical apparel giants. This product would not have been possible with old-school garment design.”

In 2019, after studying anatomy and physiology and meeting with a breast surgeon at Sloan Kettering, McKeen created Evelyn & Bobbie’s first Defy bra. Although wireless, the bra lifts like an underwire. “Many wire-free bras look roughly the same. But I assure you, they are not all created equally,” says McKeen of the bra that sold out within a few months of launching “Nearly every comfort bra on the market today lacks support and shape, because they simply remove the structure or the underwire.”

Focused on engineering, the bras contain their patented EB Core which has specialized technology to lift and separate. “The 3D laminated sling replaces the metal underwire and goes further to create a seamless, invisible exoskeleton throughout the garment,” says McKeen who adds that the bras can support 20 pounds or more of breast tissue.

Another key ingredient to their bras is that they have simplified sizing. “So many women don't know their size because the alphanumeric sizing system is another ineffective relic from the 1930s,” says McKeen. She points out that Evelyn & Bobbie bras are designed to fit over 100 conventional bra sizes in sizes XS to 3XL. “Consider that for many big bra brands, the largest bra they sell is only the median of American bodies, which is around 38DDD.”

Since launching in 2019, Evelyn & Bobbie has introduced additional bra styles along with camisoles and underwear. McKeen is emboldened by the letters and emails from customers, including women who have faced breast cancer or have experienced bra pain their entire lives. “They are just getting their first truly comfortable bra in their sixties or seventies,” she says.

McKeen also remains indebted to her two matriarchs who inspired her company’s name. Evelyn, her outspoken maternal grandmother, was passionate about art and design. Her Aunt Bobbie was a talented seamstress and entrepreneur.

“My Aunt Bobbie taught me to sew at an early age. When I was 10 years old, she enrolled me and my sister in a sewing class alongside mostly seasoned seamstresses. We learned how to use interfacing and hidden zippers, things that most kids don’t attempt,” says McKeen. “These were two real women who came before me, who helped make my life and opportunities possible.”