Heidi Zak, an MIT MBA grad, is on the way to revolutionizing the bra industry. She and her husband, Dave Spector, founded ThirdLove, a new online bra company.
Inc. reported that Zak and her husband initially asked women to go to a loft in downtown San Francisco to have a photo of their breasts taken. "Women literally emailed to ask, 'Is this safe?'" Zak said.
The participants ranged from women 17 to 70 years old, with cup sizes from AA to F. The experiment was done in hopes of refining ThirdLove's virtual bra shopping app.
However, something changed along the way as Zak realized that the design of the bras were actually the problem. "It turns out, 37 percent of all women fall between cup sizes," she said. "That helped explain why my bras never fit."
Apparently, the bra industry has been based on a single woman: 1970s cabaret singer Dorothy Galligan. She was deemed as the perfect 34B and companies would use that as reference when determining sizes.
This has gained the support of investors like Laurie Ann Goldman, the former CEO of Spanx. "I get pitched so many ideas that it's rare for me to even pick up the phone to follow up," Goldman said. "But after I spoke to Heidi, I got on a plane."
In ThirdLove's official website, the company revealed that they are committed to designing bras with their customers in mind. They have developed half-cup sizes that are based on the measurements of real women.
"Every aspect of the ThirdLove bra has been reinvented to maximize fit and comfort, as we believe the best bra is one you never think about," the company wrote. "We are so confident in our innovative design that we offer every woman the option to try our bras - for free - before buying."
"The bra industry is dominated by a single company that has been pushing an antiquated male idea of what sexy is. Instead, we believe the world is ready for a modern woman's idea of sexy."
