From Silicon Valley to Bra Revolution: How Evelyn & Bobbie Is Rethinking Comfort
Evelyn & Bobbie's founder, Bree McKeen, is shaking up the $60 billion bra industry with her fresh designs. Learn how she traded VC for patents and changed the game.
Why has one of the oldest fashion staples, the bra, remained largely unchanged for nearly a century? It's a question many have ignored until Bree McKeen decided to take it on.
The Facts: A Stagnant Market
In 1931, Helene Pons patented an underwire bra design that's been a mainstay for decades. Fast forward to 2023, and the global bra market is projected to hit nearly $60 billion by 2032. Yet, the discomfort of underwire bras remains a common complaint among millions of women. Enter Bree McKeen. Fed up with the headaches and shoulder pain after her VC workdays, she sought a better solution. Her focus? Replace the infamous underwire design.
New Design, Old Problem
McKeen's journey took her from Silicon Valley to Portland. She left a lucrative VC career to dive into an industry she had no experience in. Her background in medical anthropology, coupled with an MBA from Stanford, gave her a unique edge. McKeen identified a neuromuscular feedback loop, the body's instinctive reaction to pain, as a key issue with current bra designs. It was her Eureka moment: bras needed a redesign.
Forget fashion experience. She went straight to patents. Within a year, Evelyn & Bobbie secured a utility patent for its EB Core technology. This tech mimics the support of underwires without discomfort, an innovation backed by 16 international patents.
Industry Insiders Weigh In
Traders are watching Evelyn & Bobbie closely. The brand is now Nordstrom's fastest-growing. But why the buzz in such a crowded market? The average bra size in the U.S. is 34F, a fact often ignored by brands still designing around smaller sizes. McKeen's approach is revolutionary. With 270 fit models across seven sizes, she's addressing a massive gap.
"Most companies scale from a single sample," she said. "It's why larger sizes never fit right." She's not just selling bras. She's selling a new standard for comfort.
What’s Next for Evelyn & Bobbie?
So, what's the next chapter in this unfolding story? Evelyn & Bobbie has big plans, including a new sports bra line. And McKeen is already collaborating with Dr. Nina Naidu, a plastic surgeon, to ensure post-op patients have the best support. The brand isn’t just about comfort. it’s about redefining what luxury means in lingerie. At $98 a pop, these bras aren’t cheap. But ask yourself: what's avoiding chronic pain worth?
Real talk: comfort is the new luxury. As McKeen puts it, "We spend money on yoga pants to feel great. Why not bras?" She sees a future where premium bras are the norm. After all, if comfort can become a selling point in a saturated market, who knows what’s next?