Bras can be uncomfortable. Bras can be inconvenient. And sometimes bras just don’t work with what you’re wearing.
There’s so many issues with the traditional bra that dozens of startups have popped up trying to make the garment better, fashionable and most importantly, comfy.
But now a new Chicago startup has launched to address the bra issue—by allowing women to ditch it completely.
Fashion startup Frankly has set out to create clothing with built-in bras that offer support, coverage and comfort. Unlike a camisole shelf bra, Frankly says its clothing provides more support and can accommodate larger breast sizes. To help every customer find the right fit, Frankly offers a detailed sizing system that allows women to choose separate sizes for the garment and the bra portion.
“We wanted to create an option for women that allows them to have all the mental and physical security of wearing a bra without all of the discomfort and restrictions that came with wearing one,” said Heather Eaton, Frankly’s co-founder and CEO. “Our clothing does everything that a bra can do.”
Earlier this month, Frankly launched a Kickstarter campaign, and has since exceeded its $25,000 goal, raising more than $37,000 as of press time.
“We are using this crowdfunding campaign as an opportunity to test the market, make sure this concept resonated with women and that they wanted to spend money on this,” Eaton said. “And I think we’ve proven that by being funded in under five hours.”
Before founding Frankly, Eaton worked in consulting at Deloitte and in product strategy at Rothy’s, which makes shoes from recycled materials.
“My time at Rothy’s is really what influenced my love for the [fashion] industry and this knowledge that things could be done better and differently for fashion,” Eaton said.
Eaton and her co-founder Jane Dong founded the company earlier this year while MBA students at Stanford University. The two set out to help more women, particularly those with larger breasts, feel comfortable and secure going braless.
“How do we make the braless trend more inclusive for busty women?” Eaton asked.
Frankly offers three garments: a backless midi-dress, a low-back mini dress and a zig-zag strap body suit—all garments that would show a regular bra.
“The theory behind this first collection was thinking about what was difficult for women to wear with a standard bra,” Eaton said.
The garments retail from $95 to $178 and are manufactured in Los Angeles. Frankly’s clothing is made from stretch poly airflow, rayon spandex blend and stretch twill.
The clothing is only available through Frankly’s Kickstarter campaign right now but will be available for purchase directly from the company’s website next year, Eaton said. Frankly will eventually expand its line, and sell casual and lounge wear.
BL.TOPS, a retailer based in Washington, D.C., and Knix, a Toronto-based bra startup, both sell some garments with built-in bras. But Eaton said Frankly differentiates itself by exclusively offering built-in bra clothing. And because of the Covid-19 pandemic that's brought with it shutdowns, quarantines and remote work, more women may be looking for an option like Frankly that allows them to leave their bra-wearing days in the past.
Eaton named the company after a line in the 1939 film “Gone With the Wind,” which goes “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
“We took that because it embodies the ethos of the company, which is that women shouldn’t have to be frustrated by the bras that they wear and be constricted just to meet the demands of society,” Eaton said.
