I’m so excited to introduce the exclusive, limited edition Happy Twists Butterfly Bra. It’s a soft, unpadded, underwire bra with tie straps and hook-and-eye back closure.
Happy Twists Butterfly Bra
In addition to working with Love Nature in Italy on our exclusive distribution arrangement, we’ve also been working with Occidente in France. Occidente’s line is a bit more whimsical. They have fun, fresh lingerie more suited to special occasions rather than everyday basics.
We fell in love with the outline of this underwire bra with tie straps, and had them design one for us with the lovely butterfly fabric (GOTS certified, of course) from our favorite Forest Faery Dress. (And what better item to wear it with?)
The only downside is that it is a limited edition. So once they’re gone… well, you know.
In February we announced that Love Nature was rethinking their line and might discontinue production. Months later, with a lot of negotiation, I’m extremely excited to announce that FaeriesDance.com will be exclusively selling a limited selection of Love Nature favorites.
Our agreement spans 5 organic cotton bras and 4 panties. We’ll be getting the largest quantity of the all-time favorite Alba line including:
We specifically tried to focus on bras that had features unique to Love Nature. That’s why 4 of the 5 are their signature organic cotton padded bras with polyester-free, cotton padding. The Alba No Wire bra, our best-selling bra of all time, rounded out the fifth (shown left).
Love Nature is a subsidiary of the Italian lingerie brand Lormar. While Lormar has decided not to move forward with Love Nature, they still have access to the production facilities. The most difficult issue we faced was ensuring that Lormar could still source all of the incredible eco-fabrics that were used in the Love Nature line. So their production team had to check each style for availability of the fabrics, the cotton paddings and the trims. That, combined with the high quantities required to produce each style, forced us to stick with just a few designs.
For a small business like ours, the quantities are staggering. We’re literally getting thousands of bras and hundreds of panties. Even at our most ambitious growth predictions, we should have stock for the next 5 years. However, this agreement was a one-time only offer from Lormar. So we don’t expect to be able to restock again once these are gone.
That said, there are a couple of minor negatives.
We expect a small price increase due to the high Euro to Dollar rate at the moment and the cost of warehousing all this stock for an extended period.
No more cute, embroidered linen drawstring bags.
The upfront cost of this endeavor is delaying phase 3 of our in-house manufacturing project. This means we won’t be producing men’s underwear for a while longer. Good news, though – we’ve found an excellent alternative for the guys (but that’s a post for another day).
Sadly, the other 60+ Love Nature organic lingerie items – including all of those lovely PJs and nighties – are still discontinued. Don’t wait to get the one you’ve been coveting.
We hope you’ll appreciate our efforts. The most common complaint we hear is when a favorite staple – be it bras, underwear or socks – becomes unavailable. Of course, we also hope this will bolster our business for the next few years while we scour the planet for more eco-undies.
We expect these items to be available for sale by October, 2014.
Way back in August of last year I made the decision to have Faerie’s Dance start its own line of organic intimates and loungewear in order to keep consist stock of our highest turnover items. It took a couple of months to get an ambitious plan in place, but lack of experience and a little bad luck had us riddled with obstacles and delays. Finally, almost a year after the initial idea was formulated, we have our first 2 styles on sale. For me, it’s a momentous occasion.
These two designs are first for one simple reason – we were able to iron out the fit details and get them stylish and comfortable with just 2 rounds of prototyping. Some of the other styles have been more problematic. The two printed designs from the original plan are now in their fourth prototype sewing. But the point is to put out a style that will be comfortable and fun to wear. So producing something that doesn’t have exactly the right fit isn’t an option.
We’re also still learning some surprising lessons. For example, some of the colors “behave” differently than others in sewing. We’ve even found that stretched fabric (it’s stretched a little when it’s rolled into bolts) will “ease” after cutting and sewing. So you have to adjust the machine tension a little from the first couple of sewing days to the last. While most of these little details have now been worked out, you will find that there’s a 1/2″ size difference from some colors to others in the same size. And while that is apparently considered “normal” in sewing, we’re working with our producer to really hit a consistent size, stretch and tension every time so that you as a customer will know exactly what you’re getting. If you like these panties, we want you to be able to buy them again 3 years from now and get the exact same fit.
At this point, our original Phase 1 and Phase 2 plans have been combined. We’re currently in varying phases of production on 10 additional pieces including panties with covered elastic, a few sleeker styles, some lace panty versions, a cami with bra, leggings, and a bralette. Our goal is to put out 2 additional styles approximately every 6-8 weeks.
Once we round out this dozen, hopefully in early 2015, we’ll have professional model photos taken of the entire line. I apologize that it’s taken so long and am at the same time immensely grateful for all of you who’ve been watching this journey and stuck with us. We’re offering these first two styles for $1 off for a very short time as a Thank You. (Oh and quick hint: our 9 year anniversary is coming up soon, so watch for something extra special in the July newsletter.)
Our most frequently asked for item is an organic or natural fiber bra without underwire that has padding. We’ve had a few close designs, but that perfect bra has eluded us. So what exactly is the issue with getting this holy grail of bras?
We have been lucky thus far to carry the most eco-friendly padded bras in the world. Love Nature, (the Italian company that recently went on [possibly permanent] hiatus), has been making organic cotton padded bras with an interior cotton batt for the padding. Conventional bras use either polyester or nylon for the interior padding, both of which are petroleum-based fabrics. The biggest difference in performance is that polyester can be molded to keep its shape and can be made in a variety of thicknesses. The cotton batting is designed similar to a quilt and can only keep its shape under certain thicknesses (on the lighter side of padding) and with the help of the underwire to support it. Love Nature only made underwire padded bras because their eco-padding required the firmness of the underwire to essentially hold it in place.
The lesson is that you can have eco-padding and underwire or conventional padding and no wire. At this point, it doesn’t seem you can have both.
In 2011, Blue Canoe came out with their Adjustable Soft Bra and Soft Cup Bra. Both of these bras have removable nylon pads that sit in organic cotton “pockets” and don’t touch the skin. These are both pull-on style bras, and in truth, we didn’t think they would do that well. But Blue Canoe is a trusted brand, so we tried them out… and they are flying out the door. There are just so many women who want an organic no wire, padded bra that they’re finding conventional padding and no wire the better option.
That said, allow us to introduce two fantastic no wire, padded bras with fully adjustable straps and 3-position back closures. At the top of this page, you’ll see the Body No Wire Padded Bra and here to the right is the Calais Lace No Wire Padded Bra. Both are made from a unique eco-fabric of white pine tree trimmings and dyed with OEKO-TEX 100 certified dyes. They do unfortunately have polyester padding, though it does not touch the skin.
On a side note, we’ve quietly had a no wire, padded bra with adjustable straps and 3-position back close all along. The Pine Tree Padded Bra has been around since 2009. However, the $80 price tag put it on a very slow sales track. Another issue with this particular bra is that the criss-cross straps in the back make it a bit awkward to put on. It has to first be pulled on over the head before you can secure the back hooks.
The Pine Tree Padded Bra was originally made end-to-end in France. As the company grew, they realized that despite having an awesome fabric their pricing was holding them back. A few years ago they re-branded as Do You Green and started having the garments sewn in Tunisia while keeping their unique fabric production local to where the pine tree trimmings are collected in France.
We took a look at them then, but were holding out hope that they would get a Fair Trade certification. We’ve just touched based again, and are happy to report they’ve gone one step further. Do You Green now has a dedicated factory in Tunisia that allows them to set their own high standards for employees, working conditions and the quality of their garments. It also allows them to offer their unique Pine Tree fabric garments at much more reasonable prices.
Getting back on topic, we’re unaware of any company in the world who has developed an eco-padded, no wire bra. We’re still looking, though. And if you ever see one, please let us know.
In the back of my head, I’d wanted to start my own organic clothing “brand” for some time now. But it took repeated loss of some of our best selling items for me to finally take the plunge. I have to say, my initial trepidation was not wholly unfounded. Designing and manufacturing are a completely different animal than retailing. There has been so much to learn, including a whole new vocabulary that I was completely unfamiliar with. Not unexpectedly, spending nearly 3 months focused on learning something entirely new and thus not spending that time on marketing, press releases, creative newsletters, web updates and other normal business tasks has had its effect on sales.
However, my SO has likened the effort to that of a trebuchet being loaded. While I at first thought he was nuts, I loved his explanation of the slow crank of the trebuchet actually moving the (let’s call it) stone-of-progress away from the goal only to eventually slingshot it forward all in a massive rush. Being tickled by fantasy novels, Renaissance Faires and period movies, the trebuchet imagery makes me smile and keeps me turning that crank.
While it looks like my goal of having the first organic cotton panties for sale before the holidays is definitely not going to happen, we’re now far enough along that I can provide some details of what’s coming. Here’s what we’ve got so far…
There are still some vagaries in the schedule that could cause even more delays, but if all goes well, the initial launch of our new brand, Green Tree Organic Clothing, will be in early 2014. The roll-out of products will be in 3 phases spanning the entire year.
Phase 1: Five panty designs derived from previous best-sellers and a little inspiration, launching in January or February 2014
Phase 2: The addition of panties with lace trims, probably a thong style and possibly our first sports bra and/or cami – some time in Summer
Phase 3: Men’s underwear and whatever else on our list people have been asking for – maybe a simple unisex tee in more color options – hopefully in early Fall
Phases 2 and 3 are *very* vague still and could change. Phase 1 however, is really coming together. Here’s what to expect.
Classic Bikini Style
A Classic Bikini and a Hi Cut Brief in 5 colors (black, sweet pink, deep plum [bordeaux], white and undyed natural). Taking heed of feedback we’ve had on these styles, we’ve kept the same basic shape, but are using a slightly heavier fabric that will not only make these softer, but should also make them last longer. I’ve heard and experienced that the versions we currently carry get threadbare faster than some of the other styles. The new fabric has more cotton per square inch, and while it’s a tad more expensive, it should alleviate that issue. We’ve kept the same fold-over elastic styling that does touch the skin, but are using a latex-free version making them accessible to more customers.
Hi Cut Brief Style
For those with more acute sensitivities, we’ll have a Hipster style with completely covered elastic in black and undyed natural and have changed the design to include flat seam stitching for more comfort.
Hipster Panty Style
The last 2 are really fun styles and my personal favorites. We’re recreating the printed Eat Organic bikini from years ago and also adding a new printed style called Hearts A Flutter, which will be fun all year round and make a particularly awesome Valentine’s gift. The body is a bikini/hipster hybrid similar to Echo Verde’s panty styling.
Printed Panty Pattern
I wanted to do the whole process right here in Oregon to keep it local and have more control over the quality. I mostly succeeded. The designs and pattern making were done in Portland. Tags are being produced in Portland as well. The cutting and sewing are being done about an hour away in Stanton, Oregon by a family-run shop that’s been in business for more than 20 years. Both the Pattern maker and cut and sew house are very small, home-based businesses just like Faerie’s Dance. I had to outsource the elastics and after a ridiculous amount of research and time, decided to have our organic cotton fabrics custom made in India.
While I had hoped to find a US-based fabric manufacturer, I found that the minimum orders for each color were substantially higher in the USA. More importantly, even though they were knitting here, all of the certified organic cotton was coming from Turkey or India anyway. (The USA does not grow enough organic cotton to meet its own usage.) By having it knit at the source I was able to get original documentation of the GOTS certification, work directly with a family-owned fabric maker who also does herbal dyeing (a good resource for future projects), and have the fabric made at a reduced price with substantially lower minimum quantities. In the USA, only 2 colors would have been feasible on the same upfront investment.
So that’s where we are so far. I hope some of you find this useful. I’ve heard a lot of suggestions already for Phases 2 and 3, but please keep them coming. The point is to design and manufacture what you are looking for, so please let us know.
In the last few years, we have continued to lose best-selling panty styles. First the cheeky Eat Organic bikini creators moved on to other ventures. Then the whole line of PantyBoo bamboo underwear was discontinued. Perfectly Imperfect, with their adorable lace-trimmed organic cotton panties and cross-your-heart thongs, went out of business. Ecoland got mired in manufacturing issues and has not re-made their very popular hipster 2-pack in over a year. The Love Nature Alba Bikini gave way to the more expensive ribbed version. And finally, we’ve just lost our bgreen account.
After we’d been a wholesale client with bgreen for about 4 years, they decided to start selling retail. Sadly, a few years on and they’ve now decided they can earn more money and better control pricing along with how their brand is portrayed by ONLY selling retail. And alas, we can no longer restock any of their products including our #1 bestselling item in the entire store for the last 3 years running – the organic cotton Classic Bikini.
As a quick side note, I have a lot of respect for bgreen. They’re a vertically-integrated, eco-manufacturer working entirely in the USA and that’s really commendable. However, one of the reasons they have a solid brand that they are concerned about maintaining a good reputation for, is that small businesses like mine have been selling and promoting their products and brand for many years. So being cut out as it were, is very disheartening.
Over the course of the last 7 years, we’ve brought in a whopping 105 different styles of women’s panties. 37 are already permanently gone and 27 of the ones we’re still offering cannot be restocked. And while my Things To Do List is already quite full, I’ve decided to make designing and launching our own organic panty line a priority. I’m looking into branding it with a different name, (because I don’t think when we get to men’s underwear many of them will want to wear boxers labeled “Faerie’s Dance”… 🙂 and am hoping to launch the first couple of styles before the holidays if everything goes smoothly.
It will likely take more than a little while to bring in all the styles, fabrics and designs I’ve got in mind. But the patterns and specs for the first two panties are complete and fabric samples are now rolling in. Thank you all for your continued patronage. I hope you’ll love the new panties and look forward to getting started on this new venture.
Discerning the true history of the bra has taken longer than expected as there is quite a bit of conflicting information on who wore bra-like instruments, starting when, and how they evolved into today’s modern bra. One of the interesting facts that I was able to uncover is that there is no evidence that women in the 1960s ever actually burned bras in protest. It appears to be a myth, but I’ll get to that in order.
It is widely believed that Minoan Civilization living on the island of Crete from roughly 2700 BC – 1500 BC were the first to wear breast-enhancing garments. Note that these weren’t actually bras as the breasts were generally left uncovered as depicted in this Minoan snake goddess image on the left. However, the garment lifted the breasts giving them both form and support.
In both Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, women’s breasts went mostly uncovered. The ancient Greeks did have a type of bustier called an apodesme which consisted of thin wool or linen ribbons. Some sources say it tied under the bust for support while leaving the breasts bare, while others claim it tied around the bust but was only used for sport to provide support.
By 300 AD, the Roman Empire was using a type of bikini for breast support in sports. The “bikini girls” mosaic found in the Villa Romana Del Casale in Sicily depicts women in garments that look very much like modern day bikinis engaged in everything from weight lifting to discus throwing and ball games.
Sources on Roman women’s clothing also mention the Fascia, a bra-type garment that was tightly tied around a woman’s breasts. Some authors state the garment was actually used on younger women specifically to restrict breast growth, but I was unable to find corroborating evidence in historical references. In the 13th and 14th centuries, breasts were being de-emphasized as much as possible. The first corset-like garments had come on the scene, but were meant to flatten and minimize the breasts. An edict of Strasbourg dated 1370 states “no woman will support the bust by the disposition of a blouse or by tightened dress.”
The Renaissance Era brought about a breast enhancement revival with the development of the corset, which cinched the waist and pushed the breasts up to increase the cleavage. Corsets were made with flexible material such as leather or cloth and then stiffened with boning. The boning could be made from whale bones, reeds, wood, steel or even ivory. Modern corsets are still made for Renaissance Faires today and usually have plastic boning.
World War I marked the end of the corset era. Women started working in factories for the first time, and corsets could be cumbersome and dangerous. Both the US and Britain discouraged women from buying corsets with steel boning, as the metal was needed for the war effort. Several reports claim that in 1917 the corset boycott saved 28,000 tons of steel – enough for 2 battleships.
The first American brassiere patent was issued in 1914 to Mary Phelps Jacob, who had sewn together two silk handkerchiefs with some ribbon to create something she could wear with her evening gowns that was more comfortable and would not show.
It was labeled the Backless Brassiere. There is an earlier patent from 1859 on a prototype bra made by Henry Lesher of New York. However, his invention had inflatable pads and was actually designed to help women who had uneven breasts look more symmetrically round. It was also designed to soak up perspiration. So it wasn’t a support or enhancement garment per se.
During the 1920’s women were wearing bandeau-style bras that held the breasts in and down causing the boyish silhouette associated with the Flappers. However, Ida Kaganovich, founder of Maidenform, felt this flattened look was going against nature. She is credited as the designer of today’s modern bra, including the modern sizing method broken into band and cup measurements that are still used today.
In 1928 Ida’s Maiden Form dress shop sold 500,000 bras that were designed to separate and support the breasts. Within a decade, Maiden Form bras were sold in department stores worldwide. Up until 1997, the Maidenform brand remained a family own business. They had an IPO in 2005, but were subsequently bought out by Hanes brands. Unfortunately, Maidenform doesn’t currently make any organic cotton or sustainable bras.
There is a charming report from 1942, during the second World War, in the diaries of Hermione Llewellyn whereby Hermione claimed in front of the Duke of Gloucester that the war-induced rubber shortage would be worse for woman than men because rubber was so widely used in women’s undergarments. A month and half later, she received a package from the Duke. According to her diary, “A magnificent parcel, covered in tape and seals, arrived for me from India. Inside were two pairs of old-fashioned corsets with bones and laces. They were sent by HRH The Duke of Gloucester. Nick and I had an argument as to how one should thank one of the Royal Family for a present of corsets. Whichever way we put it looked disrespectful. Finally, we sent a telegram saying: ‘Reinforcements received. Positions now held. Most grateful thanks.’” (Thanks to Grace from Newport who sent me this lovely story.)
In 1947, Frederick Mellinger of Hollywood invented the first push-up bra dubbed The Rising Star. By 1964, Louise Poirier of Canada had develop a deeply plunged, laced push-up bra dubbed the Wonderbra Model 1300 that largely resembles current designs.
There is some belief that bra sales and development stalled in the 1960s and 1970s due to the bra-burning protests of the feminist era. However, according to Snopes.com, there is no evidence of actual bra burnings. In 1968 feminists protested the Miss America Pageant by throwing items of their oppression into a “freedom trash can.” Among these items of oppression were girdles, high-heeled shoes, some bras, copies of Playboy magazine, and hair curlers. However, the items were thrown out, not burned.
In 1977 Hinda Miller and Lisa Lindahl created the first sports bra by sewing 2 jock straps together and calling it a Jogbra. In the1990’s two profound influences on bras emerged. Madonna wore her cone bras out in public, and is credited with changing the public perception of undergarments. More importantly, several manufacturers, including Blue Canoe, started making bras and underwear out of organically grown cotton without modern chemical finishing agents.
Today our bra options are nearly endless and happily, more and more manufacturers are getting on board with producing sustainable bras. The padded, push-up bra of the late twentieth century is now available made from breathable and soft organic cotton with low impact dyes.
Want to know more about the bras history? If you’ve got $28.95 burning a hole in your pocket (and you’ve already purchased all of the organic bras you need from FaeriesDance.com), you might consider the comprehensive history book, Bra: Webster’s Timeline History, 789 – 2007. At 194 pages long, you should get a bit more detail.
I was planning to start off the formal series with the history of the bra (which dates back more than 4000 years!). But in my research, I came across such a wide array of bizarre information that didn’t really fit anywhere in the series that I decided to start with a list of fun facts.
Approximately $16 billion dollars are spent annually on bra purchases worldwide. That’s $16,000,000,000.
The average woman in America owns 9 bras.
On October 27, 1999, two women were reportedly killed when lightning struck the underwire in their bras. This wasn’t the first report of bras attracting lightning. In 1982, the Rome News-Tribune reported a similar incident, and there are references to 1991 underwire strike as well.
According to National Geographic, women’s breasts average from 10 ounces to 20 lbs.
Annie Hawkins-Stone holds the Guinness Record for having the largest natural (no implants) breasts at size 102ZZZ and weighing in at approximately 56 lbs.
The worlds longest bra chain comes in at 166,625 bras. This may seem like a trivial record, but several organizations around the world, including GirlGuiding NZ are using their attempt to break the longest bra chain record as a way to raise funds for breast cancer awareness.
Despite rumors that wearing an underwire bra can cause breast cancer, scientists, including the director of medical content for the American Cancer Society, say that’s simply not true.
Japan’s Triumph International lingerie company has some outrageous bra ideas and has come up with anti-smoking bras, heated bras to prevent colds, and bras that turn into shopping bags.
Check back next week to learn the long history of the bra.
Lately the vast majority of the customer questions we’re getting are about bras. What size bra should I get? Underwire or wireless? Padding versus No Padding? International sizing? Which styles have the most support? Which are latex-free? Which are best for my body shape? Etc., etc.
Our last give-a-way – for the allergen-free bras – got more entries than any other contest we’ve ever run. And of course, we all know how difficult it is to find clean, organic bras that are chemical free and sustainably produced.
So I’ve decided to offer up a series on bras, focusing on organic cotton and sustainable bras, of course. Over the next month or so, I’ll be providing everything (that I can think of) you’ve ever wanted to know about bras. So here’s what I have in mind. Please leave a comment if there’s something else you want to know and I’ll make sure it gets in.
The History of the Bra: Where it came from and how it has evolved.
Bra Sizing: How to determine what size you are and the conversion to international sizing.
Top Bra Styles by Body Type: Which bra “features” flatter your body.
For today, let’s start off with my story. So, how did FaeriesDance.com get to have (what I’m pretty sure is) the largest selection of eco-lingerie in the country? The story goes like this…
Before I became environmentally conscious about everything, bra shopping was my secret salve. Whenever I’d get depressed about something or needed a quick pick-me-up, it was off to the mall for the perfect bra. Underwire, push-up, plunge, padding, lace, it was all good. My lingerie drawer was better stocked than some restaurant kitchens. And it never failed me. As long I could find a good bra, life went beyond just bearable to fabulous, even if only temporarily.
You see there’s something luscious about wearing stunning lingerie – even boyfriendless – because lingerie is your own little secret. Work can be overwhelming, the house can be a mess, you can argue with your family, but underneath your clothing, where no one else can see, you have… ARMOR. That’s right, beautiful, sexy, feminine, armor. The perfect, outrageous purple lace bra is as good as a bullet-proof vest when it comes to deflecting negativity. And if the day happens to be going well anyway, that quick trip the rest room and peek at your hot pink panties will bring an extra smile to your face every time. I like colors. Oh sure, I’ve got white and nude for those days with a crisp white collared shirt, but any big sweater was always hiding something bright and cheerful.
But then I started learning. I learned about the pesticides used in crops and what it does to the water, soil and wildlife in the area. I learned about chemical finishing agents and what they do to the workers who handle them, the towns that have to deal with the toxic wastes and even the impacts on our own bodies as we wear them. I learned about sweatshop labor, about appalling working conditions, subsistent wages and 6 year olds working 12-hour days. I saw our culture being controlled by energy needs, and oil, and terrorists. And suddenly, I couldn’t go bra shopping anymore and chinks developed in my armor.
So what’s a girl to do faced with the destruction of our planet, our home and our way of life? Well in my case, I opened my own eco-boutique specializing in organic bras. Now, not only am I my own best customer, but with my armor restored, I want to help all those other women who need better, more luscious, sexier, prettier under armor without all the bad stuff.
Formaldehyde has been classified as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So it might surprise you to find out that there’s probably formaldehyde in your underwear, albeit at very low levels.
Formaldehyde has been used for years on a variety of clothing as a finishing agent. It contributes to the stain-free, wrinkle-free and static-free properties of a garment. The low levels of the chemical used in clothing have historically been considered safe.
However, last year Victoria’s Secret got hit with a lawsuit after one woman started developing welts and rashes after wearing one of their bras. The lawsuit snowballed and there is now a class action suit against Victoria’s Secret. I’m not sure that this is really a “fair” lawsuit, since you’d very likely find the same chemicals in bras purchased from the mall or any *mart store. Additionally, some people are very sensitive to certain chemicals, while others may wear the same garment for years without issue.
All that being said, even if formaldehyde is harmless at low levels and can be removed with a few good washings, do you really want it in your underwear? You may not be chemically sensitive, but… yuck! Let’s not get all gloomy now, though. FaeriesDance.com quite happily offers more than 4 dozen panty options and 100+ bras all sans formaldehyde. Now that’s something to dance about.
