by Michelle Broomes, Author at The Lingerie Journal
Feeling as if the industry had suddenly turned its back on smaller busted women, as the plus-sized industry appeared to flourish, Emily Lau found herself wearing bras that weren’t quite as perfect as she desired as they were not an ideal fit for her petite figure and bust. Emily decided to take matters into her own hands and sought expert help in developing her own perfect bra, a concept which she shared with other women who, like her, needed intimate apparel that made them feel sexy and feminine and not like pubescent girls. In 2007, Emily launched The Little Bra Company.
For the last 10 years The Little Bra Company has been specializing in hard-to-find smaller back bands and cup sizes, inclusive of 28 band width and A to C cup. These bras are cut on a bias in favour of the petite figure (which includes tall women with slender proportions) and bustline to provide a comfortable feel and fit, whilst naturally enhancing the look and form of the cleavage. Overall, Emily’s collections are created to boost both the petite woman’s bust and by extension, her self-confidence.
SS17 sees the brand flutter around a floral color theme that embraces the beauty and variation of nature that is often witnessed in the earth’s foliage.
“The collection is very romantic and fresh,” founder and designer Emily describes. “The colors are inspired by the flowers in my godmother’s garden, which we fondly refer to as the fairy garden and is where we shot the campaign.”
Little Bra Company Favorites Reimagined
Showing her skills for being both innovative and re-inventive, Emily’s SS17 collection is a case of new mood meets old charm as her catalogue of style consists of both introductory and beloved designs.
“For part of the collection, the theme was ‘In love again–Some of our favorites reimagined,’” Emily explains. “For example, we brought back a couple of our most popular styles, ‘Mercedes’ and ‘Ethel,’ in new pastel colors and in eyelash lace.”
Ethel, in particular, is quite a firm customer favorite known for its fuller fit and higher rise around the underarm, giving better coverage around the side of the bust. With its gentle scoop forward, Ethel results in amazing cleavage, placing the wearer’s curves in all the right places. Removable pads give the option of giving the bust a lot or a subtle push depending on her mood and need. This bra was a sure choice to return for the new season.
But it’s not all about padding at The Little Bra Company and Annika is proof of this. This style was first introduced last Autumn and offers a great shape without preformed cups. Even without pre-shaping it delivers all of the bust boosting potential offered by The Little Bra Company.
“Annika [is] super lightweight and comfortable,” Emily informs of the stretched lace style. “Annika has no padding or contouring. However, the bra will still lift, separate and boost your bustline for a natural-looking silhouette. I recommend wearing this under your favorite summer dress.”
Annika comes to us for SS17 in sensible neutrals of Black and Linen, providing a discreet foundation choice for lighter summer fabrics and colours.
SS17 Additions
Whilst she wants her favourites to be relished all over again, Emily is particularly keen on showing off the latest designs from her brand: Vanessa and Catherine.
Vanessa (pictured above) is the first bralette inspired style by The Little Bra Company and is built for support and comfort, without compromising on shaping and all without the wires.
“I’m particularly excited about the introduction of Vanessa,” designer Emily expresses. “I believe a comfortable bra doesn’t mean you have to give up style or shape. In response to the bralette trend, I designed a bra that has all the comfort of a bralette with just enough coverage to give the wearer a bit of form and cleavage without the underwire. The jacquard lace provides a peek-a-boo effect across the deep-plunge neckline, while maintaining a feminine smooth silhouette. I also love the wide-stripe elastic underband that creates a stylish long line look.”
Vanessa comes in four captivating but very wearable colours: Blue mist, Primrose, Wisteria and Mint.
And Emily offers some sage style advice for wearing Vanessa: “Wear this new wire-free, lace bralette-like bra every day under your favorite tank top or t-shirt – a great addition to your bra wardrobe especially in warmer weather. This bra has a camisole-like silhouette for the perfect smoothing effect.”
Also new to the scene for SS17 is Catherine – a reconditioning of the preceding Erin design.
“Add unbelievable va-va-voom to your petite frame and outfit [with Catherine],” designer Emily suggests. “This bra will give you the uplift and cleavage you will want to show off in your lower neckline dresses and tops.”
Catherine comes in two desirable versions – the lace overlay, and a personal favourite of Emily’s, the smooth satin design.
“Besides being pretty with accents of eyelash lace, I love the versatility of this bra,” she explains regarding smooth Catherine. “The smooth satin cups have a luxurious look and feel, while still being seamless. Catherine also has the optional removable pads inside the cups so I can decide when I want a lot or just a little help with my “friends.” The bra also has convertible straps so I can wear it like a halter or racerback bra.”
Catherine in lace captivates in Blue Mist/Primrose and Mint/Wisteria whilst the smoothing style comes as Mint/Wisteria and Wisteria/Linen.
Overall Emily’s SS17 collection is an enchanting and delightfully feminine line-up with enough style and form to celebrate the petite bust and feedback about the collection has been encouraging so far according to the designer.
“The buyers who have seen this collection love the colors because they are soft and feminine but neutral enough to wear under almost anything,” Emily elaborates. “They also love the addition of two styles that offer less to no padding. We’ve always been known for our push-up bras, but we understand that there are some occasions when our petite customers don’t want or need the extra padding or contouring. Now, we have more options for them!”
And speaking of padding, for those who are not familiar with the padding grading at The Little Bra Company, bras are graded from zero to five depending on the density of the cup which in turn affects the push of the breasts.
“Our padding scale ranges from 0-5, with 0 being unlined and 5 adding the most volume and cleavage,” Emily explains. “Each level of padding gives the wearer a graduated lift providing the perfect natural contour. In our SS17 collection, we have introduced our first bralette-like bra Vanessa which is a level one on our padding scale. We’ve also brought back “Annika” which is an unlined balconette bra (padding scale 0) in neutral colors. We have really expanded our collection to offer a variety of padding options to meet every one’s preference.”
But no matter what her choice of bra Emily and her team have one mission for the woman who choses her bras from The Little Bra Company – to feel that her intimate apparel needs are being met adequately.
“As with our entire line we want the wearer to feel confident, feminine and look good in our lingerie” says founder and designer Emily Lau. “We understand that bra shopping, especially for specialty sizes can be a bit of a struggle. We want our customers to know that we understand their wants and needs and with each season we plan to offer our customer more options.
Having raised her brand from a small enterprise in the confines of her bedroom and now with 10 years in the industry under her belt, Emily has a lot to celebrate and SS17 is the perfect platform on which to do so.
For those who want to get a close up of The Little Bra Company’s SS17 collection at the trades, the brand will be exhibiting at Curve New York at the end of February. Brand fans can also look forward to a special celebratory photo campaign to mark the brand’s 10th year in the industry and as a tribute to those who helped The Little Bra Company to reach such a poignant milestone.
The SS17 collection will debut starting February 17, 2017 for the brand’s online and wholesale customers.
