Two university graduates are bent on providing young girls with comfortable, non-sexual bras that could last through multiple stages of puberty.
The business is called Apricotton and with stretchy fabric, removable cup padding, and adjustable straps, it has been attracting customers from coast to coast, including moms from the Maritimes, according to its co-founder, Chloe Beaudoin, a recent graduate from Western University in London, Ont.
“We actually have quite a few customers from the Maritimes. And it's really exciting. For me personally, it's really exciting because I've never actually been to the Maritimes. And to see people from all across Canada buying from us, is extremely exciting,” said Beaudoin.
The business was officially launched in November 2020, shortly before the Christmas shopping season. Beaudoin said the company is almost 90 per cent sold out after Christmas and now they are in the process of reordering inventory.
Unlike lingerie brands that have multiple physical retail stores, Apricotton only sells online. According to its co-founder Jessica Miao, it's for a good reason.
“We decided to sell online because as a girl, this way, you can actually try on the bras in the comfort of your own home. You don't have to actually go to a change room,” said Miao.
She said puberty is a sensitive life stage for teenage girls and things can get awkward when it comes to bra shopping.
“For example, going to a lingerie store is highly sexualized. It’s just so uncomfortable. And getting measured by a sales associate is very uncomfortable,” Miao said.
Beaudoin said although they are aware of the lower costs of choosing a Chinese manufacturer, that’s not why Apricotton decided to collaborate with a supplier outside of Canada.
Consistency, according to Beaudoin, is the key reason.
“Price is probably the biggest thing that everyone knows about. But on top of that, a really big thing is consistency,” Beaudoin said.
“A lot of the time if you're sourcing fabric or pieces, it's all coming from the same place. So it's a lot faster in that way. And then also they have a lot more manpower; they have a lot more machines to get working, so the process goes a lot faster there,” she said.
Jessica Miao came to Canada when she was six months old. She is originally from Suzhou, China and is a native Mandarin speaker.
Miao said she was able to co-ordinate with the manufacturer in China in Mandarin on WeChat, the Chinese equivalent of Facebook.
Maio said the manufacturing process was only delayed in the beginning when the pandemic first started, and communication through WeChat has helped to smooth the process.
