The UpBra is almost ready! Today we are beginning the first group testing with the final design of the UpBra. Following this test trial, we will be contacting those who were interested in being part of the second trial test for the UpBra. Production samples will start at the end of October and the UpBra will be available to purchase in the beginning of 2011.

We all expeted this bra to lift and enhance cleavage. But we never expected it would turn out working so well and looking so pretty. It’s better than anything I’ve seen on the market.

The factory where the UpBra is being manufactured is in a beautiful scenic area, about 30 minutes from the US/Canada border. Inside is a warm, family atmosphere. Some of the crew have been working on bras for 25 years, and the newest team members come with 10 years of bra experience! Everyone there has been hand picked and you can see that they all truly enjoy what they’re doing.

Did you know the UpBra has been six years in the making? Everyone has had a chance to give their best ideas into the design of the bra and so far it has been 6 long, painstaking years creating this fabulous piece of lingerie. Our design team has been working with models, moms, women of all shapes and sizes in order to give us the look we crave. The design team has interviewed women to hear our likes and dislikes, our wishlists, how we’d like to see ourselves.

We’d love to hear from you and welcome your feedback as well as answer any questions you may have. Our first go-round will be sizes 32D, 34C and 36B.

Have an uplifting day!

1914-1918: The outbreak of World War I forces women into the workforce.  Many women begin working in factories and wearing uniforms, making the use of daily corset wear a problem.

1917: The US War Industries Board requests women to stop buying corsets to reduce the consumption of metal.  Sources say up to 28,000 tons of metal was conserved through this effort - “enough to build two battleships”

1918: Corset-makers began making bras designed to flatten rather than enhance the breasts.

YIKES!!

1913:The first modern bra to be patented was a silk hanky and pink ribbon affair created by New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob.  Mary had bought a sheer evening dress to wear to an event, and at the time, the only undergarment available to her was a corset made with whaleback bones.  Mary found that the bones showed through  the sheer fabric and created her DIY alternative!

1914:After a year of sharing her creation with friends, Mary Phelps Jacob applies for a patent (under the business name” Caresse Crosby”) on November 3 for her “Backless Brassiere” design.  Mary’s “brassiere” was very lightweight, soft, and separated the breasts naturally.  Unlike Marie Tucek’s 1893 design, Jacob’s garment did not have cups to support the breasts, but flattened them instead. Jacob markets the “Backless Brassiere” garment until she tires of the business and sells the patent to Warner Brothers Corset Company in Bridgeport, CT, for $1500.  Warner’s reportedly made over $15 million over the next 30 years from the patent.

I’d say Warner’s made a sound investment, no?  And some improvements along the way.  Flattened breasts will be the rave through the 20’s or so…certainly not anymore.  And certainly not with the UpBra!

1907 : The ever-hip Vogue mazazine first uses the term “brassiere” in its haloed pages.  The term comes from the old French word for ‘upper arm’.  Prior to this, bra-like devices were know by the French term “soutien-gorge”, which means “throat support” or “breast support”.

1912: The term “brassiere” first appears in the Oxford English Dictionary.  The garment maker Otto Titzling is said to have developed a bra for buxom singer Swanhilda Olafson.  Swanhilda lived in the same New York boarding house as Otto, and needed a supporting garment.  She was the inspiration for Otto’s breakthrough design, but Otto neglected to patent his creating, and therefore lost his chance to be the inventor of the bra!!

The bra has enjoyed a colorful history.  They were allegedly invented by an American named Otto Totzling (wrong!) and burned by feminists in the 1960’s.

The “over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder” is a necessary evil in many women’s lives…but who do we have to blame for this often uncomfortable, but ever-so-sexy piece of clothing?

2500 BC Women on the island of Crete begin using bra-like garments to lift their bare breasts out of their clothing.

450BC-285AD Roman and Greek women preferred to play down their chests, using a band strapped around their breasts to reduce their bust size.

It’s not the size of your set that determines your cleavage; breast shape and their position on your torso also count.  “Two women can have the same cup size, but one woman’s breasts might be fuller in the middle, giving her greater cleavage”, says Dr. Casas.  Another woman might be only an A or B, but if her boobs are naturally close together, she’ll have deeper decolletage.  The width of your torso also affects your depth. If your body is narrow below your shoulders, you’ll have an easier time creating a deeper valley between your peaks!

So where am I going with this?  The UpBra, of course. Regardless of your shape, the UpBra will enhance your cleavage, naturally - it’s all you.  Coming this fall…

The area above and between your breasts is loaded with oil glands, leaving it especially prone to blackheads and pimples.  Also, the larger your set, the more sweat collects, creating an ideal environment for the bacteria that cause blemishes.  Keep pores perspiration-free by using an absorbent powder under and between your breasts to keep skin dry.  Also, clean your T zone daily and after a workout with antibacterial wipes and apply a toner with a mild salicylic acid.  And of course, never sit around in a sweaty sports bra - it’ll trap moisture and cause breakouts.

After a workout, change into your UpBra!  Aside from great looks, you’ll remain cool and dry.  The UpBra is made from a special microfiber that promotes dryness, and the construction of the UpBra is made in such a way as to promote air flow. Look good, feel good.

I just came back from the factory where the UpBra will be manufactured.  I have to tell you, I have never seen so much precision and detail go into any piece of clothing, let alone a bra.  I was able to road-test the UpBra, and was even happier than the last time we had a prototype to test.  I’m a 36B, and not one to wear underwire, much less a bra as complicated and enhancing as this.  I knew how comfortable it was and how well it worked, but this time around we’ve made it perfect!  By using the slider on the strap, I was able to lift my breasts to new heights and create cleavage I’ve never seen (on me) before!  I wore it most of the day and all evening and never, ever felt the mechanism inside the cups.  I never got sweaty or sticky.  I did, however, got a few appreciative glances.  I think I’m going to like this new  adventure. 

UpBra lifts so well it doesn’t need pads.  It’s 100% you.  Ordinary bras squeeze you in or push you up over the top.  Only UpBra’s unique lifting action lifts UNDERNEATH and AROUND your breast.  so, instead of you having to fit the bra, the bra fits you.

 As Cosmopolitan.com points out, about four million breasts aren’t the real thing! About two million women in the US have breast implants, with 250,000 opting for this surgery each year. The average age of a woman who gets implants is 34, and 90% do it after they have kids. “Most women increase two cup sizes”, says Leroy Young, MD, chair of the breast surgery committee of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. No, they’re not always happy with the results: Six percent of women who sport a fake set return for a size adjustment or have them taken out altogether.
Well, you can just about guess what I’m about to tell you…Before taking that drastic measure, give the UpBra a shot.  You can lift a little or a lot, enhancing your look to create cleavage and perceived size.  The UpBra is a wonderful alternative to the permanence of surgery.  And while we haven’t priced it yet, I can promise you it will be less expensive than surgery, too!!  Did I mention comfortable?  Stay tuned, ladies…

Your twin peaks weigh less than you think.  The surge in the scale isn’t their fault.  An A-cup clocks in at only a quarter pound; a B-cup is about a half; a C-cup about three-quarters and a D-cup is around one pound.  Whatever they weigh, place them in the UpBra and you’ll love your look!