Meet Carrie, Founder & CEO
I often get asked why I started a bra company. When I was a freshman in college, I, like so many others, felt crushed by the weight of expectations for what it meant to be the “perfect woman.” By the time I was in by 20s, I didn’t like what I saw reflecting back at me. All I saw were all the ways I didn’t measure up to the media’s standards for women.
One day I visited my best friend, who was a bra fitter. She fit me, and for the first time, I felt the power of a well-fit bra! With a bra that finally fit me, I felt more confident, and this alone helped change the way I felt about myself. This experience is ultimately why I started Essential Bodywear in 2003.
I wasn’t prepared for the effect that fitting women would have on me. For the first time in my life, I got to see the variety of bodies that women come in, and the majority did not look what the media tried to convince me all women looked like. I saw the beauty in all of these women and wondered why it was so hard to see it in myself. In the same way I had, nearly all of them picked themselves apart as I fit them. It was heartbreaking, and I knew I wanted to do everything I could to help change this widespread attitude.
It was time for a change
Today our Fit Stylists are as diverse as our customers, and we take so much pride in that! Everyday we’re helping women find the right fit. I knew we needed to honor these women and use our platform to take a more prominent position in the fight for inclusion, representation and body positive for ALL women. We needed to walk to walk.
We’ve made a commitment to include women that more accurately reflect who we serve in our marketing. We have stopped searching for media-defined “ideal” bodies and started searching for change-makers.
Brave women applied our bras and underwear, be photographed, and help us in our mission. The energy at our photoshoots is now powerful, inspiring, and life-changing! And perhaps, most importantly, no photoshopping! We don’t manipulate anyone’s body in our photo editing. No scar removal, no thinning, no plumping, and no wrinkles or stretch markers will be erased here.
This has even inspired me to get in on the fun too! I’ve joined in lingerie photoshoots with our Fit Stylists, and I no longer hide in my bathing suit. I never expected to feel this type of confidence when I was in college, but working with women through Essential Bodywear has shown me that every body is normal and beautiful.
Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to help women. I just never would have guessed that it would have started with their breasts, but it turns out that was the best place!
After eighteen years, I know this to be true: a well-fitted bra helps a woman stand taller and walk more confidently. We could all use more of that! EBW isn’t just about a great product. We’re building a community of women all across the country that help other women feel good.
A bit more fun...
I’M SO INSPIRED BY:
Confident women – confidence by the far most amazing tool we have! When we have it, we are unstoppable.Best part of my job:
Watching a woman redefine the way she sees herself in the mirror. We have all fallen prey to the generally unattainable media standards, and it’s time we start to change that. We are so lucky and get watch this change happen daily, and I feel like I have a front row seat – there is nothing better than that.Dinner with anyone:
Oprah or Meghan Markle (or both!). They’re both such inspirational women that have preserved against so much in their lives. Any advice from them would be worth its weight in gold (and who wouldn’t want to hear the gossip about the Royal Family that Meghan Markle didn’t tell in her interview).AlWAys in my purse:
A measuring tape! I often get asked to do a fitting.Saturday morning I’m:
Swimming laps at my local gym. It’s my version form of meditation and personal wellness.Favorite EBW PRODUCT:
I love our entire Luxe Collection, specifically our Luxe Emma Bra! And the Lindsey Sports Bra!FAVORITE QUOTE:
“The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence.” - BeyonceFAVORITE MEAL:
Mexican! I love Diablo ShrimpTacos with a good margarita.
