The Creative Process: Making A Bra In 4 Simple Steps

Catwalks in Paris. A bright candy wrapper. A car door lock. What do these all have in common?

The answer: your bra. Each of those items are inspiration points for the designers here at ThirdLove, influencing the bras we create.

Every season, we introduce a few new products in our bra collections. And whether it’s additional colors or brand new styles, the creative process for making a bra starts long before it hits our virtual shelves. Here’s how a single idea, color, or point of inspiration makes its way to becoming a best-selling bra:

Step 1: The wide world of inspiration

As designers, we’re always on the lookout for ideas. We’re tuned in to customer feedback (so keep it coming!) as well as our own bra-wearing experiences. We watch fashion and runway trends, and immerse ourselves in raw materials like fabric and lace. Color is vital so we’ll bring things that catch our eyes—a piece of beautiful ribbon, a postcard from an exotic locale, or a vintage photo—to our studio as points of inspiration. Even industries like automotive engineering prove fruitful: technological details like locks and closures can be interpreted and redesigned for use in bras!

Step 2: Choosing colors and styles

Our designs and color palettes vary with the season (lighter for spring and summer; richer for fall and winter) but for each new product, we think about how the design and color would play together. Some bras may be better suited for classic colors while others fit with bolder tones. Once we decide, we start prototyping (more on that next) and the intricate process of approving “lab dips,” where we use a special light to ensure all the pieces of the bra have been dyed properly and match in color exactly.

Step 3: Testing, testing, testing

Once prototypes of a new bra are made in each size, we take them for a spin. Think of it as bra bootcamp. We test them under extreme conditions to make sure they hold up to lots of wear: pulling the fabric a million ways, washing them countless times, even running in them (after all, your bra shouldn’t let you down if you have to hurry to catch a train)! If something isn’t working well, we revise it. By the time a bra is ready for the world, it’s proven itself worthy.

Step 4: Production

The feeling of “let’s make this bra!” is an exciting one here at ThirdLove. It’s a months-long process to get to the point where we can start production, so reaching it is a rewarding milestone. Equipped with our carefully-selected materials and designs, our factories begin making each bra. Our products are then shipped to our distribution centre, where they’re ready to be packaged up for orders and sent to the most important person in the process: you.

As always, your input and feedback are incredibly valuable in helping us design bras that work for real women, so don’t hesitate to tell us what’s on your mind!