‘When a bra does not fit it can ruin your whole day because it’s a vital piece of equipment’
A NEW Welsh lingerie firm believes it has the answer to every woman’s prayer - providing a bra that fits.
The company has created a measuring system which it says is more reliable than traditional methods.
And Alexus Lingerie, based near Pontypridd, is offering a lifeline to some of the 300 garment makers from Burberry’s Rhondda plant whose jobs are being “outsourced” overseas.
Modern bras are designed using technology and product engineering that Boeing or NASA would be proud of.
But despite the appliance of science, about 80% of women in Britain are still wearing the wrong bra size.
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And the problem leads to everything from constricted breathing, back pain and poor circulation to muscle strain and irritable bowel syndrome.
Some studies have even suggested a link to breast cancer.
Now, Alexus Lingerie not only plans to buck the trend by setting up a garment factory in Britain instead of South-East Asia, it is also promising a unique “woman- friendly” measuring system to ensure bras that fit.
Alexus, run by management expert Lynne Refae and 34-year-old Craig Watkins, is hiring a team of 20 female “agents” covering Swansea, Merthyr, Cardiff and Pontypridd.
Mr Watkins said, “We will design and manufacture our lingerie in the UK.
“We will sell direct to the customer after she’s been measured by one our personal sales agents.
“The measuring could be done in the client’s home or maybe a quiet area in her busy office.
“We use our own measuring system and then we manufacture a garment using exactly the same tape measure.
“This is new because we are pretty sure the girl who measures you in a shop - if you are brave enough to face it- is certainly not going to be using the same one the Far East manufacturer is.”
Mr Watkins believes variances in tape measures are the reason why garments differ in size from shop to shop.
He said, “It’s something men realise when they buy shirts and is an annoyance, but when a bra does not fit it can ruin your whole day because it’s such a vital piece of equipment.”
Alexus is also planning to get rid of any stigma or self-consciousness attached to being out of the norm in terms of size.
Mr Watkins added, “There will be no more 44FF, instead a size 24 will be gold and there will be other sizes including silver and topaz … something that won’t make women feel embarrassed.”
Alexus currently has a start-up team of seven and is taking on five manufacturing staff due to lose their jobs with the closure of Burberry’s polo shirt factory in March and is seeking up to 20 agents.
Mr Watkins said, “There was a total of £1.9bn spent on lingerie last year and we feel with our unique fitting system we can eventually capture a fair slice of the market and take on more and more agents and garment makers.
“Britain and South Wales in particular has large pool of very skilled, very experienced garment workers whose skills are going abroad.
“But we believe there is a market for quality lingerie that fits.”
Rebecca Apson, author of The Lingerie Handbook, has welcomed the idea.
She said, “Investing in a bra that actually fits will make your whole wardrobe look better and it will give you confidence.”
