Podcast Summary: Skin Anarchy

Episode: Engineering Bras For Comfort & Confidence Ft. Evelyn & Bobbie

Host: Dr. Ekta
Guest: Bri McKean, Founder of Evelyn & Bobbie
Release Date: August 22, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Dr. Ekta dives into the intersecting worlds of fashion, engineering, and women’s health with Bri McKean, founder of innovative bra company Evelyn & Bobbie. The conversation candidly unpacks the longstanding issues with traditional bra design, the negative impacts on women’s bodies and confidence, and how Evelyn & Bobbie approaches bra engineering with comfort, inclusivity, and science at the forefront. Together, they challenge body shaming and the fast fashion mentality, exploring how bras can and should serve rather than hinder women.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Evelyn & Bobbie and the Problem with Traditional Bras

• Bri’s Background

  • Came from finance and medical anthropology, not traditional fashion:

    “People ask me how long I've been in fashion and, and I say, well, I'm still not. I'm in engineering because I think about what I do as making, making gear for real women in our real lives.” (01:09)

  • Personal need as a “34G” and discomfort despite success professionally motivated her to seek a better bra.

• Posture, Pain, and the "Aha" Moment

  • Many women struggle with posture, back pain, tension headaches – issues often blamed on personal physique rather than poor product design.
  • Average bra size is now a 34F; traditional sizing is outdated and alienating.
  • Encountered a physiologist who explained the “neuromuscular feedback loop” caused by underwires:

    “You don't have to tell your foot to curl around the pain [of a pebble]. It just does… All of these powerful women… All of these women average 34F… [and] we're all wearing something that's actually hurting our posture and us…” (03:13)

• Historical Design Flaws

  • The standard underwire design was patented in 1931 and has not seen real innovation since:

    “Snip the underwire casement and pull it out, it will sit flat on the table. Show me a place on your body that is flat like that.” (07:59)

  • No size standardization; bra sizing “isn't your problem – it's a problem with the garment.”

    “Because the garment doesn't fit, perhaps there's something wrong with our bodies. That was the thing. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, let's really dig into that.” (07:59)

2. The Psychological Impact of Bad Bras and the Root of Body Dysmorphia

• Retail Experience and Shame

  • Women often feel there's something wrong with their bodies due to inconsistent, exclusionary sizing.

    “Millions of us are having this experience quietly in dressing rooms… this feeling that there must be something wrong with my body.” (07:09)

• Body Dysmorphia and Confidence

  • The industry has created a contradiction: aspiring to a certain beauty standard while offering products that undermine confidence in one’s appearance.

    “On one side, we're telling women a healthy breast size is the standard of beauty, and on the other side, we're creating products that are literally… contradictory and oxymoronic to that same principle.” (14:56)

3. Evelyn & Bobbie’s Approach: Engineering, Empirical Fit, and Inclusivity

• Scientific, Inclusive Product Development

  • 270 real, non-professional fit models instead of the standard 1-3 “professional” models.
  • Simple sizing (XS–3XL) that adapts as the body fluctuates in weight/shape.
  • Every size tested rigorously on multiple people:

    “We're texting with every single tester every day to get specific areas of drill down. So… we really obsess over the design because it's not about how it looks, it's how it performs.” (18:48)

• Ergonomics and Adaptability

  • Use of advanced, four-way stretch fabrics that mold to the body.
  • No underwire:

    “[Our bras] move with my body throughout the day… My bra still fits no matter what’s going on, because the bra adapts to my body…” (10:47)

• Accommodating Real-Life Needs

  • Allows insertion/removal of modesty pads or “cutlets” for symmetry or post-surgical needs.
  • Suitable for body changes due to menopause, surgery, aging, or weight fluctuation.

4. Health, Comfort & Medical Impact

• Post-Surgical & Everyday Comfort

  • Recommended by breast surgeons for post-surgical patients; doesn’t irritate scars or restrict healing.

    “There isn’t a better post surgical bra than Evelyn and Bobbie… you can even put up to a size 7 prosthesis right in the cup…” (21:09)

• Health Rationale

  • Traditional bras may have unstudied negative effects; no studies exist on underwires and breast health:

    “If after any kind of breast surgery, the first thing your surgeon tells you is no more underwire for the rest of your life, maybe we should all just move to healthier bras.” (30:55)

  • The importance of anatomical support for delicate lymphatic and endocrine tissue.

• Toxicity and Material Safety

  • Bri follows strict EU toxicity standards, constantly testing for BPAs and PFAs:

    “CNN had an article… you could absorb up to 22 times the ‘safe’ amount of BPA in a single day of use for some of these polyester bras.” (32:25)

5. Beyond Bras: Broader Mission & Future Innovation

• Body-Positive Philosophy

  • The company’s manifesto:

    “It turns out your body's perfect. It's bras that are the problem. We're bringing the bra into this century. No underwires, no body shaming, no bullshit.” (16:09)

• Slow Fashion Ethos

  • Few, high-quality, long-lasting designs (eight styles vs. hundreds), investing in better rather than cheaper.

• Supporting Maternity and Future Launches

  • Announcement of an upcoming maternity line in 2026:

    “We're going to launch Maternity next year.” (34:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The average bra size in this country is a 34F. This is a substantial load that women are carrying around.” – Bri McKean (03:13)
• “It turns out our bodies work differently than the design of the bra.” – Bri McKean (10:01)
• “The bar was pretty low. I want it to look good under my clothes. I want it to not hurt at the end of the day.” – Bri McKean (10:01)
• “It turns out your body's perfect. It's bras that are the problem.” – Evelyn & Bobbie Manifesto (16:09)
• “Most bra companies are designing… on 1, 2, 3 professional fit models… but we have 270 non professional fit models.” – Bri McKean (16:09)
• “If after any kind of breast surgery, the first thing your surgeon tells you is no more underwire for the rest of your life, maybe we should all just move to healthier bras.” – Bri McKean (30:55)
• “You talked about fast fashion at the beginning. Like, I don't have a thousand styles. I have eight beautiful styles…” – Bri McKean (33:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02 – 01:06: Introduction, why bras matter, Bri’s background
• 03:11 – 05:26: The physical burden of bras, posture problems, underwire invention history
• 07:09 – 09:52: Retail sizing confusion, body image impact
• 12:34 – 15:57: Body dysmorphia, broader psychological effects
• 16:09 – 19:12: Innovative fit model process, scientific approach
• 21:09 – 24:06: Post-surgical bras, customizable padding, technical fabric
• 28:43 – 32:25: Breast health, role of trauma and proper support, toxicity in fashion
• 34:39 – 35:11: Future maternity line, slow fashion philosophy

Overarching Tone

Candid, empowering, and scientifically grounded—this conversation validates women’s frustrations with the bra industry, dismantles body shaming, and champions comfort, inclusion, and evidence-based design.

Final Takeaway

Evelyn & Bobbie’s mission is to engineer bras that finally serve women's bodies, health, and confidence—embracing real body diversity and using science, not shame, as their guide.

Learn more: Visit Evelyn & Bobbie via the link in the show notes.
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