However, one wireless design she felt was not up to par were strapless bras.
As women perspire, existing wireless strapless bras tend to shift, slip and look mishappen in tight-fitting clothing, requiring women to constantly adjust their bras throughout the day, she said.
Many brands also use silicone along the under band of the bra and in the bra cups to help the bra stick to the skin. This, Tan felt, was uncomfortable in Singapore’s hot and humid weather.
In 2018, Tan decided to design her own bra – the 100% Non-Slip Strapless Bra. Silicone-free, the bra has rubber at the top and bottom, as well as a piece of non-slip fabric at the side band to prevent it from slipping and sliding. This bra’s design has been refined five times over the years, and remains one of the brand’s bestsellers.
“Customers tell me that when they run for the bus, it won’t drop. We have a lot of customers who are OLs (office ladies). When they go from meeting to meeting, it stays up. So there is no need to do this ugly thing where they keep pulling and shifting,” she said.
COMFORT-FOCUSED BRA DESIGN
The pandemic catalysed a shift towards comfort-focused design and wireless bras. And I’m In rode this trend.
“During COVID-19, a lot of frontliners wore our bras. Because when they wear PPE (personal protective equipment), it is so hot and humid. Our Air-ee bra range absorbs and dispels sweat very well,” Tan said.
