The Eleve Story
A word from our founder, Sandra Mimran Smith
At age 14, I went from an A to a DDD. None of the girls in Teen Vogue or Cosmopolitan looked like me. Training bras didn’t even come close to fitting. My mom, who was a seamstress, altered all my clothes for me. From her, I learned about garments sewed especially well and the importance of buying high-quality clothing.
Like most women, my breasts continued to change as I got older. I went up to G when I got pregnant and breastfed, and then deflated when I stopped breastfeeding. During my period, I am literally two different sizes, and my breasts are 3 or 4 pounds heavier. When I gain or lose weight, I gain or lose it in my boobs. I’ve been almost every size and shape in my life, and I know the challenges that come with each of them.
Then one day, while looking at my now-25-year old daughter and her friends, a lightbulb went on.
We’re no longer the exception.
Women’s breasts are getting bigger. The average size was once 34B, now it’s 34DD. (And by the way, a DDD is an E in Europe.) And as our bodies change, our breasts also change. They can sag more, and/or weigh more. Boobs can be heavy, and that heaviness can cause discomfort. But mainstream fashion hasn’t caught on. Haven’t we had enough messaging about how badly we’re supposed to feel about our bodies?
I made Eleve for me. I wanted loungewear that a woman wears for herself - that feels good and looks good. (As good as it looks on a mannequin, if not better.) No woman, young or old, should feel like they have to hide behind baggy sweatshirts, or wear underwires or sports bras to bed. Whether we’re going through pregnancy, menopause, or even experiencing sensitive scar tissue after surgery… whether we’re at home, in our dorms, on vacation, or wherever we find ourselves in life, we all know this essential truth: when we look good and feel good, we do good.
Let’s elevate each other, inside and out.
