But Make It Accessible: Elba London

I hate bras. As a general rule, I find them so incredibly uncomfortable and painful to wear that I pretty much gave up on them years ago. Part of the reason why is that I struggled to find anything that is appropriate for what my body needs – and as a result I’ve probably only worn a bra a handful of times a year (when an outfit necessitates!) and even then it’s one of those flimsy triangle ones that offer no support whatsoever.

I find that it’s painful to clasp them at the back, I find they exacerbate my pain (and sometimes cause subluxations) in my ribs and shoulders, I find that many of the fabrics, even though they’re very pretty, can irritate my sensitive skin, and overall, I’ve found that it’s just not ‘worth it’ for me. It’s important to note, however, that I’m lucky that I don’t need to wear a bra to feel comfortable, as many people with do prefer to wear one.

So, from the first time I saw their blush pink bras with the front-closing magnets on Instagram, I was excited to learn more about Elba London, who have recently launched their first design.

Elba’s founder Judith, and designer Eva, very kindly came to meet me at my flat and we had a great chat about design, lingerie, and I had the opportunity to learn more about the company and get my mind blown with bra knowledge, as well as to see and test out their products. You can read my full interview with Elba below, and at the end you can read about my experiences with the product.

What do we need to know about Elba London?

Elba London is a new lingerie brand with a focus on stylish easy dressing launching with a front fastening bra and matching bottoms.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background and why you decided to start Elba?

I have a background in corporate PR, so it couldn’t be further from the world of lingerie. But with one of my children having special needs, I’ve long been aware of the unmet fashion needs of anyone who might find getting dressed a little bit more challenging. 

When a couple of girlfriends mentioned their frustration finding a front fastening bra that wasn’t frumpy and boring or just a flimsy triangle with no support, I decided that searching for a bra whether you have an injury, have mobility limitations, or just want something a little easier to put on shouldn’t be so hard.

I basically saw an opportunity to design easy contemporary underwear for a group of women I knew would be experiencing the same dissatisfaction my friends were. Winning the Design Council’s annual product innovation competition and the support of Versus Arthritis has enabled me to get the product to market.

Who is your lingerie for and why do you believe inclusive lingerie is important?

We’re designing lingerie for all women – our designs are essential if you need something to make dressing a little easier, but also perfect if you’re just looking for a more relaxed soft but supportive option.

The one thing we bear in mind when designing is the importance of balancing function and practicality with a desirable contemporary aesthetic. You may have dexterity or mobility challenges but you’re still a woman, and you still want to look and feel good in what you wear and feel like yourself.

We want Elba London to be aligned with contemporary leading brands in the lingerie market and to be set apart from regular ‘adaptive’ fashion. Why should you have to compromise style for functionality or vice-versa when surely you should be able to have both?

Can you tell me a little bit about your range and the process that went into designing them?  

Our first designs include a front fastening bra in 3 colour-ways – black, blush and earl grey with 2 bottoms options – a high waist and a mini.

Incredibly, a well-designed bra has some 25 – 40 components – making it one of the most complicated clothing products to make before you even start  to think about an easier fastener!  

I’m very fortunate to be working with an amazing lingerie designer who’s designed for some of the underwear giants, so we started by editing the bra back to its essential parts and talking to women who had dexterity or mobility challenges as to what they wanted.

Finding the fastener was certainly one of the biggest challenges and we’re thrilled to be introducing our patented magnetic fastener. We’re very fortunate to be working with the support of Versus Arthritis, so much of our research and testing has been done with women with arthritis.

Different brands have a different fit, meaning you might prefer one size at this brand and another size at another. This can depend on many variables : your bust/ body shape, the style of the bra, the materials used, the bra pattern cutter & the garment technologist who created the bra, plus the method they used, and most of all your preference (some people prefer a snug tight fit, some people might not).

So we’ve decided to simply ask you to type in the measurement of your underband and overbust, and we will recommend your “Elba fit”. We’ve done our fittings based on accurate measurements rather than someone telling us what they think their size is!

For first launch we are simplifying to XS, S, M, L.

XS fits :

if your underbust is 28″ and your overbust is 31/32″ ,

            underbust is 30″ and your overbust is 32/33″ ,

            underbust is 32″ and your overbust is 33/34″ .

S fits :

if your underbust is 28″ and your overbust is 33/34″ ,

            underbust is 30″ and your overbust is 34/35″ ,

            underbust is 32″ and your overbust is 35/36″ .

M fits :

if your underbust is 28″ and your overbust is 35/36″ ,

            underbust is 30″ and your overbust is 36/37″ ,

            underbust is 32″ and your overbust is 37/38″ .

            underbust is 34″ and your overbust is 38/39″ .

L fits :

if your underbust is 28″ and your overbust is 37/38 ,

            underbust is 30″ and your overbust is 38/39″ ,

            underbust is 32″ and your overbust is 39/40″ .

            underbust is 34″ and your overbust is 40/41″ .

We are in the process of finishing XL as the next size up, and we’re hoping to be able to do individual sizes in the future.

Can you also please talk about the bigger bust sizes and how that’s working with the design and the magnets etc.

Bigger sizes require more support, stronger and more rigid fabrics, more engineering. We will be developing underwire bras for sizes above FF/ underband 36 ” +

It is important for us to cater to those sizes as those customers are the ones who need us the most. It just takes a longer period of time for us to develop the products.

The magnets are strong (a single magnet holds up to 5 kg) so volume and weight should not be any problem.

Do you feel that there are any barriers to creating more inclusive lingerie designs? If so, what can be done to overcome them? If not, why do you think more mainstream brands aren’t including inclusive design as part of their general ranges? 

For Elba ‘inclusive’ design means utilising the power of functional design and real-life experiences to create beautiful products for all.

If we take the example of our bra – no matter your lifestyle, every woman appreciates a little convenience, and having the choice of slipping on a bra and closing it is the front is pretty convenient.

So whether you’ve just had surgery, have mobility challenges or are just a busy mum who’s looking to save time in the morning, a stylish front fastening bra can be a great option.

So the design is ‘inclusive’ and the styling/aesthetics are for all. The goal is to make getting dressed easier but the quality, fabric and design need to be the same as any other aspirational brand. 

In recent years the lingerie market has started to change with more of a focus on fit and diversity, but when it comes to inclusion people with disabilities are often the last box to be ticked. Design bias is really a reflection of wider social bias and so we need to challenge this bias and the consequent barriers – physical, communication and attitudinal. 

What can we expect from Elba in the future?

We’re already working on bra designs for larger sizes, and a super soft and light supportive triangle bra, and we see a future where we’ll expand into adjacent categories that make sense for us.

How has the launch been?

We launched online at elbalondon.com on September 16 for £48 with a 10% introductory discount (VAT relief also available where entitled). 

We are small independent brand we’re just finding our feet and this is our first design. We welcome all input /feedback, and look forward to building a community around what all women need/want from their lingerie.

My experience

The first time I got my hands on the bra, I was very excited by the magnets. They really are very cool – you basically just hover the two sides together and they snap closed but then stay put!).

I initially tried a size S, which I couldn’t do up, and then I thought I had the same problem with the M, so I was honestly a little bit confused about sizing – especially since I had no idea what size I actually am these days.

However, when Eva measured me and explained their sizing system, she told me that I’m on the low end of their M range and there was actually plenty of room – it’s just that doing up the bra had a little bit of a trick to it.

This was why I didn’t think it fit, because I was stretching the bra in the wrong way to do up. Once I got the hang of it, I found it easy to do up, but it did take some practice. I recommended that there be a video showing people the best way to put it on because it’s not what was instinctive for me when I first received it.

I think the bra actually looks lovely on (I’ll share pretty dress pictures but underwear ones are my limit!) and I love the matching set I was able to try.

It’s important to remember that not every bra is going to be right for every person, and that’s ok. A lot is about personal preference – some people want the lightest possible support and some people want to feel extra secure. Since I so rarely wear a bra, it was definitely different from what I’m used to.

As much as I love the design of this (it very much fits with my vintage-lite aesthetic), and now I know the knack for getting it on and off regularly – it’s sadly not something that I’ll be able to wear regularly.

I’m not used to wearing a bra with any kind of structure and this particular style sits lower on my ribs than I’m generally comfortable with (my ribs have a super fun habit of sliding).

Bras do soften up and become more comfortable with time and I’ve been able to wear this for short periods in the house, but have yet to try it when going out. I want to keep trying it because I do really like it, but I’m really looking forward to their lightly supportive triangle bra, as I feel that this is probably something that is way more suited to how I personally prefer to wear bras.

However, it’s worth recognising that this bra wasn’t designed with my specific body needs in mind, and that’s completely fine. Not everything is right for everyone.

However, If you have dexterity issues and are looking for a front closing bra and don’t have the same rib issues that I do – this could be a great bra to try out. I also really appreciate how open and interested the team are in listening to feedback and answering questions. This bra is their first launch and I’m really excited to see what’s to come!

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I want to say a big thank you to Judith and Eva for taking the time to come to my flat to chat with me about their bras and for answering my questions for this post. You can find out more about Elba London by visiting their website.

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