Photo: Courtesy of Lively. Could “leisureé” — a lingerie-swim-activerwear mash-up — be the next frontier for the underthings industry? Lively, a brand started by a Victoria’s Secret alum that launches today, seems to think so.
Billed as a “work-to-workout” collection, its pieces are meant to be comfortable enough to segue from a day sitting at your desk to a night out on the town (or on the couch), as well as for low-impact exercise. In other words: Lively pieces will make the cut for your yoga class, but wouldn't necessarily work for a run.
“From active we have pulled in wide, sporty elastic bands and breathable mesh; from swim we are pulling in cool-handed fabrics, bold prints and colorblocking; and from lingerie, we draw in the best components of function and femininity,” Michelle Cordeiro Grant, Lively’s founder and CEO, told Refinery29. Those functionality based lingerie elements include memory foam pads, front adjusters, J-hook backs, and “gorgeous, geometric laces,” she says.
The brand is launching solely on its own site, WearLively.com, with 12 styles, included a few iterations of the bralette, as well a wireless deep-V, and a “perfect T-shirt bra” style, plus matching bottoms, available in either bikini or thong versions. The sizing runs from XS to L for bralettes and undies, with traditional bras available in size 30A through size 38DD.
Pricing is moderate and straightforward: All bras cost $35 a pop and underwear styles are $10 per pair. And just like the lingerie-buying experience at, say, VS, Gap, or a department store, you'll save when buying in bulk: any two bras cost $55, three bras will run you $75, while three pairs of undies is $25. Shipping is free for purchases over $40, and free returns (on bras, not undies, for sanitary reasons) are conducive to at-home try-ons of multiple sizes.
Photo: Courtesy of Lively. "Bras have 25 to 40 components, and they're some of the most complicated products to make," Grant explains of how her VS training (as a senior merchant) primed her to launch Lively. "To make a quality bra, you need a team with experience and expertise... Traveling the globe to meet with world-class manufacturers also makes you understand the importance of building a quality product; [there's] no smoke and mirrors." The brand also produces all of its designs in its own factory.
Lively’s concept garnered some substantial pre-launch interest — the brand had to shut down its servers during a "refer-a-friend" marketing campaign when over 100K subscribers signed up in just two days, a PR rep tells us.
Photo: Courtesy of Lively. We'll have to see if a well-executed bra/sports bra/bikini top mashup is what our closets really have been missing. What we can say is Lively is stepping up to address the skivvies-shaped void in the ongoing athleisure conversation.
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