{"id":4968,"date":"2017-07-27T12:07:38","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T16:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/?p=4968"},"modified":"2019-09-27T11:46:30","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T15:46:30","slug":"7-word-worthy-women-relearning-the-lingerie-biz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/2017\/07\/27\/7-word-worthy-women-relearning-the-lingerie-biz\/","title":{"rendered":"Word-Worthy Women: Relearning the (inclusive) Lingerie Biz"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Nubian
The colors and styles of Nubian Skin by Ade Hassan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Welcome back to Word-Worthy Women! Do you know these designers who are remaking the lingerie world? You will in a moment!<\/p>\n

This week, I present you with designer-businesswomen that have recently expanded “nude” lingerie. Ade Hassan of Nubian Skin<\/a>, Erin Carpenter of Nude Barre<\/a>, Sadia Sisay of BeingU<\/a>, and Atima Lui and Nancy Madrid of Nudest<\/a> have each grappled with the range of skin colors that real women inhabit. Here are their solutions.<\/p>\n

White and black have been basic colors for women’s lingerie since the category was invented*. In the 1950s, it was difficult to find any bras that weren’t black, white, or pink. By the 1970s, bras could be found in beige and coffee tones. Women’s magazines recommended that women wear the color closest to their skin tone under blouses, but color ranges remained limited. But change is afoot: the recent fashion for “nude” underpinnings and accessories<\/a> has collided with the cultural conversation about the idea of “skin” tones.<\/p>\n

This excitement about inclusivity brought opportunity for fashion-industry developments:<\/p>\n

Observer announces Louboutin’s addition of additional “flesh” tones<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The entrepreneurs profiled below each responded to the lack of products (and advertising) that reflected personal experience.<\/p>\n

Erin Carpenter<\/strong>, Nude Barre:<\/a> 2009 idea, 2011 Kickstarter campaign<\/p>\n

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Carpenter began her career as a dancer with Alvin Ailey dance troup and Dance Theatre of Harlem. As a professional dancer, she often needed “skin tone” bras, hose, and underpants. However, as a woman of color, she couldn’t find lingerie in colors that matched her skin. The final straw was when she was dancing for the Knicks City Dancer and these things were required parts of her uniform. In 2009, in frustration, she took her business degree and began Nude Barre, a company that produces dance staples such as opaque tights, fishnets, thongs, and footless tights.\"\"<\/p>\n

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What’s amazing about Nude Barre is the color range in which she makes these items: 12 colors in all, from Lycheetini to Mocha, in shades that range from pinker to yellower, and darker to pale. The line is basic shapes, aimed at the dance community, but this is the most ambitious skin tone range of any of these young companies.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.blackenterprise.com\/small-business\/career-transition-success-tips-erin-carpenter\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n