First there was the awkward encounter with the measuring tape, then came the apps with all of their oft-overstated promise. Women have struggled for decades to find bras that fit properly, and the experience of even trying to capture chest measurements has been anything but stellar (it’s amazing how saleswomen will quote wildly different sizes from one shop to the next). Direct-to-consumer startups take their own approach, but some customers may not appreciate the inherent riskiness that comes with purchasing a new brand over the Internet.
Soma Intimates, part of the Chico’s FAS family of brands, unveiled at CES what it hopes can solve the problem of choosing the best-fitting bra size for women who shop the brand.
The new SOMAINNOFIT bra is packed with Blueooth and sensors that capture four lines of bosom measurements from the underbust line on up, transmitting these details to a user’s accompanying eponymous app for Android and iOS. Depending on a woman’s size and shape, these four lines will sit on the body slightly higher or lower, Soma pointed out.
Soma’s high-tech, measurement-capturing bra follows in the footsteps of other size-sensing garments like the controversial Zozosuit or the Smart Leggings released a few years ago by Like A Glove, the Israeli firm selected to power the SOMAINNOFIT app. The smart bra could find fans among women whose bust size fluctuates regularly.
“Customers love the expert fit experience we offer in our boutiques as well as the advice they receive from our store associates. But many customers experience changes in their body, whether it be pregnancy or post-pregnancy, nursing, weight loss or gain, menopause or surgery,” Cathy Devine, vice president of innovation for Soma, said.
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“We heard that they are often unsure of their bra size and which style will fit them best for the solution they need,” Devine added. “We wanted to improve the experience by offering her the same expert fit she would receive in store from the comfort of her own home, as many customers shop online today.”
SOMAINNOFIT acknowledges one of the most common stumbling blocks of the e-commerce shopping experience—fit and the risks of taking a shot in the dark with an untested product online. Soma declined to specify whether the smart bra is designed to help lower e-commerce return rates, stating instead that SOMAINNOFIT offers customers a “personally curated bra selection.”
Soma said multiple women can measure themselves with the same smart bra and store their personal measurements in the app they’ve downloaded to their device. SOMAINNOFIT, which launched online on Jan. 8, will debut in stores on Jan. 23.
SOMAINNOFIT is made from 89 percent nylon, 9 percent spandex and 2 percent polypropylene.