By: Erica Commisso
Liberare’s origin story is one of love: Founder and CEO Emma Butler saw her mom struggling to get dressed after years of shoulder and hand pain, and she wanted to create a better experience for her. So she founded Liberare, a brand on a mission to enable every woman to dress independently.
“Most options were scratchy, difficult, or unflattering. I knew women everywhere deserved more,” Butler says in a statement on her website. “After 4 years of perfecting every detail, we created the world’s best easy-on bras. Knowing my mom and 10,000+ women with their Liberare bras start their day with ease means everything to me. And we’re just getting started.”
Source: @liberare.co
The brand uses an all-female team to make sure that the bras they create work for real women, prioritizing comfort and support so that women can not worry and focus on the things that really matter. Liberare has now expanded to easy-on bras and underwear that are both easy-on and leakproof, and a side-opening option with a magnetic clasp for people who require a different accessibility function.
The adaptive bras come in many sizes and forms, including magnetic front closures, wireless styles, molded cup bras, unlined versions, as well as bras with removable cups and a wrap bralette that accommodates pacemakers. There are everyday styles, post-surgery options and more lacy and lifting options for special occasions, and the website even hosts a bra finder quiz that allows users to input variables they’re looking for and receive guidance and insight into the models that could be best suited for them and their needs. And the front-closure bras come in band sizes 34 - 44 and cups B- G, making them very inclusive in relation to the accessibility space.
Liberare also employs a technology called HeroHold, which keeps over 90 pounds in place for long periods of time. It works by using a magnetic closure to glide the bra in place and then employs a three-way lock to hold everything in place. The HeroHold is the brand’s own innovation, and it doesn’t rust and makes the bras machine washable and reliable, so they don’t need to be often replaced or delicately cared for, which also places less strain on people with accessibility needs.
The technology goes through various rounds of rigorous testing, too, to ensure it works to the best of its abilities: It’s designed by over 500 women to make sure it has all the features people want, and tested on over 100 women of various cup sizes to optimize fit and comfort. It’s also developed in collaboration with occupational therapists and physical therapists, and the entire process takes a whopping four years to complete.
And because of the accessible nature of the Liberare bras, the products are all Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) eligible through a partnership with Flex, meaning shoppers can get a 30% to 40% discount on the purchase price of Liberare bras with supporting medical documents.
Butler’s mission and vision have resonated with thousands of consumers, all thanks to a design that led with love.