Bralettes are almost too sexy to be considered as just an undergarment, especially for those who are okay with the occasional nip-slip.
For those who are slightly confused, a bralette is a bra without wires or moulded cups – it’s a simple, beautiful version of the usual bra.
If you’re an H, this is probably not for you, but if you are between a 30A and a 38C, you can sport this. I have tried and failed miserably a couple of times – bralettes are just not comfortable and supportive enough for big-busted women.
Not too long ago, I discovered Lazy Daisy on Instagram. Behind the brand is 21-year old Taahirah Abrahams from Zeekoevlei in Cape Town. She is majoring in politics, media studies and philosophy at the University of Cape Town. She’s also a design intern at a media house.
inventive Taahirah Abrahams gets inspiration from many different sources
“I have always been somewhat creative. Whether it’s embroidery, painting or photography, I’m always doing something creative. My father is a typical social science guy – he cannot do anything mathematical to save his life. My mother is the exact opposite – she is all about logic and angles. So I got a mixture of both and I feel like I am finally using that to my advantage,” she says.
During a family holiday to Vietnam, Abrahams found beautifully embroidered lace and decided to make something out of it – bralettes. She says it took a lot of trial and error before she could get the sizing right.
“I love bralettes, but I could never find the perfect fit. I have this book called Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: An Anecdotal History of Elegant Delights by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins. I read this part about frilly lingerie and how it started as an act of defiance. Women were told that wearing provocative things, even under their clothes, was immoral. But women wore them anyway.”
This belief also inspired the name Lazy Daisy.
“I love the Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. There’s this part in the beginning of the book where Nick meets Daisy – she’s lying lazily on the coach with the curtains billowing around the room. That’s where I got the idea for Lazy Daisy.”
Abrahams bought loads of bralettes from retailers Cotton On and H&M, and tried her hand at making them for her friends.
“Everyone has such vastly different shapes. But those outlets seem to think that if a girl is big, she must have big boobs and if a girl is small, she must have small boobs. That is definitely not how things go. So I tried pattern after pattern until I found what would work best.
“I also followed the traditional lingerie pattern of tying it with ribbon rather than having those frustrating little hooks. Ribbon is far more luxurious and a bit more adventurous,” she says.
Having started her business only two months ago, Abrahams says her products are only available via Instagram. She’s working towards creating a website and a greater presence on other social-media platforms.
“Lazy Daisy ... has become a platform for fellow creatives to share their passions and sell their items [ladder shelves, earrings and mobile clothing rails] through us. The little family of crafters is growing and I hope it will grow more. I now have three crafters and another three who will be joining soon. Most of them are students who are looking for a creative outlet, like
I was.” – Rhodé Marshall
Follow @lazydaisy_cpt on Instagram or email lazydaisy.cpt@gmail.com to order. All bralettes are R120 each
