How did we start a Sports Bra Business

I can’t remember when I started wearing sports bras but I have been a lover of all sports as long as I can remember.

I studied Fashion and Textile Design in Sydney. My passion was sportswear.. anything technical, structural and emblazoned with colour and prints! When my fellow students were dreaming up ‘haute couture’, I was designing ski jackets that lit up! My first job out of design college was designing skiwear and the next swimwear … cutting patterns, designing prints and silhouettes, working with swimmers… a dream job…a job that has taken me overseas, expanded my horizons and fed a very inquiring mind.

But let’s head back to sports bras. Years of designing swimwear and sportswear made me think of the technical challenges of bra design… a former colleague who had diversified into lingerie and I started throwing our ideas together… Sixty4 was born.

Both active, we looked at our sports bras and believed we could develop bras that we couldn’t find in the market. We were looking for Comfort, Adjustability, Performance and Affordability… we wanted bras that you could exercise in, go and have a coffee afterwards in and find you have been wearing it all day… in comfort! Even though a bra is your 1st or 2nd most important item when you are active (behind shoes), we found we wore our bras till they fell off our backs.. partly because we didn’t want to spend our hard-earned dollars on bras!!

So, we have created bras that are designed for high impact exercise – and can be worn to work every day and you forget they are on! I have run in countless competitor bras as well and tested our bras in a scientific environment, so we know these bras work! Our Compression Minimiser is a classically-styled underwire bra. The feature is we have altered the shape of the cup resulting in a significant reduction to the sideways bounce of the bust. So good, if you don’t want your whole chest covered with a tight bra. And it’s so reasonably priced! Affordable does not mean cheap however, these bras are hard wearing and I just toss them into the washing machine.

We participate in many sporting events. It’s been a real learning curve as I know what I want in a bra.. but I have learnt what other women want… It’s a big thing getting a bra fitted by a stranger.. I have fitted thousands of women now. I do it with respect and I hope everyone has a good experience from it.

Despite my love of sports I have always been on the plump side.. often called ‘strong’ or ‘solid’ but have harboured really negative feelings about my body so much so going to be fitted for a bra was like running naked down the street shouting at the top of my voice! Not going to happen! But I am good with it now. Because I know how important it is. Young or old, big or small – those boobs need your attention!

I do recognize the variety that’s needed to cater for all and I truly have a personal mission to get women fitted in the right size bra!

I started developing sports bras because I want all women to exercise and not be deterred by worrying about what people think of them. I want women to realise that their bust changes all the time and they need to be considering what bra they should wear and what size often. We now have products for a wide range of body and breast types.

What I have learned about developing sports bras is there is such diversity in active women. People can be dedicated to their sport, do it all the time and yet still be a G cup…not all fit women are thin or small busted. We do come in all shapes and sizes. Just go to a Park Run and see for yourself..

I feel empowered by my customers and I love the involvement.

See you out there,

Margot