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Unveiling the Mysteries of Bra Sizing and Care · Create The Best Me

0:00
Carmen Hecox: Welcome to Create the Best Me.
0:02
Carmen Hecox: I am Carmen Hecox, a personal development coach, and I am so excited to be connecting with you today.
0:09
Carmen Hecox: Whether you're listening to the podcast or joining us on YouTube, my goal is to help women navigate through midlife challenges with compassion, inspiration, and empowering conversations.
0:21
Carmen Hecox: Each week we'll dive into thought-provoking topics, designed to build self-confidence, overcome invisible women's syndrome, and find the courage to create the best version of yourself.
0:34
Carmen Hecox: I'll also be joined by expert guest who will share their wisdom and insights, so make yourself comfortable and let's embark on this journey together.
0:44
Carmen Hecox: Well, hello there.
0:45
Carmen Hecox: Fearless midlife Trailblazers.
0:47
Carmen Hecox: Welcome to Create the Best Me.
0:49
Carmen Hecox: If you are new here, I'm so glad you made it here.
0:52
Carmen Hecox: If you're a returning listener, welcome back to the one and only place where we encourage and empower women to pursue their dreams and live life to the fullest.
1:02
Carmen Hecox: I'm Carmen Hecox, your host and personal development coach.
1:06
Carmen Hecox: Today's guest is Amanda Henson, founder and CEO of LA Plantureuse.
1:12
Carmen Hecox: When Amanda became a young lady, she began struggling with her body image.
1:17
Carmen Hecox: Amanda is a large busted woman and found it difficult to find bras that fit properly, resulting in back and shoulder pain.
1:26
Carmen Hecox: Filled with frustration.
1:27
Carmen Hecox: Amanda decided to take matters into her own hands and design her own bras, and that's when LA Plantureuse was born.
1:36
Carmen Hecox: La Plantureuse is dedicated.
1:38
Carmen Hecox: To designing comfortable bras for full busted women.
1:42
Carmen Hecox: They also teach women how to measure themselves so that they're always guaranteed to wear the best possible fitting bra.
1:50
Carmen Hecox: I'll give you a little heads up.
1:52
Carmen Hecox: Amanda's a mom of three beautiful children.
1:55
Carmen Hecox: Who during this recording needed their mommy more than ever.
1:59
Carmen Hecox: So please be kind if you happen to see a cute little face pop in or hear beautiful children's sounds in the background.
2:06
Carmen Hecox: Let's jump into the interview now.
2:09
Carmen Hecox: Hello Amanda Henson and welcome to Create the Best Me.
2:12
Carmen Hecox: I am so happy to have you on the show.
2:14
Carmen Hecox: For the people that do not know you, could you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your, product?
2:21
Amanda Henson: Yes, I am the founder of LA Plantureuse which started out of necessity for myself for full bust ladies out there, who just needed a intimate that was going to fit them properly and give them comfort and confidence all day long.
2:38
Carmen Hecox: So you designed, bras for larger busted women.
2:41
Carmen Hecox: Is that correct?
2:42
Amanda Henson: Yes ma'am.
2:44
Carmen Hecox: Amanda, can you please share with the audience, I know you mentioned that you had a struggle, so can you tell us a little bit about when your struggle began and how it affected you?
2:54
Amanda Henson: Yes, I was about 12 years old, I was wearing sizes D double D, and it just kept progressing from there.
3:01
Amanda Henson: I had, breast cancer scares throughout the process, and just everything going on until my adulthood, it was a big challenge because they did not make bras to fit me properly.
3:15
Amanda Henson: They were very bland for a young woman and everything growing up.
3:20
Amanda Henson: I wanted to have something that was pretty and made me feel great about myself.
3:24
Amanda Henson: And honestly, when I put them on it, was unflattering.
3:29
Amanda Henson: So I decided, after my husband and I talked, he told me, why don't you just make your own?
3:35
Amanda Henson: Because I kept complaining about it for years, especially after having my children.
3:40
Amanda Henson: So I decided, why not?
3:43
Amanda Henson: So three years ago we ended up making La Plantureuse and building a brand and a product out It.
3:49
Carmen Hecox: So tell me, did you ever struggle, finding your size and the cut that, provided you the support that you needed?
3:57
Amanda Henson: That's a really good one because a lot of people don't realize that, whenever you wear something like wired or wireless or you wear different shapes like plunge and t-shirt, bras, they're all cut differently.
4:10
Amanda Henson: So for me it was very hard to come by as far as my size.
4:15
Amanda Henson: Because every company and brand is different whenever it comes to the cut and the actual fit of them.
4:22
Amanda Henson: So I've actually went to like Victoria's Secret to departments, stores like Dillard's, Macy's, things like that and I tried different ones and failed each time.
4:36
Amanda Henson: It wasn't until after having my breast cancer scare that I went to wireless.
4:42
Amanda Henson: And then with the wireless, the support ended up, just disappearing.
4:47
Amanda Henson: There was none.
4:48
Amanda Henson: It was just all comfort, but no support.
4:50
Carmen Hecox: So tell me, cuz I know that you and I had talked about this when, during our planning process, believe it or not, there are a lot of women out there that really don't have any knowledge about the way a bra should fit.
5:03
Carmen Hecox: Or like, on your website you have, bra 1 0 1.
5:06
Carmen Hecox: Because you've done your extended research, can you provide the listeners and viewers an understanding of the mechanics of a bra, for example, what the band should do and what the, shoulder bands do.
5:19
Amanda Henson: Uh, yes with it.
5:20
Amanda Henson: A lot of people don't realize that the band is 80% of your support.
5:26
Amanda Henson: So whenever we start going and we construct it to where the band is very thin, You were breaking that 80%.
5:34
Amanda Henson: You're not giving it everything and being able to hold you well.
5:38
Amanda Henson: So then we're shifting that weight to the straps, which are only 20% of the support.
5:44
Amanda Henson: And then the other portions of everything is the construction and the material, material and all that helps the stretch, And whenever you have a larger bust, you don't want something that's gonna be super stretchy.
5:59
Amanda Henson: And then whenever you have padding, it's hard to mold padding to a fuller bust.
6:06
Amanda Henson: So those are all the things that you have to take into account when you're actually constructing a bra.
6:12
Amanda Henson: Because you want it to conform to you because you've got enough problems with your bust being, large.
6:19
Amanda Henson: You don't wanna have to deal with the gaping or falling out.
6:23
Amanda Henson: And those are the things that we are addressing.
6:27
Carmen Hecox: And I know that, like for myself, I'm not as big as some women are, but I know that, an issue that I have is to where I almost feel like sometimes I'm being pulled forward.
6:38
Carmen Hecox: How does your bra address that issue you almost feel like you're rounding your shoulders or the weight is pulling you forward.
6:46
Amanda Henson: When you actually put ours on, it is front closure.
6:49
Amanda Henson: So what happens is you're putting it on like a vest.
6:53
Amanda Henson: So when you do that and then you adjust your straps, you are pulling your shoulders forward and you're able to stand up because it gives you that lift and that support that you need.
7:04
Amanda Henson: You know where whenever you go around, a lot of times they want you to bend over and then hook it in the back.
7:09
Amanda Henson: Well, a lot of people like myself can't actually do that.
7:13
Amanda Henson: So whenever you do that, you're twisting it around, which is breaking the elastic.
7:18
Amanda Henson: There's a lot of particles and everything that go into Elastic and every time we stretch it, it breaks a little bit of fiber every time.
7:26
Amanda Henson: So those are the things that we're doing whenever we're constantly stretching it and not putting it on, in just one direction.
7:34
Amanda Henson: So this way it makes it easier for you to put on.
7:37
Amanda Henson: It allows you to pull that.
7:39
Amanda Henson: The straps are wider, so that way you have that support, it takes care that 20%.
7:44
Amanda Henson: And the back is actually larger.
7:46
Amanda Henson: So it hugs you and gives you that 80% of that support.
7:50
Carmen Hecox: So, is your bra sort of designed like a sports bra?
7:54
Carmen Hecox: But you latch it in the front?
7:56
Amanda Henson: Um, it does have a look like we've been compared to Shefit and there's a couple other brands out there.
8:02
Amanda Henson: But the thing about it is, it is not.
8:05
Amanda Henson: It does not compress you to where you're binded down.
8:10
Amanda Henson: What it is, it allows you to fit into that cup and fit the way you're supposed to without, smushing you or anything.
8:16
Amanda Henson: So, um, a lot of them they'll have the adjustment where we just have adjusters, like regular bras, and so whenever you put it on, you're not having to worry about, okay, well let me make it where they don't bounce or anything, because that's not what it's about.
8:31
Amanda Henson: It's comfort throughout the day.
8:33
Amanda Henson: You can wear it with whatever, whenever.
8:36
Amanda Henson: And the great thing about it is it has a auto lock zipper.
8:40
Amanda Henson: So if you wanted to have a little bit of a plunge, you can, if you wanted to show a little bit more cleavage, you can, it gives that opportunity to do that.
8:49
Carmen Hecox: Oh, so that's cool.
8:50
Carmen Hecox: So if you're wearing something a little bit lower cut you don't have to worry about having to adjust your blouse cuz most of us don't want our bra to show.
8:59
Carmen Hecox: Yours allows you to wear it at a lower cut, continue to receive the support that you are looking for, but at the same time, still be a little girly or feel comfortable having a little bit of cleavage show.
9:11
Amanda Henson: Yes, we designed it with auto lock zipper.
9:14
Amanda Henson: Because of me being a nursing mother, I wanted something that was gonna be easy one-handed, while I had baby in the other hand.
9:22
Amanda Henson: And honestly, it's been the best bra that I've had so far, and I have had nursing bras with my oldest two.
9:30
Amanda Henson: And honestly nothing compared because we addressed those issues like, the back pain and the shoulder pain.
9:39
Amanda Henson: And I don't have to go visit like a chiropractor or anything anymore because of that.
9:45
Amanda Henson: Because we addressed those issues and we made it more accessible.
9:49
Amanda Henson: So when you're wearing this, you can wear it for, during your pregnancy.
9:53
Amanda Henson: You can wear it if you're not pregnant at all, you wear it for nursing.
9:57
Amanda Henson: it's all of those things you could wear at any stage of life that you're in.
10:01
Amanda Henson: I've had women as old as 60 years old, get it and said it was the best bra that they ever had.
10:09
Carmen Hecox: You know, I was gonna ask about that.
10:10
Carmen Hecox: How does a woman's bust size change as a reach midlife?
10:14
Carmen Hecox: And how does your design cater to them?
10:17
Amanda Henson: With women who are like in menopause, what it does is it allows your breasts to grow, because you're losing the milk guts and everything.
10:27
Amanda Henson: They ended up sagging some and you get kind of more of the under boob and everything.
10:33
Amanda Henson: Well, with ours, whenever you put it on forward, it actually pulls all that under boob everything forward and allows you to sit into the cup.
10:41
Amanda Henson: So a lot of these women, not only are they seeing a shift in their boob weight, their breast sizes are growing larger and everything, then they can fit comfortably.
10:52
Amanda Henson: Because I call it the skiing.
10:53
Amanda Henson: Like when you ski, you don't want to feel that.
10:56
Amanda Henson: So when you put ours on, you don't feel that.
10:58
Amanda Henson: Where the other ones, when you put them on, they typically duck underneath your arms because that's all fat tissue that moves around.
11:06
Amanda Henson: And like with my mom, that was one of the biggest issues she had was they shifted.
11:12
Amanda Henson: So then she would be putting herself in a pushup bra, which she would fall out of because it wasn't designed for her.
11:19
Amanda Henson: So now she actually wears our bra a hundred percent of the time and got rid of all her old bras just for ours.
11:26
Carmen Hecox: I know you had mentioned as you're going through menopause, your breasts, start to lose the milk ducts, and so your breasts do start to change as far as shape.
11:36
Carmen Hecox: And so what you're saying is that as your breasts are changing in shape, your bra continues to hold the breast tissue where it should be in front, as opposed to letting it seep out the sides and stuff, or become uncomfortable and off the sides.
11:50
Amanda Henson: Yes.
11:51
Amanda Henson: It keeps you from having what we call a side boob.
11:54
Amanda Henson: You don't want it to just shift.
11:56
Amanda Henson: Where a lot of these, if you put yourself into like a wired or you put yourself in some of these, it tends to just kind of shift.
12:06
Amanda Henson: And you don't want it to shift, you want it to come forward and ours allows you to sit, you know, in the front and everything and sit forward and not have to worry about that.
12:16
Amanda Henson: It gives you more of a smoother look on your side so you're not falling out.
12:21
Amanda Henson: In turn it helps smooth back and it gives you that more polished look.
12:25
Amanda Henson: It is a full coverage, so you don't have to worry about if you jump around, then it's not popping out the top.
12:32
Amanda Henson: You're not popping out the side, the bottom, and a lot of those issues that arise whenever you're wearing certain brass that don't actually fit to your body.
12:42
Carmen Hecox: So, I know you briefly spoke about this.
12:44
Carmen Hecox: I don't know if you have a little bit more to add.
12:46
Carmen Hecox: How does the right bra impact a woman's health, especially in midlife?
12:51
Amanda Henson: With that, you actually feel a lot more confident because with your undergarments, they're the foundation to your outfit.
13:00
Amanda Henson: That's one less thing that you want to worry about when you are getting ready to go out, during the day shopping, out with friends or at night.
13:10
Amanda Henson: You don't wanna have to worry about that at all.
13:12
Amanda Henson: So that's why comfort is so important.
13:16
Amanda Henson: And then having that support and not having to worry about those issues.
13:21
Amanda Henson: You have enough to worry about at that time.
13:23
Amanda Henson: Like if you're in menopause or anything, that's a whole another issue.
13:27
Amanda Henson: And then not only that, it's breathable for those hot flashes.
13:32
Amanda Henson: And we are continuing to fix the issues, changing out the linings, making them more breathable for those who are in menopause.
13:42
Amanda Henson: Because we understand that just as pregnant women and all, and just a quick, you could start sweating.
13:50
Amanda Henson: We understand that it is miserable, and that's one less thing that you want to worry about is when you take your bra off, it is soaking wet or you feel just nasty.
13:59
Amanda Henson: Where this actually is antimicrobial, it's moisture wicking, it's all of those properties to help you stay cool.
14:06
Carmen Hecox: And that's really important cuz I know that, like for me, I am going through menopause and so I do get hot flashes.
14:13
Carmen Hecox: And when I do wear a sports bra, that is a complaint that I have about those bras is that they're hot.
14:19
Carmen Hecox: And I feel uncomfortable because I'm going through a hot flash and then I have this garment that just makes me feel like I'm just, I'm overheating.
14:27
Carmen Hecox: So, that's really good that you guys thought about that and are addressing that potential issue as well.
14:33
Amanda Henson: With being full bust and everything, again, it's a lot of weight.
14:38
Amanda Henson: So, with a lot of weight comes, a lot of creases and those things.
14:42
Amanda Henson: And that was one of the biggest issues, that we didn't want people to have is the sweating.
14:48
Amanda Henson: One of the things that us women absolutely hate is the yeast infections that come underneath your breast as well.
14:54
Amanda Henson: And those things are addressed with having the proper, garment and the proper construction.
15:02
Carmen Hecox: And what about comfort?
15:03
Carmen Hecox: Is your bra pretty comfortable?
15:06
Amanda Henson: Yes.
15:06
Amanda Henson: we have had several people tell us that it's so comfortable they forgot to take it off, that they would just sleep in it.
15:13
Carmen Hecox: Really?
15:14
Carmen Hecox: Wow, that's neat cuz I know that, a lot of women out there, including myself, are anxious to just, take a shower, take it off, and just rest.
15:22
Carmen Hecox: So that's really nice
15:23
Amanda Henson: Yeah, this year is one that you're not ready to get home and rip it off.
15:28
Amanda Henson: Cuz every woman has that issue when they're ready to get home, they want to take that off and that be the first thing that they take off.
15:37
Amanda Henson: We have yet to hear anybody say that they were ready to rip it off.
15:40
Amanda Henson: So it was very awesome to hear, that these women are not only liking it, but they're loving it to the point that we've had several come back and get every color that we have.
15:52
Carmen Hecox: Wow, and so right now you are only an online store, is that correct?
15:57
Amanda Henson: Yes, right now we are only online, through our website.
16:01
Amanda Henson: We are three years old, so we're working on getting our name out there and getting to all those ladies who need our help.
16:10
Amanda Henson: Who need something and who cry out that they want something that is comfortable, that is supportive, that makes them feel confident when they put it on.
16:19
Amanda Henson: So we're reaching those ladies right now
16:21
Carmen Hecox: So, when you say you're reaching those ladies, what is the smallest size that you carry?
16:28
Amanda Henson: So we have more of like a mix and match size.
16:31
Amanda Henson: And what I mean by that is you can choose your band and then choose your bust.
16:35
Amanda Henson: Where we're kind of use of all of the sister sizes this is not.
16:40
Amanda Henson: This allows you, if you are a 32 and you need a bigger cup, something like a G H I all the way to an m.
16:49
Amanda Henson: You can choose that.
16:51
Amanda Henson: We allowed you that ability to choose that.
16:55
Amanda Henson: Because we understand that just because you have a full bust doesn't mean that your band size is gonna be just a regular band size or larger.
17:05
Amanda Henson: That sometimes you ladies are smaller in the band and need a bigger cup size.
17:10
Amanda Henson: So, we allow that so that way you don't have to go and search all over trying to find one.
17:16
Amanda Henson: We make it very easy for you not only to get that comfort and support, but to also get that size that you've been longing for.
17:24
Carmen Hecox: And for some people, cuz like I said, there are a lot of women out there that don't even know what size they really are.
17:29
Carmen Hecox: They just kind of grab something and put it on.
17:32
Carmen Hecox: How would someone go about understanding what their true band size is and what their true cup size should be?
17:41
Carmen Hecox: Because you've done tons of research, so I consider you an expert.
17:45
Amanda Henson: We do offer a measuring kit.
17:47
Amanda Henson: So if you go to our website, we offer a free measuring kit so that way we can help you out.
17:53
Amanda Henson: Not only that, we go above and beyond.
17:55
Amanda Henson: If you need a virtual fitting, you get it with myself.
17:58
Amanda Henson: We work to get your proper fit.
18:01
Amanda Henson: Because so many women are uneducated on the measuring.
18:06
Amanda Henson: We're trying to reach out to everyone and say, Hey, let's get you measured.
18:10
Amanda Henson: Even if that, at least you know, and you are confident when you go into a store, you know what to look for.
18:15
Amanda Henson: You know how your breast and everything, the size and all the shape, you know, those things.
18:21
Amanda Henson: So, when you do that, we educate you on that.
18:24
Amanda Henson: So that way, you know.
18:26
Amanda Henson: And there's also companies out there who will do virtual fittings as well.
18:29
Amanda Henson: So, definitely we encourage seeking out those.
18:33
Amanda Henson: Make sure you take advantage of that.
18:35
Amanda Henson: And before ordering any bras from any company that you measure, and that way you know your size, you know your body and you're not put in the incorrect sizes.
18:46
Carmen Hecox: How does someone go about understanding what their cup size should be?
18:50
Carmen Hecox: I know that we've talked about it where there's some people that, have what you call spillage.
18:54
Carmen Hecox: I think that was the term that you had used before.
18:57
Amanda Henson: We have a standardized measuring.
18:59
Amanda Henson: It's a place to start, is what a lot of us call it.
19:02
Amanda Henson: And you wanna measure your band under bust and that allows you to get your band.
19:08
Amanda Henson: Then you want to go across the fullest part of your breast and everything to get that size and that's your bus size.
19:16
Amanda Henson: So when you're finding your cup, you wanna take that bus size and then that under bust size.
19:21
Amanda Henson: So that full bust minus the under bust and then ours starts like if you're double D, it's like, five inch difference.
19:30
Amanda Henson: So you wanna get the that difference, and it tells you the volume.
19:34
Amanda Henson: Now it is not a hundred percent because every woman is different.
19:39
Amanda Henson: So if you get a size that does it fit.
19:42
Amanda Henson: That's why we encourage that you have 30 days to try it on for free.
19:46
Amanda Henson: Take the tags off, try it, wear it, wash it, do all the things, test it out.
19:53
Amanda Henson: And then if it does not work for you, we can exchange it.
19:56
Amanda Henson: We can get you a different size.
19:57
Amanda Henson: We can work to get that size that you need.
20:00
Amanda Henson: Because we understand it is a big challenge that women face on a day-to-day basis is measuring.
20:06
Amanda Henson: And it's because each brand, each company is different
20:11
Carmen Hecox: And I know that you had talked about this before, that when you were doing your research and development for your bra, you went through a lot of, different, manufacturers or, companies that were putting it together, putting your design together.
20:25
Carmen Hecox: Can you talk a little bit about what you were looking for as far as quality?
20:30
Amanda Henson: For the quality, I looked for the stitching.
20:33
Amanda Henson: Will it hold up?
20:34
Amanda Henson: Is it gonna break if I wear it?
20:36
Amanda Henson: If I'm active in it as a mom.
20:39
Amanda Henson: On ours we have the backside having the zipper, you don't want it to rub.
20:44
Amanda Henson: So we wanted those things.
20:46
Amanda Henson: Okay, is this going to be an irritation?
20:49
Amanda Henson: Is it going to be hot?
20:50
Amanda Henson: Am I going to be able to move or breathe in it?
20:54
Amanda Henson: We wanted, specific things, so we were vetting manufacturers, very thoroughly.
21:00
Amanda Henson: Because at first it was not an easy start.
21:03
Amanda Henson: We did have a lot of issues due to, the pandemic happening.
21:08
Amanda Henson: Everybody was making gowns.
21:10
Amanda Henson: So when they looked at ours, they didn't wanna do it.
21:13
Amanda Henson: A lot of people didn't realize that ours, didn't include wires.
21:17
Amanda Henson: So then they kept telling us, Hey, you have to have a certain, machine to make a bra.
21:22
Amanda Henson: And we're like, no, you can make this.
21:24
Amanda Henson: There's no wire that's included.
21:27
Amanda Henson: This is all on the material and the design as far as comfort and support.
21:33
Amanda Henson: And so we had that issue.
21:35
Amanda Henson: Then we had when we put it on, it didn't fit right.
21:38
Amanda Henson: We went back and forth through several samples trying to get it perfect.
21:43
Amanda Henson: Not only that, it was the sizing, they thought we were absolutely insane.
21:48
Amanda Henson: We got turned away by a lot of people just because of the sizing we wanted to offer.
21:53
Carmen Hecox: Because you wanted to offer to women that had this big need to find comfort in their size.
22:00
Amanda Henson: Yeah.
22:01
Amanda Henson: So it was very difficult, being told no so many times.
22:05
Amanda Henson: It did feel as if we weren't gonna get anywhere.
22:10
Amanda Henson: And then all kind of fell in place when we found the manufacturer we have now.
22:15
Amanda Henson: And so if I have a problem, if I have a issue or anything, they make sure that they get it done for me right then and there.
22:22
Amanda Henson: They don't wait, they get it done.
22:24
Amanda Henson: If I don't see something, but they do, they go ahead and fix it.
22:29
Amanda Henson: One is testing out that lining to make it more breathable.
22:33
Amanda Henson: Those are the things, those are the innovation that we continue and we thrive for, is because we want to give them different, we don't wanna give them the same thing because they can go out and buy what's already out there.
22:47
Amanda Henson: If they don't want any change, that's okay.
22:50
Amanda Henson: But those women who are truly seeking change and truly seeking something that's going to fit them, we're where you come.
22:58
Amanda Henson: Because our focus is on the change.
23:02
Amanda Henson: We want you to be confident, be comfortable, and be happy with what you do and what you get.
23:09
Carmen Hecox: Mm-hmm.
23:10
Carmen Hecox: Yeah, and I think that what's unique about you is that you are the biggest critic.
23:15
Carmen Hecox: You're the one that had a need that wasn't being addressed.
23:19
Carmen Hecox: So, you went out and built a product to fulfill your need and so you know exactly what you were looking for.
23:28
Carmen Hecox: And so you can go back to, the manufacturer and say, no, this is just like, the big box store selling the product.
23:36
Carmen Hecox: I went out and I created my own product because I needed this.
23:39
Carmen Hecox: And so you maintained consistent at peeling away as, this is what I need, this is what I need.
23:44
Carmen Hecox: And you can go back and say, you're not fixing what I need.
23:48
Carmen Hecox: So I think that's really good.
23:49
Carmen Hecox: that you're the person who is, in there, taking it back to the manufacturer before you actually take it out to the general public and let women test it or try it.
24:00
Amanda Henson: We actually offer, a tester program so I can test it all day long, but we want it on real women out there who are struggling.
24:10
Amanda Henson: And so we have adapted the tester program to where these women who are struggling, who really want to try something and everything, they come back and they give us their feedback.
24:21
Amanda Henson: If they go like, this isn't working out, I'm this size and we are scrambling to get that taken care of right away.
24:29
Amanda Henson: Like, let's fix this before it goes out to production.
24:32
Amanda Henson: So not only is it getting my point of view, but it's getting the point of view of other women out there who are struggling.
24:39
Amanda Henson: Not just here in the US we've reached out to the UK, I've had testers in the UK, and it's the same thing I'm finding that this isn't just a problem here in the States, it's all over the world.
24:53
Amanda Henson: It's people from Philippines, Australia, Asia area.
24:58
Amanda Henson: I've had people from Zimbabwe all tell me the exact same thing that I'm struggling with.
25:04
Amanda Henson: And when I first started this, it was, okay, well maybe I'm alone.
25:09
Amanda Henson: I don't know.
25:09
Amanda Henson: Let's see.
25:10
Amanda Henson: And then I started talking to people and realized it was a lot bigger than me.
25:16
Carmen Hecox: Yeah so, I know that, you talked about, you're not only helping women with a particular need, but you're also giving back to the community.
25:23
Carmen Hecox: Can you talk a little bit about that?
25:26
Amanda Henson: Yeah, so one of the things that I wanted to do was not only to help, full bust women, who can actually afford a bra, but those who are in need.
25:36
Amanda Henson: So I reached out to the Bra Recyclers, and La Plantureuse is an ambassador for them, the Bra Recyclers.
25:43
Amanda Henson: Which gives back to the community.
25:45
Amanda Henson: So you go and if you have gently used bras, right now they also offer, like they call it an Undie Chest, which is new underwear as well.
25:54
Amanda Henson: So not only is it bras, but it's underwear as well.
25:57
Amanda Henson: And you donate them to this foundation.
26:00
Amanda Henson: And this foundation reaches out to women who, are in battered shelters who are running away from domestic violence.
26:08
Amanda Henson: All of these women out there who are struggling to get up on their feet.
26:13
Amanda Henson: It's one less thing that they have to worry about.
26:15
Amanda Henson: And it also uncluttered our closet and makes us feel good when we can help other women.
26:22
Carmen Hecox: Yeah, I know that, when you're in a situation like the women that you've become an ambassador to help.
26:27
Carmen Hecox: Buying lingerie or underwear, bras.
26:30
Carmen Hecox: Is probably the last thing you think about because you're probably thinking more about putting a roof over your child's head or being safe or, being in a safe environment, feeding yourself.
26:39
Carmen Hecox: Those are probably things that you think about are more important than buying a bra.
26:43
Carmen Hecox: So it's so nice to know that you're an ambassador with an organization who is saying, we got you, we'll take care of that need so that you can focus on the other stuff.
26:55
Amanda Henson: Yeah, cause ultimately La Plantureuse is here to help women all around.
26:59
Amanda Henson: It doesn't matter, your status quo, it doesn't matter any of that.
27:03
Amanda Henson: We want to make a difference, not only here in the United States, but in the world.
27:08
Amanda Henson: And that's originally what this was set out for.
27:12
Amanda Henson: Whenever we wanted to do it, it wasn't just to satisfy me, it was to make a big difference for everyone out there.
27:21
Amanda Henson: Because we are honestly stronger together and we can make things happen when we stand together.
27:28
Amanda Henson: And so that's why I make it a point to get up every day, being a mom of three and come and speak to you and your audience and everything, because I want everyone to know that there is an option out there.
27:44
Amanda Henson: You don't have to settle.
27:47
Carmen Hecox: Yeah.
27:47
Carmen Hecox: And you're giving women their confidence back because that should be the last thing they're worried about.
27:52
Carmen Hecox: You're giving them comfort so they can feel confident.
27:56
Carmen Hecox: They shouldn't have to be worried about, I don't wanna wear this blouse cuz it doesn't make me look right.
28:01
Carmen Hecox: You're providing a product out there that is going to allow women to wear anything confidently and feel good about themselves and worry about other things and not body image.
28:12
Amanda Henson: Self-love is something that I truly had to learn.
28:16
Amanda Henson: I was very young.
28:17
Amanda Henson: at the time I was developing, as far as my breasts.
28:21
Amanda Henson: I also had hypothyroidism, and it caused an issue with my body image.
28:29
Amanda Henson: And it was one that when things didn't fit me right, if they didn't feel right, I did not want to go out.
28:35
Amanda Henson: I looked in the mirror and cried many days because I was unhappy with what I seen in the mirror.
28:41
Amanda Henson: And so with our products, we want them to have a personality.
28:45
Amanda Henson: So no one ever feels that way.
28:47
Amanda Henson: We want that whenever you put on La Plantureuse, you know that you are gonna feel amazing that day, that you are not gonna have to worry about it.
28:57
Amanda Henson: And that, that's one less thing that is in your mind.
29:01
Carmen Hecox: Mm-hmm.
29:02
Carmen Hecox: And, so right now people can find you online.
29:05
Carmen Hecox: Purchase your product online.
29:07
Carmen Hecox: They can, schedule an online fitting or, is that what you called it, an online fitting with you to try to figure out their size?
29:14
Amanda Henson: They can schedule a virtual fitting,
29:16
Carmen Hecox: Oh a virtual fitting?
29:17
Amanda Henson: Is what we call it.
29:18
Carmen Hecox: And, the colors that you have available right now.
29:22
Amanda Henson: I have pink, which is a very hot pink with a blue trim.
29:27
Amanda Henson: We call it cotton candy.
29:28
Amanda Henson: We have a purple with a black trim.
29:30
Amanda Henson: It's a beautiful, it's almost kind of like plum, but we call it voodoo.
29:35
Amanda Henson: And then we had a royal blue with a white trim.
29:38
Amanda Henson: And again, we started out with like plain colors, like black and nude and all.
29:44
Amanda Henson: And they just were not as appealing at first as these were with these very, bright colors because we wanted to offer something that you can't go out and get them.
29:56
Carmen Hecox: You have a design out and you have three colors available.
30:00
Carmen Hecox: What's in the future for La Plantureuse?
30:03
Amanda Henson: We are actually, at the drawing board and working on a wired front closure.
30:10
Amanda Henson: Again, like I said, we do not like me personally for sure, do not like, hooking it in the back.
30:17
Amanda Henson: So our goal is to keep all our bras front closure.
30:21
Amanda Henson: So we are actually working on a wired.
30:24
Amanda Henson: We are kind of in between a mesh or mesh and lace or lace, you know, to give that sex appeal, give that sexy feeling that when they put this on, not only does it fit, it looks amazing, it's something that you would see out on a runway somewhere.
30:41
Amanda Henson: We want them to have what they can't right now.
30:47
Carmen Hecox: Because the sizes are hard to come by, and so you're giving people the size and yet The intimacy of being a girl.
30:58
Carmen Hecox: So that's what's coming in the future?
30:59
Amanda Henson: Yes, that is what is in the future.
31:01
Amanda Henson: We are also looking at, other things like sets because that has been one of the concerns with the full bust is, okay, we can get this, but the bottoms are too big.
31:15
Amanda Henson: Well, why not do it separate?
31:16
Amanda Henson: Why not allow them that customized option of choosing.
31:22
Amanda Henson: Because if I had that option, because I am bigger in the top, but I'm not as big at the bottom.
31:27
Amanda Henson: So my bottoms are not gonna be as big.
31:31
Amanda Henson: So it, we're not a one size fits all.
31:33
Amanda Henson: And that's really one of the biggest things, is allowing people to get exactly what they're looking for and not have that one size fits all, or that generic sizes.
31:43
Amanda Henson: I don't wanna be put in the category of two x three x just because of my top.
31:48
Amanda Henson: Because I'm not.
31:50
Amanda Henson: And so that's why we want to allow that flexibility and give them that customization, so that way we can continue keeping that confidence up and continue that support, that comfort, and give them exactly what they want.
32:05
Carmen Hecox: So, Amanda, tell me what is the proper way to care for your bra?
32:10
Amanda Henson: Well, whenever you care for your bra, you want to hand wash it.
32:14
Amanda Henson: If you put it in the washing machine or the dryer, or you use like fabric softeners and stuff, those things break down the material, that is used to construct your bra.
32:24
Amanda Henson: So hand washing is the best.
32:26
Amanda Henson: If you read the labels, they will tell you mild detergent.
32:30
Amanda Henson: They will tell you to hand wash, lay flat to dry.
32:34
Amanda Henson: And that is because you want to make sure that your garment lasts.
32:39
Amanda Henson: The longevity of it, gets you more wears.
32:42
Amanda Henson: And so you don't wanna break down the material that is used to construct it.
32:47
Amanda Henson: Because that's why we have fraying of the straps, fraying of elastic bands.
32:53
Amanda Henson: Closures don't wanna work are they get gummed up.
32:57
Amanda Henson: You have fading.
32:58
Amanda Henson: Those are all things that are associated with washing it in the washing machine and in the dryer, and breaking it down, breaking that material down to where it doesn't fit properly.
33:10
Carmen Hecox: What about, storing it?
33:11
Carmen Hecox: Is there a particular way that you should be storing your bra and to get more life out of it?
33:17
Amanda Henson: There are several different ways.
33:19
Amanda Henson: Some ladies actually to keep from stretching out the straps.
33:23
Amanda Henson: They will turn it upside down and hang it from its band instead of hanging it from the strap, because again, gravity is going to pull, so it's going to pull those straps down and you're gonna stretch it out and you don't wanna do that.
33:37
Amanda Henson: So if you do hang it, you want to at least, flip it over, hang it from its band so that way you're not, you know, allowing those straps to be stretched out you're allowing them to kind of come back together and everything.
33:51
Amanda Henson: Allow the elastic to go back to what's normal shape.
33:54
Amanda Henson: But the best way to store it is to actually lay it flat, lay it in a drawer, have it to where it is at a normal resting place.
34:05
Carmen Hecox: So, like a lot of times when you go into department stores, like, lingerie department stores like Victoria's Secret, you often will see where they have them laying, kind of, laying with the cups upward and they're kind of stacked.
34:18
Carmen Hecox: Is that kind of like the proper way to, to store care for your bra?
34:22
Amanda Henson: Uh, Yes, whenever you do lay them, you don't want to, if they have wire, you do not wanna fold them in and out, because what you're doing is between wire and the padding.
34:32
Amanda Henson: The padding especially, it will ripple after so long.
34:35
Amanda Henson: So you don't want it to do that.
34:37
Amanda Henson: You want it to be in its normal setting.
34:41
Amanda Henson: So if it's outward, it needs to stay outward.
34:44
Amanda Henson: You don't wanna flip it in.
34:45
Amanda Henson: You don't wanna sort it like that because again, it's all about the longevity.
34:49
Amanda Henson: And then also whenever you fold it, you're causing the wires to push through the material.
34:55
Amanda Henson: So you don't wanna do that either.
34:57
Amanda Henson: You want to get the most wears out of your under garment.
35:01
Carmen Hecox: How long should a bra typically last?
35:05
Amanda Henson: If it is made with high quality materials and everything, they typically last anywhere between six months to a year.
35:13
Amanda Henson: But the way to get that longevity out of them is not to wear them back after back.
35:19
Amanda Henson: If you wear one bra and you wear it the next day, you're not allowing the elastics to go back to n normal shape.
35:25
Amanda Henson: So you want to alternate, you wanna have multiple bras and you want to alternate them.
35:31
Carmen Hecox: If I understand you correctly, so if I wore, let's say, my pink bra today then what, I let it rest for one day and maybe wear it the next day.
35:41
Amanda Henson: You wanna try to allow it to rest one to two days.
35:45
Amanda Henson: So that way, again, the elastic can go back to its normal shape.
35:50
Amanda Henson: So that way it's not stretched out.
35:52
Amanda Henson: You don't break those fibers because if you've ever used like a hair tie and you keep using it over and over again, you start seeing the bands pop, or it gets really, really stretched.
36:03
Amanda Henson: And that's what you're doing with that elastic band, with those shoulder straps that are elastic.
36:08
Amanda Henson: And those are the things you don't wanna do is break all of those fibers in there because then it loses its elasticity.
36:16
Amanda Henson: It won't come back to shape, it won't fit you as well.
36:19
Amanda Henson: And then you get, a little upset that you have a bra that doesn't fit you very well.
36:25
Carmen Hecox: And, and I remember, somebody, I can't remember if I read about this or someone told me this, that it's, as long as you didn't sweat, it's okay to wear that bra again without it being washed.
36:36
Carmen Hecox: Is that correct or incorrect?
36:38
Amanda Henson: I do personally, I do wear it more than once, unless I have really, really sweated.
36:45
Amanda Henson: I typically wash my bras, once a week, but I have several of them.
36:50
Amanda Henson: So they may get one wear out of that week.
36:54
Amanda Henson: I have about five or six, due to being a a bra company, I test them out, I put them through the, the test.
37:03
Amanda Henson: Now I do test the washing machine versus hand washing, so that way I can show, the difference between the two.
37:10
Amanda Henson: And I do have some that are stretched out that don't fit me very well.
37:14
Amanda Henson: Because I've put them in the washing machine instead of hand washing them.
37:18
Amanda Henson: I've even had a red bra bleed onto a purple bra, so now I have spots on it.
37:25
Amanda Henson: So I have that experience to share it with people you don't want them to touch, even if they're slightly damp, because it doesn't matter what you do.
37:34
Amanda Henson: The red bra will always bleed, though the material may not fade.
37:39
Amanda Henson: It still bleeds.
37:41
Carmen Hecox: Mm-hmm.
37:41
Carmen Hecox: Yeah.
37:42
Carmen Hecox: Very true.
37:43
Carmen Hecox: Yeah.
37:43
Carmen Hecox: Okay.
37:44
Carmen Hecox: And so where can people learn more about you?
37:47
Amanda Henson: We have a Instagram, that you can look us up, on Instagram, if you go and do backslash La Plantureuse LLC.
37:56
Amanda Henson: We have Facebook, which is, backslash, La Plantureuse you'll find us.
38:01
Amanda Henson: We have a TikTok, which is at La Plantureuse.
38:04
Amanda Henson: All of those are good places to go and see more about it.
38:09
Amanda Henson: We're actually working on a behind the brand if you want to hear more about my story and then we have our website, which is laplantureuse.com, that you can go, you can order, you can find those measuring kits.
38:22
Amanda Henson: You can contact us and when you contact us, you contact me directly.
38:27
Amanda Henson: So that way you don't have to go searching, all over.
38:32
Amanda Henson: We have those things, made it readily accessible for you.
38:37
Carmen Hecox: Perfect.
38:38
Carmen Hecox: Amanda, thank you so much for coming on the show.
38:41
Carmen Hecox: I do appreciate your time and I know that the little ones are dying to have Mom back.
38:47
Carmen Hecox: I will make sure to include all of your links on my show notes.
38:53
Carmen Hecox: That way if people want to find out where they can, learn more about you, they can find all that information in the show notes.
39:00
Carmen Hecox: Again, thank you so much for being on.
39:04
Amanda Henson: Thank you for having me.
39:06
Amanda Henson: I appreciate it.
39:07
Carmen Hecox: Don't you just admire a woman who found a need, and since no other maker could fulfill her need, she took matters into her own hands and started her own company.
39:17
Carmen Hecox: I absolutely admire Amanda's passion for creating her own bra to help other women just like herself wear comfortable fitting bras.
39:27
Carmen Hecox: Designed for full busted women.
39:30
Carmen Hecox: Amanda Henson and LA Plantureuse information and this episodes transcripts can be found at createthebestme.com/ep016.
39:43
Carmen Hecox: If this topic resonated with you, please subscribe to stay updated.
39:48
Carmen Hecox: Join me next week as we'll dive into the topic of grief and loss.
39:52
Carmen Hecox: This episode is packed with actionable steps, so you don't want to miss out.
39:56
Carmen Hecox: Until next time, keep dreaming big, take care of yourself and remember, you are beautiful, strong, and capable of creating the best version of yourself.
40:08
Carmen Hecox: Thank you for watching, catch you next time, bye for now.