Marian Tar, one of the co-founders of underwear store Attractiv. (source: SME - Marko Erd)
"A woman wearing a bra that doesn't fit her is visible at first glance," says MARIAN TAR for the daily SME, one of the co-owners of the Attractiv stores, which sell underwear and offer professional bra fitting.
"This is the reality of most Slovak women. Also, if you look carefully, you will find that most women walk while hunched. Often the reason is not that they are ashamed of their large or small breasts, but that they are wearing the wrong bra."
Your store is dedicated to the sale of underwear, mainly offering bra-fitting and bras in brick-and-mortar stores. On social media, you also try to explain to women why it is important to choose a bra carefully. Have you ever encountered any hate over a man tackling this issue?
Not at all. Well, I was a little hesitant when I first had the opportunity to come out of anonymity. I did so and thus far there has not been a single negative response to the fact that men are behind the Attractiv brand. One could say that it's interesting for marketing purposes. Even though men are behind the brand, you will not see us in stores or at a bra-fitting. There are only women in the stores.
Ever since we opened a brick-and-mortar store, I realised that women really know very little about bras and sizing. Most of the time, they have no idea how to wear a bra correctly, how it should fit, what cut is suitable for certain breasts. There has been a lack of awareness on this topic for a long time, and women really have no way of knowing.
Can an expert tell at first glance that a customer who has just entered the store is wearing the wrong size?
A woman wearing a bra that doesn't fit her is visible at first glance. Highly pressed breasts, compressed breasts, breasts at the level of the belly or various other aesthetic imperfections are the reality of most Slovak women. Also, if you look carefully, you will find that most women walk while hunched. Often the reason is not that they are ashamed of their large or small breasts, but that they are wearing the wrong bra. And they know it subconsciously.
What do you think are the biggest benefits of wearing a bra?
A well-fitting bra has many health benefits. When breasts are large, heavy and lack support, women often experience pain in various parts of their body: neck, back, spine and even joints. It can also give you a headache. If a woman has the right bra, it forces her to straighten up a bit. Many times, customers return and say that when they bought the right bra, people around them immediately noticed their more upright, more confident posture.
If breasts are not supported, they will start to fall. Many women think that if they have small breasts, they don't need a bra. That is a myth. Older customers also come to us, and most say that if someone could have told them when they were young how their breasts would look at old age, they would have not gone without a bra.
Why is it that women know so little about bras?
