The Bra Barrette

This fun and functional accessory is designed for use with any spaghetti strap tank top, bra or swimsuit.

• It prevents straps from sliding off your shoulders and helps give lift to your chest.
• Made from comfortable plastic that bends and flexes as you do.
• Easy to put on and take off.
• You can stop the unwelcome sight of bra straps beneath clothing by using a plain bra barrette to hold your straps in place.

With and Without Bra Barrette

The Story of The Bra Barrette

Lara Merriam-Smith with her husband, Edgar L. Smith, IV

It was the summer of 2006, and where I live in Northwest Washington it doesn’t often get hot, but that summer it was. One day as I sat there sweating without air conditioning, I reached over to pull up the straps on my tank top as they slipped off my shoulders, yet again, and I paused realizing how often I do this and how ridiculous it was. Why did I allow myself to continue in this never ending cycle? So I began experimenting with ways of keeping the straps in place; safety pins (ouch!), hair barrettes, string and rubber bands, all of which were effective, but uncomfortable and VERY unattractive. I started to believe there had to be a better way. I looked endlessly for an existing solution, but soon realized there wasn’t anything that would hold up my tank top straps that didn’t belong beneath my clothing on my bra. All I found were products that were always functional but not meant to be seen. At some point I decided I’d had enough, so I picked up a paper clip and started to bend it into different shapes, believing there had to be a way to create a simple to use clip of some kind that would not look horrendous. Eventually, after much trial and error, I realized I had created an attractive and functional spiral pattern.

Initially, I was bending copper wire by hand and adding other charms and decorations to my pieces to make them more attractive. I did this for six months or more, continuing to refine the size and shape of my product before taking the metal prototypes to a company who could create a mold of the product so it could be made from a durable, flexible and comfortable plastic. One day while I was sitting in front of the t.v. adding charms to my Bra Barrettes my husband suggested I should make it so the wearer could interchange the charm or decoration. I kissed him soundly, thanking him for the fabulous suggestion, knowing it was an idea that would serve my product well. After many months of trial and error in the color, shape and texture of plastic we finally found the right combination. Once I had the first run of plastic bra barrettes I began the laborious task of marketing a new product. This was not easy considering I already had a job teaching Geography at the local community college and university. I worked when I could, weekends and evenings that I wasn’t grading papers or writing lectures I was learning to do sales and run a business. The first six months of door to door sales didn’t go well, people liked the product but it was the wrong season to be selling a warm weather fashion accessory. So I decided to have patience and wait till the beginning of the new year and try my hand at selling Bra Barrettes through trade shows, hoping to reach a larger audience without the constant rejection that goes with door to door sales.

The Bra Barrette debuted at the Portland Gift and Accessories Show in January 2008 in Portland, Oregon. The response has been overwhelming. I am so glad to know so many people are interested in my product. I created it because I had a problem that I was tired of dealing with and in the process found that even women who don’t suffer from the bra strap slide have found the Bra Barrette to be a useful. For some who are not so well endowed in the chest, as the straps are pulled up in back it has the affect of adding cleavage in front. For those who are, like myself, well endowed in the chest, it has the affect of keeping everything in place. For the younger generations, they just find it new, different and a fun way of expressing themselves. It’s my hope that all women find a way to use this in a variety of ways, for everyday use in keeping the bra strap slide at bay, during the summer when they want to show off their tan beneath strappy tops, I’ve even had people use it as a scarf clip. I’m always interested to see how people are using their bra barrettes, so show me how you wear your Bra Barrette at www.brabarrette.com

It recently dawned on me that this spiral pattern has a long history of use by human populations. It is an ancient symbol often seen in petroglyphs around the southwest US and has been studies throughout the world for it’s association with ancient peoples. Having been raised in Oklahoma by a father who collected ancient artifacts, and no doubt facilitated my interest in anthropology and geography. It would seem this spiral pattern has hovered in my subconscious waiting for its rebirth in the form of a useful and unique new accessory that will hopefully revolutionize the way women wear their clothing in the 21st century.