What the Best Close-to-the-Body Brands Get Right

Suzy Wakefield
3 days ago
4 min read

A year-end look at brands building real product advantage

For the final blog post of the year, I wanted to step back from frameworks and tactics and instead highlight brands that are doing something genuinely strong in the close-to-the-body space and in thoughtful extensions of it.

Close to the body does not only mean bras or underwear. It includes categories like sleep and lounge where the relationship between fabric, fit, comfort, and emotion is still intimate, even if the garment is not compressive or engineered in the same way. Pajamas, when done well, are still experienced directly on the skin and still demand rigor.

Some of the brands below I have been deeply involved with. Others I admire from afar. All of them share a meaningful advantage: their differentiation is built into the product itself, not layered on afterward through storytelling.

Growth is never fully controllable. Product clarity is. When consumers are actively searching for pieces that solve a real need or deliver something they cannot find elsewhere, these brands win because they offer specificity, not generality.

Across categories, they share a few essential traits:

A clear USP that informs every decision
A fabric-first mindset
A strong understanding that aesthetics and innovation must work together

Like any good partnership, the workload is not always evenly split. Some collections lean harder on aesthetic leadership. Others are driven by innovation. The success comes from never letting one outrun the other.

Siren and Sage

Layered support without sacrificing style

This brand is near and dear to my design heart. Siren and Sage is built around a deceptively complex promise: layered support that feels modern, wearable, and relevant across ages and lifestyles.

What makes them stand out is not a single hero piece, but how the garments work together. The system offers versatility across occasions while quietly dispelling the long-standing assumption that support must look utilitarian.

That clarity only works when it is protected relentlessly. Every fitting, every design decision, every outward-facing idea has to answer back to the original product brief. When fashion becomes the goal rather than the tool, integrity slips. Siren and Sage understand this, and it shows.

Evelyn & Bobbie

Comfort as a technical achievement, not a compromise

Evelyn and Bobbie have long been known for wire-free bras that truly support fuller busts without discomfort. This is not an aesthetic shortcut. It is a technical accomplishment.

Founder Bree McKeen built the brand using her own unmet needs as a north star, and that discipline continues to guide product evolution. This year, the introduction of lace was a critical moment. Not as decoration, but as an expansion that respected the core engineering while offering the customer something she had been asking for.

It is a strong example of how brands can evolve without abandoning what made them trusted in the first place. Serve your core customer better first. Then expand with intention.

Eberjey

Why a pajama is never just a pajama

“A PJ is a PJ” is one of the fastest ways to misunderstand this category. From the beginning, founders Mariela Rovito and Ali Mejia have shown that differentiation can live at the intersection of aesthetic restraint, fabric quality, and emotional resonance.

Eberjey continues to stand apart in a crowded market by staying disciplined. Fabric leads. Design follows closely behind. The results are ongoing collections that feel elevated without being precious and considered without being stiff.

Their longevity is not accidental. It is the result of consistently choosing quality and clarity over trend chasing.

Negative Underwear

A brand that knows exactly who it is for

Negative has one of the clearest north stars in the intimate space. Their fabrics are unexpected. Their silhouettes are wearable yet unmistakably theirs. That quiet confidence has become a recognizable visual signature.

Their marketing works because the product works. Without a distinct product point of view, the messaging would have nothing to stand on.

There is an implicit sensuality and ease built into their core styles, which is precisely why they resonate. They have proven that being fashion-forward does not have to be confusing. The fundamentals are strong, understandable, and exceptionally well executed. And still my favorite triangle bra on the market.

Gymshark

Relentless focus after hard-earned lessons

Gymshark is a brand and founder I have admired for years. In interviews, Ben Francis is refreshingly open about early missteps in both product and marketing direction. What stands out is how clearly he identifies the turning point.

Once the brand returned to its central focus, serving gym-obsessed men and women with products designed specifically for strength training, everything aligned. Not generically active. Not lifestyle-led. But deeply rooted in how people actually train.

Every stitch, seam placement, and fabric choice reflected that clarity. The broader assortment came later, after the foundation was solid. That order matters. Their success is not just about scale. It is about discipline.

The common thread

Product clarity is the real advantage.

These brands look different. They serve different customers. They operate in different price points and categories. What unites them is clarity.

They know who they are for, what problem they are solving, and why their solution is meaningfully better. Aesthetics and innovation are never fighting for attention. They are working together, even when one leads.

As I move into more focused, monthly topics in the new year, this is the idea I want founders to sit with: uniqueness is not a tagline. It is a practice. When it is built into the product itself, everything else has a fighting chance.

Book a call if you are developing a close-to-the-body garment and want clarity on how to balance aesthetics and innovation in your product development. A quick conversation can save you months of trial and error and help you avoid costly mistakes.