Holding steady
Madison’s
Marx designs,
markets bras for generously endowed
Key to success is diversity of sizing
By
Konnie McCollum
Staff Writer
(November 2008) – Every woman has experienced
at some point the discomfort of an ill-fitting bra, particularly when
exercising. An uncomfortable bra can even distract and negatively affect
the performance of some athletes.
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Photo
by Konnie McCollum Barbara
Marx markets her Fabulous |
After years of suffering, Madison, Ind., resident and
entrepreneur Barbara Marx, an avid athlete herself, decided to create
a line of athletic bras that offer both maximum support and comfort
for women who need larger-sized bras. Her Fabulous Athletic Bras LLC
is geared toward women who find it difficult to shop in traditional
bra shops and outlets.
Barbara, 55, and her husband, Martin, 54, developed and designed the
innovative bra while living in the mountains of southwest Idaho, where
they enjoyed whitewater rafting, running, cross country skiing, show
shoeing and hiking. Martin has worked for more than 30 years as a mechanical
engineer, while Barbara, who has a master’s degree in Organizational
Management, has been an entrepreneur for years. She owned a bridal shop
for five years in Albuquerque, N.M., and also spent several years as
a bra fitter for Nordstrom stores in Portland, Ore.
Barbara and Martin were on vacation in 2004 in Hawaii when she decided
to go jogging. As usual, there were women out running and exercising
in attractive sports bra and shorts. She complained to Martin that there
were no such bras available for the more heavily endowed women.
“At that point, he challenged me to research and find any sport
bra that was both attractive and comfortable for larger chested women,”she
said. “I did extensive research and found there were no such bras
available for women wearing Triple D cups or higher.”
In order for a bra to work properly, the band, which is the foundation
of support, must work together with the straps, explained Barbara. The
band should not move more than a quarter of an inch. Compression is
a must for support in a sports bra in order to prevent bounce.
“The bounce can be painful, damaging and distracting if not held
in check,” she said.
She and Martin got to work. With her knowledge of how bras should fit,
and his engineering and design background, it wasn’t long before
they created the Fabulous Athletic Bra. Their unique design involves
layers of power mesh in the cup that helps control movement. The larger
the cup, the more layers of power mesh. B cup bras have two layers of
power mesh, while H cups have four layers of power mesh.
“The key to our success is the diversity of our sizing,” said
Barbara. “We cover women up to size H. Those women have had to
wear two and three bras in the past to exercise and suffer miserably.”
She works with each individual customer to ensure she has a custom fit.
Her business is thriving, with orders coming in from all over the country
and England and Canada. She said her top market is for women involved
in equestrian sports such as dressage and jumping.
The Marxes recently moved from Idaho to Madison so Martin could take
a job with Grote Industries. Their small-volume manufacturing is still
operating out of Boise.
“We are looking for a large-volume manufacturer in the United States,”
said Barbara. “We plan to always be an American-made product.”
• For more information about Fabulous Athletic Bra, call (812) 274-4062 or visit: www.fabulousathleticbra.com.