Zyrra: The Triumph of Science And Coding Over Ill-Fitting Bras

Here’s the best way I know to figure out what your bra size is: go to the most expensive department store around. Find the tiniest, oldest lady with the coldest hands and the thickest accent in the lingerie department, and get her to fit you. Accept whatever size she says you are because she would know, having seen every kind of boob under the sun. Still have to try on any new style of bra to make sure it fits properly.

At least that’s worked for me. But the day draws closer to when the powers of modern science and programming may actually be leveraged against the more-than-a-century-old practice of getting fitted for a bra. From The Next Web:

Zyrra’s system takes 10 measurements including the bust and band, the wire, the depth of the cup, the bridge, across the upper chest, the nape to waist, and “nip to nip” using a a highly adjustable fitting bra. The measurements are then entered into Ohly’s patent pending software that creates a cutting pattern unique to those measurements and the bra fits perfectly, guaranteed. Otherwise Zyrra will remake a bra or issue a refund.

The idea is once you’ve been measured for a bra, then you’re in the database and Zyrra becomes a web only company. Ohly combined his background in CAD based architecture, coding and web programming to create Zyrra’s measurement software.

The current model is based on getting women to throw tupperware parties, of sorts, where a Zyrra representative gets all of their measurements, and then they can order one of three colors of bra to their hearts content.

While the selection of bra styles on offer doesn’t impress me (everybody needs a well fitting strapless bra, it’s just one of those necessary implements life, like a drawer full of candles and emergency flashlights), Zyrra’s just starting out and are still raising money. The prices range from $55-$120, which isn’t too bad actually… for a bra that fits perfectly and is (hopefully) going to last a while.

The Next Web, of course, wants to know how long it’ll be before we just get to stand in the fitting room as a red laser beam caresses our most intimate places…

“This technology is on our radar,” says Ohly. “But there are two problems. Unlike getting measured for a pair of pants or shirt, you’re not measuring bone. You’re measuring something malleable, so you have to put it into the right place to measure it properly. The other issue is comfort. The majority of the population is more comfortable being measured with a friendly person with whom they have some rapport not a machine taking a picture of their bodies.

Yeah, I think I’ll stick with the ancient order of Cold Handed Lingerie Ladies for the moment.

(via The Next Web.)