Pattern Designer Profile ~ B,Wear

It's Bodil from B,Wear's turn to have a chat about lingerie making.  Read on below to find out Bodil's first lingerie related memory and the latest on B,Wear's business growth.

(I've recently made the Angie pattern from B,Wear and I have to say it was the easiest measuring system I've ever tried!) 

Q. ~ Tell us a little bit about the person behind B,Wear.

I am Bodil, 51, from Sweden, I live about 20 kilometers outside Stockholm with my husband. I am mum to Angelica, 31 and grandma to Olivia, 1,5 💚. I started making lingeries about 25 years ago when my daughter was little and I realised I wouldn't find any comfortable ones in the stores. When I started making my own bras there were no classes or communities to turn to so I am self taught by "learning by doing" and "trail and error". When my friends understood what I was up to they lined up for having me make them custom fitted bras and now many years and custom made bras later I am teaching women to make their own lingerie and have placed B,Wear on the map as a online store with good quality items.

Q. ~ You have two really well known and well loved bra patterns - have you got a personal favourite of the two? Or if you just can't choose then do you have a favourite material to make them in?
Thank you 💐
I like them both a lot but I think Angie has my heart a bit more because she is the first pattern I designed. A few years ago when visiting a lingerie fabric factory, I ran into a fabric called Lingerie Satin and fell in love with it, so I would say that is my favourite fabric for making Angie or Jessica's in. 😊

Q. ~ Your business tagline is 'by women for women' ~ how do you want women to feel when sewing and wearing your patterns?

Something that seem to be forgotten a lot is that we are all worth the same who ever we are or where ever we are so I really want them to feel proud, beautiful and meaningful when using and wearing my patterns.

Q. ~ B,Wear has recently grown with a new employee and new studio - how exciting! Can you tell us more about the thought process behind this and how you decided now was a good time to make changes?

To be honest, it is really simple - I had a choice - continue work 24/7 365 days per year and not see my grandchild grow up or make some big and drastic changes and keep my health in balance. The choice was easy to make :)
I asked our daughter Angelica if she was comfortable to take the chance with me and B,Wear and she said yes. The studio was a must as the "store" took over our home:). Both things are scary to make in the world we live in right now but necessary to make for me and all B,Wears customers ❤

Q. ~ We are approaching the end of 2020 now. Have you started planning some goals for 2021 or do you prefer to just let things naturally evolve?

I don't believe in planning too much because you never know what will turn up around the corner, like the pandemic this year that turned everything around, so I do both - I let things naturally evolve together with some planned goals 😊.

Q. ~ And looking back into the past, what is your earliest lingerie related memory?

That has to be when I was 12 years old and I got my breasts over summer break and came back to school being the only one wearing a bra (that was really really ugly) and we all know how mean children and grownups can be over things they under don't understand and can't control.

Q. ~ Do you have a motto or sewing/designing rule that you live by?

To be true to my ideas and believe in myself and my knowledge :)

Q. ~ And for the non sewing related question....how do you unwind? (If you aren't sewing and creating that is!)

This is very new for me as I have under a very very long only been working 24/7 to build up my company but I will try to spend time with my husband, family and friends and enjoy time with my grand daughter ❤

Thank you so much Bodil!  Your comments on business growth are so relatable, particularly for us one-person-bands where it's so easy to just keep on working more and more, and harder and harder and put off the decision on whether you need to hire help instead!  All the best to you and Angelica and the business!

You can find out more about B,Wear and the Angie and Jessica patterns here:

https://www.bwear.se

https://www.etsy.com/se-en/shop/BodilsWear

And follow along on Instagram here:

@bwear.se