Bravissimo and CoppaFeel! Big Boob-Love Club
At Bravissimo, we’re keen to do our bit for others and everyone who works for us has a say in the national charity we choose to support. This year, we’re pleased to announce that we’re supporting CoppaFeel! and we want our community to learn all about looking after their boobs on the inside and outside in the Big-Boob Love Club! At least 1 in 7 women will be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime, which means that every family, every workplace and every friendship circle could be affected so it’s super important to make sure that checking your chest becomes a life-long habit (not just for breast cancer awareness month!).
All about CoppaFeel!
CoppaFeel! was founded in 2009 by Kristin Hallenga (on the right) and her twin sister Maren. Kris was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer at the age of 23. After finding a lump at 22, living abroad in China for 8 months and eventually visiting her doctor 3 times, Kris was told the news that she had incurable breast cancer. Kris was unaware that breast cancer could affect people in their twenties and knew very little about the disease. It struck her that there was very little information out there for young people, educating them about the disease, how they could be looking after themselves and informing them that breast cancer doesn’t just affect women over 50.
Although Kris will always live with cancer, she wanted to get the message out there to young people that catching cancer early means you have a higher chance of surviving and recovering. She wanted people to learn from her story and become pro-active about their own health. The idea for CoppaFeel! was born.
Introducing… Georgie! Our resident CoppaFeel! Boobette!
We sat down with Georgie, CoppaFeel! Boobette! and recruitment manager here at Bravissimo to chat all about her breast cancer journey and how she is helping to uplift and empower lots of big-boobed women by becoming a Boobette for CoppaFeel!.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR BOOBS
Whatever your age or gender, knowing your body and being aware of the symptoms of breast cancer is really important and CoppaFeel! has lots of ways to help you.
Our Flora bralette
for Breast Cancer Awareness Month ~The Flora bralette doesn’t only support you but CoppaFeel! too! As part of the Big-Boob Love Club we’re excited to introduce our Flora bralette (a much-loved Bravissimo style!) in hot pink with 10% of all sales made from this style being donated to CoppaFeel!. Its non-wired support is designed to keep you feeling comfy and secure all day long (plus you can remember to check your chest whilst you’re wearing it!).
Supporting CoppaFeel! with Bra Recycling
Did you know we run a bra recycling scheme in all of our UK shops where you can donate bras to raise funds for CoppaFeel!? All you need to do is bring your old or unwanted bras in to one of our shops (it doesn’t matter what condition they’re in – honestly!) and put them in our bra recycling bins (or dump the old one you’ve been wearing while you treat yourself to a new one!). The bigger the bra the better! For every kg of bras we receive we donate to Coppafeel to support their wonderful work in highlighting the importance of checking your boobs and early breast cancer detection.
Currently we only support charities in the UK, but we would really like to support USA-based charities in the future so watch this space.
:Gemma & Katie's StoryCome Fly with Gi Trek
After my sister, Katie, was diagnosed with breast cancer, aged 39, I have been a huge supporter of CoppaFeel! and the work they do (so much so my ‘breast’ friends threw me a "Boob" themed 40th lockdown birthday party and donated to CoppaFeel! as their gift!) Anyway, I'd always eyed up their treks from a distance, I wasn't brave enough to actually do it, but this year, my sister took the plunge and signed us up!
I've never done anything like this before so it's way out of my comfort zone (both the camping and the trekking!) but if it gets one person checking their chest then I know the sweat, blood and blisters will be a small price to pay.
Now when it comes to my boobs, like many others, we've had a complicated relationship. The first time I got told I was a G cup I was about 19 and the shop assistant brought me in a choice of TWO bras! I walked out and cried. So, when I discovered Bravissimo it was a total game changer! My real love affair started when I went on my first girls holiday in 2004 and I brought vests and swimwear that actually made me feel confident and comfortable in my own skin! When Bravissimo opened their shop in London a couple of years later it was like finding heaven on earth! So much choice. No more "would you like that in beige or beige?". My boobs and my self-esteem have been indebted ever since!
Have a groove and check your boobs!
Nothing is more empowering than singing and dancing along to your favourite feel-good anthems! So, we thought we’d create a playlist full of our team’s favourite songs that make them feel empowered and uplifted in every way. So go on, have a groove and check your boobs!