The elusive brown bra

(the bra featured is the new demi bra by Victoria's Secret)

(Note: We were unable to find a good picture of a woman of color in a brown bra...go figure)

If you are like me, shopping for bras in my skin tone is a special mission. For many, finding the right bra is already tough, let alone finding one that would be considered a "nude" on your skin tone. Yet, the marketplace continues to believe that women of darker skin tones don't shop for lingerie, so there is no need to sell bras in various shades of brown. 

I beg to differ, and so does the new campaign on Facebook, "What's Your Nude"? Tara Raines, a 31-year old psychologist in Los Angeles, started this campaign to prove to those controlling the lingerie market that there is in fact a need and a demand for bras in various shades of brown. As explained by WWD: 

Raines, who said black bras are her only option, noted that select bras in brown are available but are too expensive for her pocketbook.

“I’m a grad student so spending $100 or even $80 or $90 for an everyday bra in my skin tone is not in my budget.…I’m not sure if it’s because brown bras are not being stocked or if stores just carry a few styles and then are sold out,” said Raines.
She added, “I was horrified when I found out my mother had been dyeing bras all those years. It’s very disappointing this extra step has to be taken by women of color, and it also compromises the integrity of the product.…Now I understand why my mother was so good at dyeing my tights when I was growing up because there were no brown tights.”
To participate in the campaign, Raines said women should click the “like” tab at Facebook.com/morebrownbras, and contact their preferred bra manufacturer or retailer on Feb. 1 by mail, phone, e-mail or social media. The campaign can also be followed on Twitter.com/whatsyournude and by using the #What’sYourNude hashtag.

I personally think that someone who has an interest in going into the lingerie market should create their own line of various "neutral" shade undergarments. Considering the purchasing power of women of color around the world, that business owner potentially stands to make quite a bit of dinero if they make a product that women would buy. That's just my two cents though. (If you know of any companies like that, please let us know in the comments below!). 

I highly recommend clicking like on the Facebook campaign page today and contacting your favorite bra retailer to let them know that their "nude" is not your nude. Hopefully, this social network movement will lead to better shopping options at a store near you! 

*Special thanks to Huffington Post for shedding light on this movement!

-Written by: Cafe Belle's Fashion Barista