Client Spotlight: Chloe Beaudoin, COO & Founder of Apricotton

Chloe Beaudoin and Jessica Miao never imagined they’d be creating and running the teen bra company together when they first met at Western University. But when they were assigned a project to create their own fake businesses, the women were reminded of a conversation they had recently had about their experiences with hitting puberty and all that came with it—particularly bra shopping. Jess recalled bringing her younger sister, Cindy, to a lingerie store and witnessing the horror on Cindy’s face as she tried on 15 bras only to find 2 that actually fit. And even in department stores, the only bras Cindy found were flimsy, thin, and uncomfortable.

Chloe and Jess had a feeling they weren’t the only ones with first-bra horror stories, and they were right—90% of teen girls report feeling embarrassed to wear a bra. The girls knew they had a strong business case for their project, and so they got to work on Apricotton.

“One of the most important things we did when ideating for Apricotton was talk to lots of teen girls. We quickly discovered that most women really do have their own horror story when it comes to getting their first bra. And we couldn’t help but think, That’s not how it should be. How could we make tween and teen bra shopping exciting, comfortable, and even something to celebrate?”

From school project to successful business

Chloe and Jess graduated in 2020, and while Apricotton had just been a school project, they wondered if it might actually be the solution to discomfort and anxiety for new-bra shoppers worldwide. They remembered what they didn’t like about their first bras, but were other girls’ frustrations the same? Jess and Chloe interviewed lots of teen girls and their moms, asking them what they looked for in a first bra, what features they gravitated toward and what features they didn’t like. They quickly found a theme: all the girls were looking for a bra that was truly comfortable and actually fit—and that made sizing easy to decipher.

Armed with new knowledge, the girls got to work, with Jess drawing simple designs of the bras on paper before transferring them to Adobe Illustrator. After months spent calling different manufacturers to find the perfect fit, they had success with one in particular who offered evidence-based advice on which fabrics to use for better moisture-wicking.

Once they had some first product samples, Chloe and Jess rounded up as many teen girls as they could, asking Cindy’s friends and their neighbours if they would try on the bras and provide feedback, “down to the most nitpicky things.” After a few more iterations, the girls put in their first official production order, a milestone they won’t forget.

“We’ve made it our mission to ensure that no girl goes through puberty alone. So we’ve taken this topic that has been taboo, and opened it up to a whole community of girls on social media in hopes of removing the fear and confusion around puberty and helping women accept themselves.”

And their content sure is resonating. With 7.5M likes and 160K followers and counting across their TikTok pages, Jess, Chloe, and their team create relatable videos sharing sisterly advice and puberty stories that girls can’t really find elsewhere. “We’ve found it to be the main way Apricotton has grown,” Chloe says. “It’s so rewarding to share the things I wish I knew with young girls in a fun and relatable way. It never feels like work, and yet it’s become our strongest marketing tactic.”

Standing out in the market

Apricotton bras are truly so different from typical bras in all the right ways, and teens feel the difference. Not only are they 4 times stretchier than competitor bras, but they come with adjustable features like straps, the back band, and removable cup padding, so one bra can last years and change right along with a changing body. And the sizing is designed to diffuse the confusion that so often comes with bra sizing—Apricotton bras require just one underbust measurement and use the more familiar S-XL system rather than AA-DD.

Are these differentiators what shoppers are looking for? The 5-star reviews speak for themselves, as one customer reported: “This was purchased for my granddaughter who is a very shy and dainty 14 year old. It arrived in the UK today, and she was absolutely thrilled with the fit and how comfortable it was. So after chatting with her I have just ordered the red and the Cloud ones. She is now super excited about receiving these, and they have taken the anxiety out of having to go to a store which can be very embarrassing for young ladies on their first journey. Her mum is also greatly pleased. Thank you for your insight into the stresses for teenagers and their parents and for making a perfect product.”

Accelerating impact with the AC

“The amount of help and support we’ve received from the AC is beyond words. As a part of the AC:Studio program, we’ve been so taken care of by the mentors and staff and have learned so much from them. We’re constantly booking mentor meetings; we had one with an SEO expert who coached us to basically redo our website to better optimize it, and the impact has been incredible. We didn’t have much experience with accounting, and so having that help with things like payroll and submitting income taxes took such a load off our shoulders. Through funding and mentorship, they’ve helped us to set the business up right from the beginning, so that as we scale and grow we don’t have to go back and redo everything. That alone is huge.”

Looking ahead: a worldwide brand

Apricotton currently ships to Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Switzerland, and with demand only increasing, the girls plan to become a worldwide brand. Jessica always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur, but Chloe once expected to work a 9-5 corporate job. “Now…I can’t believe that’s what I wanted,” Chloe says. “I don’t get the ‘Sunday scaries’ anymore. My mind is always on Apricotton because I’m just so passionate about our mission and creating an even bigger impact for young girls all over the world.”