Meet the Founder & CEO of Circadian Intimates

In 2022, Circadian Intimates was officially founded; however, it would be over a year before doors formally open in May 2023. Meet Circadian Intimate’s founder and CEO, Emily Elizabeth, and learn about the store’s origination and her vision for the future.

 

 

Emily Elizabeth
Founder & CEO, Circadian Intimates

• Kansas City native
• Size: 30 E
• Wears Daily: Simone Péréle
• Favorite Fun Brand: Kilo Brava

 

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Why was Circadian Intimates founded? 

Simply put, I wanted to be in the business of empowering women. Having worked as a bra fitting expert at a Kansas City lingerie boutique for 10 years, I saw the power a good fitting and a beautiful bra has on a woman.

 

It doesn’t matter the age, size, phase of life, or past bra experiences – we all have an innate desire to feel strong while simultaneously supported – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

 

Circadian Intimates was founded to be a safe place for women to find what best fits their bodies and feel good about it. That goes for any type of need or activity. Daily wear around the house or at work, bounce-proof support in sports bras, uplifting strapless bras for the dance floor, and comfortable, discrete nursing bras.

 

When I say safe space, we create an environment free from body shaming and excuses for your natural shape. It’s an environment where we accept ourselves and embrace our shapes because that is who we are. 

  

“The market creates an opportunity.”

 

There are very few intimate apparel stores in Kansas City, and even fewer that provide expert bra fitting services. In 2022, more than three of those stores closed – several due to small business owners retiring with no transition plan. This left a massive hole in the market.

 

Women still need to buy bras, and even more importantly, they need to buy the right size and style of bra that fits their unique body if they want to feel comfortable wearing it all day. While online purchasing is abundant and the online fitting experience has advanced, it is no replacement for trying a bra and feeling how it fits on your body.

 

 

What is your background in intimate apparel? 

In the early 2000s, I worked at my first advertising agency in Kansas City. One of my colleagues asked if I would help at his wife’s lingerie boutique on weekends. At that point in my life, I had never worked retail and was not planning to start, but after multiple requests and a blind leap of faith, I accepted the weekend gig.

 

That persistent request changed the course of my life. I fell in love with the store –the services and products it provided, how gracious the customers were, and how transformative a good-fitting bra was for a woman. That lingerie boutique was the only place I had ever worked where I could see an individual’s life transform in front of my eyes – with just a piece of apparel.

 

I spent 10 years at that lingerie boutique as a bra fitter on weekends while also helping with website and marketing efforts.

 

 

What is your vision for Circadian Intimates? 

My vision at Circadian Intimates is to provide intimate apparel that fits every woman’s unique body throughout all stages of her life.

 

What you wear when you get your first bra at age 10 differs from what you wear at age 16, 30, or 70. A woman’s body changes with her life – weight is gained, weight is lost, pregnancies and nursing, implants, and mastectomies – all of these change breast tissue composition.

 

When breast tissue changes, the cups of bras fit differently on a woman’s body. As she ages, she might switch from cull cups to demi cups or move away from bralettes and into underwires for support.

 

I am also on a mission to convince every woman that bras should be as fun as clothes. Life is way too short to wear a nude bra every day. With so many great artists making beautiful and comfortable intimates, there are many ways to embrace your personality without showing the world what you’re wearing underneath.

 

As a woman-owned small business, I want to create a sanctuary for female conversation. Bra shopping is known for being as painful as swimsuit shopping (note: we also offer cup-sized swim). We are turning that experience around.

 

We want every visit to feel like a girl’s night out, where we enjoy great company and conversation over music. Don’t be surprised if you're in the store and experience random bursts of karaoke or Beyoncé backup troupe dancing.

 

 

You refer to Circadian Intimates as “finding your inner alpha,” what does that mean? 

We refer to what we’re doing as helping a woman find her inner alpha – the most powerful and successful version of herself.

 

The only way she achieves that is through confidence and believing in herself. We directly support her physical confidence by providing comfortable everyday intimate apparel for every occasion. Physical confidence translates into micro decisions in life – will I get on the dance floor? Or will I train for that run? – that directly and positively impacts her emotional state.

 

All of us are on a journey to becoming our best selves, and we are here to support her in that endeavor.

 

 

What can we expect to see in the future at Circadian Intimates? 

We have a lot planned, and I’m still working to fit it all in!

 

From the product side, I want to bring in more cup-sized swim. For fuller-busted women, finding swimwear that covers and is supportive is difficult. Some of my favorite everyday bra brands are starting to offer new swim choices each summer, so I’m looking to add those to our confidence collection year-round. If someone surprises you with a dream vacation to Fiji in December, I want to ensure you have the swimsuit!

 

I also want to host educational events and get-togethers for like-minded women at Circadian Intimates. As a lifelong learner, I value opportunities to learn from someone else’s story or simply be taught a new skill. And I prefer to experience that in a face-to-face live environment where you can see facial expressions and read body language – it’s all part of the human experience. I have taken advantage of so many opportunities over my life that I would like to offer them to others.

 

I’m currently exploring events that are centered on my passions:

• Local artist talks: Meet the artist, hear how they find inspiration, and what their creative process is like
• Business leader’s forum: Subject matter experts discuss current events influencing their work and roles
• Teachers meet up: All of us from the teaching field come together and trade our best ideas
• Girl Scout events: bra fitting seminars, business building work sessions, sex talks (all the stuff we need to prepare women for)
• Running groups: Meet at the store and head out for a long Saturday or Sunday morning run together
• A bachelor auction: Charity fundraiser where we get to bid on a bachelor to win a date for the night

 

These are just a few ideas I have cooking and plan to bring to life at some point. So there is a lot to come, and we are just getting started.

 

I’m just so honored to be a part of this community in Kansas City – to have this opportunity to help women feel empowered and love their bodies. This is really what it’s all about – building a community of strong, healthy females.