Empowering Stories to Inspire

CHANGEWEAR® is committed to supporting women where they are. We believe that supporting each other, no matter the circumstances or story, creates a movement to empower each other. By celebrating our differences, sharing challenges and acknowledging our wins, we shine light on our tenacity, resilience and strength.

We are pleased to present a series featuring inspiring women and their amazing accomplishments and impact. By highlighting and sharing each woman’s story and passionate endeavors, we can build each other up, spread the word, create a meaningful network of support and share stories of how women are Creating Change Where They Are.

Today we are honored to introduce... 

Cate Patricolo: 

Cate Patricolo is the Principal Consultant of Among the Stars Consulting and Founder of SoCon Professional Networking Group. Cate's goal is to support people who use business to solve complex social problems. She not only offers networking opportunities for these socially conscious entrepreneurs through SoCon, but also helps them build their marketing and brand and connect with their ideal audience.

Changewear: Please tell about your organizations and how you came to create them.

Cate Patricolo: 

During my trip to India in 2015-2016, as part of the PSU MBA Social Enterprise program, I was astounded at the ways that very smart, highly educated people were using business to solve complex social problems. I incorporated Among the Stars as the culmination of that inspiration and what I was already doing for work: Marketing strategy consulting. 

SoCon started as a natural extension of that same inspiration, because I wanted all the socially conscious business people I know both personally and professionally to start doing business together. I thought, ‘Among the Stars will sponsor SoCon, and we can find a pool of qualified clients, too.’ Soon, SoCon took on its own life, becoming a networking community for like-minded people and transcending the traditional networking model. I realized after about six months that SoCon is its own organization with its own community, separate from Among the Stars.

CW: Change is a big part of our brand and we believe in effecting change where you are and that even the smallest change can bring about huge benefits. What are some changes that you made in your life that had great impacts on you or others around you?

CP: The biggest change I made recently was to become more mindful and intentional. Something I did in my personal life was go through my clothes and beauty products to really see how socially conscious I was. I started documenting my journey on YouTube because I was shocked at the results– I relied on buzzwords like “natural”, emotion-evoking advertising or brand name association rather than doing research or applying objective criteria. Now I look at every purchasing decision with an eye of mindfulness, as well as sharing what I learn as much as possible.

CW: What are some ways that we can help support you? What would you like us to know?

CP: Thank you for the offer. The biggest way to support me is to set up a marketing consultation with Among the Stars! My grand vision of growing small businesses is realized by helping them to set up social media and digital marketing funnels. Marketing sometimes has a bad rep, but we use it tastefully and mindfully to help businesses reach new socially conscious customers.

The other big way to support is to attend a SoCon networking community event. We hold them every month, and the group is growing in both attendance and membership. If you like SoCon, become a member or consider donating or volunteering! All is appreciated.

CW: What are you most looking forward to in your immediate future?

CP: I’m so excited that SoCon is both growing and branching out to different cities! The business revolution is here, and the more the community grows, the more power and influence we socially conscious businesses gain in the business landscape. Socially conscious business is in demand by people who are becoming more mindful and aware, and that’s so hopeful for the future for everyone.

CW: Changewear is excited to support you because of the thoughtful and impactful changes your are creating. To allow us to follow you and advocate, please share your social media and contact information.
 

CP:     

Thank you!  You can find us at https://amongthestars.info

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amongthestarsconsulting/

Instagram: @amonthestarsconsulting

Twitter: https://twitter.com/among_the_stars/

Cate,

Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed and sharing your greatness with our Changewear community. We wish you the very best as you continue growing your beautiful movement!

Stay tuned for more meaningful stories from beautiful and inspiring women.

 XOXO,

The Changewear Team
Creating Change wear (where) You Are™

This Mother's day may you have happiness, a moment of quiet and gratitude for all you do from wiping noses, to bedtime tuck ins, boardroom meetings, home cooked meals and leading your team. I will be a guest on the 1Life podcast this Sunday at 10am PST. I would love to have you listen in to a great conversation around mothering. You can listen in on 1Life Fully Lived Facebook Page

Michelle with her family after a Komen walk and ready to #FinishCancer with Providence health services.

As I write this article, I think of all the many amazing years I have had over the past seven years. I have been a mother for 14 years, mothering 7 with my sister for 4 years and it has been seven years since I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.

Building Changewear has not been easy or a straight path. Much like raising children I have had to throw out the milestones chart for what my " baby" is suppose to accomplish and understand that with the right environment of nurturing and support Changewear will hit the milestones. I would encourage each of you to take the long view on building your dreams stop measuring yourself to other mothers, other companies, others success and start celebrating your milestones, setbacks and successes!

With Love and Gratitude,

Michelle

Mother to Scarlett, Stone and Sapphire and Mothering Noah, Isabella, Sophia and Nicola

My deepest gratitude goes to Samantha my sister, help mate, partner, friend, confidant and hero. I am in awe of all you do for our family and me. Thank you

Do we really need more bras in our drawer? We need solutions that work with our busy lives! 

Changewear makes all the fun, special and beautiful moments happen all in one bra with you in charge of it ALL. Changewear is here to simplify your life!  

Buy Now!  http://https://changewear.com/collections/bras

Dear Changewear Family,

Welcome to May! As our bodies enjoy more days of sun and our eyes take in all the glorious blooms, we turn our attention to celebrating mothers. 

Mothers are superheroes. They support others, give always, and continue to find ways to pursue their dreams and make things happen. This month we hope to share stories and ideas in the spirit of honoring mothers and incredible mompreneurs (mom entrepreneurs). 

As our founder, Michelle, is a mompreneur herself, she wanted to share a special message with all of you. Scroll down to read more.

With Spring here and fragrant breezes filling the air, I am reminded of May Day, Mother’s Day and a month before the summer break. As a Mother, entrepreneur and cancer survivor I am so grateful for a time that celebrates all three in one beautiful month.

When I started Changewear, it was with the comfort that I would be able to bring our products to market and take care of my family. Well, both have come true. It has been messy, an adventure and yes, really stressful. Dreams are worth chasing, tackling and pushing uphill both ways!

I also would not be where I am today if my sister and co-parent had not been by my side over the last four years. We raise seven children together, now ages 6-14 and have learned to manage our messy lives and build our futures. 

I recently visited with an inspiring woman, mother and entrepreneur following her dreams. I am pleased to introduce Heather Shriver Burns.

Heather has amazing stories, hustle and a huge heart ( she spoke with me for an hour and with two little children and a 2-month baby, I am grateful for her time).

As a token of my appreciation, I sent her my very favorite gift to give by Hannah Rogge. I love these rainbow books that give me an opportunity to make my gratitude a visual reminder of my beautiful life! Here is a link to purchase one or tell your children you know the perfect gift they can give you!

With love and gratitude,

-Michelle, Founder & CEO 

Mompreneur Resource

While there are conferences each year all around the world dedicated to supporting mompreneurs, none are more impressive than the Mompreneurs Conference in Toronto.

Take a look at all the amazing work they are doing and some of the fun resources on their website! 

Visit Mompreneurs

As we continue to enjoy the warmer days of May, we hope you will stay tuned for more ways to honor mothers and learn from inspiring mompreneurs with us. 


With mompreneur spirit,


Michelle & the Changewear Team


Creating Change Wear(Where) You Are

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Web Resource

If you missed our blog posts explaining fit that were published this month, please take a look! They offer detailed breakdowns about breast shape, cup shape, bra fit and more. We hope that by reading you will feel more empowered to find the fit that suits you!

Read Our Fit Blogs -->

Book Resource

Ali Cudby is a well know bra coach and advocate for helping every woman find the right fit and understanding why fit is so important. This book helps walk you through all the variables that play a role in finding the perfect fit. Give it a read!

Learn More -->

Bra Fit Guidance

Shannon at The Bra Fit Advocate has spent years helping women find the right fit without sacrificing beauty or comfort. She is an expert and is a great resource to reach out to if you are struggling to find your perfect fit. 

Check out The Bra Fit Advocate -->

A Bra With Options

Changewear was designed with the complexities of fit in mind. We have created styles that offer a variety of fits and color options. Make your intimates yours again.

Try Changewear for yourself!

The Underestimated Power of Fit

Think back to a time when you've tried on a pair of pants, a blouse, a bra or other article of clothing and it Just. Didn't. Fit. We've all been there. We know what it feels like to have clothing not fit, but have we all experienced a perfect fit? Our guess is that this phenomenon has been more elusive for us all.

When it comes to fit, one of the most important items to focus on is our intimates. Our bra is one of the first things we put on in the morning and sometimes the last things we take off before calling it a day. It supports our body, is the foundation for the rest of our wardrobe, and should ideally reflect our own personal style. 

But bra fit doesn't always seem straightforward. We are hoping to change that. When it comes to fit, there are a few simple things to keep in mind as you are searching for the right intimates. One is the shape of the cup. 

We often overlook this important characteristic. We focus a great deal of our search on finding the correct band size and cup size, which are both very important, but we forget to consider the actual shape of the bra cup. 

Below is a graphic representing the possible differences in the shapes of the inner cup line on various styles of bras:

As you can see, the shape of the inner cup line can make a bigger difference in support than you may have realized. An outward curve tends to support larger, fuller breasts more effectively, whereas an inward curve is more advantageous for those with wider set breasts. 

If you haven't already. We encourage you to take a look at our previous blog post to learn more about the various bra fits and styles and how to determine which one is right for your unique body.

Now that you have a better understanding of the differences in cup shape, you can make a more educated decision on what bra style and fit will be best for your body. 

Take a look at the chart below. It visually lays out 10 of the most popular bra styles and which ones can benefit small breasts, full breasts, aged breasts, and breasts with special circumstances.

We hope that taking this time to learn and review some of these visual resources has helped you better understand the complexities of fit and identify which styles, sizes, and shapes will be most beneficial to you and leave you feeling supported and sexy. 

Remember, each of us are unique in our shapes, experiences and preferences. We hope to continue empowering you to embrace your individual differences and find intimates that make you feel authentic, expressive, and supported. 

Thank you for being a part of making our mission a reality.

XOXO,

Michelle, Katy & the Changewear Team

Creating Change Wear (Where) You Are™

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One of the first toys I received as a child was a shape toy. I matched a shape to a space and the block slid into place if it was the right one. Just like the toys below, shopping for clothing uses the same concept we learned with these toys. Applying one shape to another shape to make a match. It is also how products are designed. Take a moment to look at all the shapes that made your shirt. What do they look like?

Step 1: Identify your body type/shape.

Just like our personalities, our bodies are all very different, but have very similar attributes. Our bodies are a result of a genetic footprint from everything that created us, as well as how we live our lives. The human form holds biological memories. For example scars, stretch marks, and etc. The image below shows various different shaped bodies. Sometimes a person may have a different hip, but same waist as another. While you may find you have a hip/waist measure that are the same as a friend, but breast size or rib cage is different. Breasts sizing changes overtime, and they change with how a person lives their life; just like your body. For example, the memories of life that show on the breast are breast feeding, activity or exercise for this zone, growth spurts, weight gain and loss, as well as breast cancer or aging. Sometimes this is why bras are made differently from one brand to another. The chart below are more prevalent shapes for the global population. Take a moment to look at the hips, waist, and breast size , or type. So what shape does your body resemble? Is it similar to other women in your family? Is it different than your friends body? Is it the same as another person your age?

Part 2: Aging and how shape will change.

Have you ever found yourself changing size in bras overtime, or maybe the cup just started to fit differently? At Changewear® we understand that aging can create some confusion about fit, particularly with bras. We have found in our own research that many women begin to have some problems with sizing between the ages of 26-35 & 66+. So why would a person all of a sudden start to have issues?

1. The human body begins an aging process at 25-27 years of age. Our collagen and biotin fibers in tissue begin decreasing. This creates the changes in skin tone, muscle, and hang of the breast. Also the body has a seven year cycle of aging. So we can usually expect shifts every seven years. Hormone changes are also a factor.

2. Women are or have been nursing. Nursing actually can decrease the tissue found in the upper breast, while the lower breast maintains mass. This also creates a drop to the look of the breast. This is also when resizing is needed.

3. Our diet and activity leaves its mark on the breast shape as well. For example the type of exercise you apply to the area can add lift to the upper breast. A swimmer doing the breast stroke will usually retain some upper mass and lift to the breast. Strong muscles in the upper chest are needed more as we age, and are great for posture.

Diet or more specifically the foods we eat add nourishment to various parts of the body. Foods rich in antioxidants can help the body defend itself against free radicals that age us.

Below is a diagram of the breast aging. This is an important aspect to picking the right cup for the breast. The images are the same size of rib, and same size of breast, with exception to 60+.

Changewear® understands that some of life's physical memories challenge us to be brave. We want women to look at these landmarks on their body and celebrate the stretch-marks from growing up, and pregnancy. Celebrate the scars, and celebrate each year you change. So what is your bodies story? How does it physically show up? How did these events transform you?

Part 3: The type of breast

Breast shape is a tricky thing. We have so many body types, and also as a result of the types of body, we have breast shape. An example I always like to have people think about is how a person may wear 36 DD, and they have natural breasts, or the person may have had a reduction to this size, or implants. They may have more muscle mass at the top, or be older, and weight is placed at the bottom. This means because not all breast are created equally, the bras will also not be designed equally. They are built for a purpose. Below is a diagram of just 12 key types of breasts. This means a bra in a size 36DD may have 12 different bra fits for the NEED/PURPOSE. In reality there can be about 24 fit needs, and then many design aesthetics applied.

The equation will shed light on why not every bra fits the same. We use fit & style.

12 fit types x 12 aesthetic design= 144 bra types for each size based on the 12 breast types in the above image.

So what shape are you? How does life show up on the body? And what is your breast or hip type? How has your body changed in the last few years?

Please feel free to review items on the website to see what works best for you. There will be body icons on each product to help you find the best fit for your body type.

Stay tuned for our next post about fit. We will teach you how to know what to buy, for the need & shape.

Thank your for being a part of our Family!

XOXO,

Michelle, Katy & the Changewear Team

Creating Change Wear (Where) You Are™

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