24. From Top-Selling Bras to Flex-Sizing: Suzanne Macbale's LoveSuze Journey

Hello, you are listening to Visible Panty Lines, AKA vpl, the pod. And these are transparent conversations of inspiration, encouragement, and overcoming adversity. And if you've been listening, you would know that I've had really an amazing array of guests so far across all different industries. Everyone has been super inspirational. And I know being a bra lady and author of the bra book, you know, haven't had really too much intimate apparel industry people on here, but I actually am joined by a fellow bra lady today.

So this is Suzanne McPhail, and she is the founder of Love Sue's Lingerie. And Suzanne is someone who has an extensive history in the intimate apparel industry working for companies like Vicki's Secret. And really, we're just going to explore today why she decided to venture out on her own business and get all the juicy details. Hi, Suzanne.

Hi, Janae. Thank you so much for having me. I'm honored to be here today.

Thank you so much for joining me.

Of course. I. I've been following you and listening to all your podcasts, and I'm a little obsessed, so.

I.

Thank you. Thank you. I love hearing that. And really, I've been. This has been, like, a labor of love for me with the podcast, you know, on top of everything else that I do as a journalist and as a writer and, you know, going on television and everything, it's just another great platform, but it's kind of neat because I have total latitude to interview whoever I want and talk about whatever I want. So. Love that. So you come have a background in the lingerie industry. Started Love Sues, your own line. Tell me a little bit about, you know, your background and kind of what prompted you to. To take that big step.

Sure. I actually started my career at Calvin Klein Underwear. I went to fit, and then I got my first job at Calvin Klein Intimates, and then I moved on to Victoria's Secret. I was at Victoria's secret for almost 12 years. I was the AVP of design. But I, you know, I, you know, I did everything in 12 years, but one of the things I really focused on when I was there was product development or finding what's missing in the market and kind of going after it, like, technologies and things that, you know, weren't out there, but we wanted to get after quickly.

I just wanted to speak to your point about technology. Like, every time I use that word in relation to bras and intimate apparel, like, people are like, what? Like, they don't. I don't think that people really fully appreciate the amount of, like, technology that is in an intimate apparel when, like, everything from fabrics to construction, everything.

It's. It's. There's so much technology and bras and underwear.

It's real.

But you're 100, right? Like, technology is what makes it fit well, what, you know, pushes us to the next place. But, yeah, 100%, it's technology and just.

Like, being able to come out with new technology and, like, kind of, I guess, for lack of a better term, beat everybody else that's out there in the game, it's really. It's really not an easy thing. So. So you're working. You worked at Calvin Klein Intimates, which, by the way, I was one of their, like, early on spokespeople. They used to, like, fly me around to different stores to do host events.

Right.

I know. I'm like.

It was.

And I used. I loved that aspect because I would be meeting with women and customers and like, oh, the pandemic just kind of killed all that, like, in person stuff, you know?

I know.

So when did you actually start Love Suze? Like, because most people listening might not know, you know, about your line or anything about you. So when was this all. When did you start this?

So I started Love Sus actually right before the pandemic hit.

Oh, wow.

Okay. Crazy.

But, yeah, you know, it. It started maybe a couple months before we went into shutdown.

Yeah. Yeah.

So it was kind of a rough ride for a little bit. But, yeah, we started right before the pandemic. We had a lot of hurdles to overcome, for sure. You know, the factories stopped producing lingerie, and they were only doing masks or medical equipment. You had this demand for lingerie and bras and underwear, and you just couldn't do it. I actually heard your. Your. One of your podcasts saying that you came up and developed and launched abroad during COVID and I was shocked. I was like, oh, my God, how did she do it?

Because Dora Lau. Dora Lau is how I did it.

Like, I don't even. Yeah.

Crazy. She helped me. She was my, like, essentially, I guess, sourcing agent. You know, she was a middleman, so. So I wasn't, like, dealing with factories or anything. She was doing that part, so.

Impressive, honestly. Yeah. Thank you.

I know. Like, I look back and I'm like, am I freaking crazy for doing that? But I'm glad to hear that. Like, you were crazy too, and decided to do the same thing. And now are you. You're in New York City now. Right. But you are from upstate. Did we have this conversation? I feel like we did.

I I actually am from upstate. I'm from. My mother still lives there, and my brother still lived there. My mother lives on Albany. Shaker Road.

Right. Oh, my God. I'm like, there all the time at affrom my kids.

Funny. It's such a small world. But yes, there I went to Shaker.

So funny. What a small world. So I love that because we're like these two. And I actually have a good friend, Tara Cavozzi. I don't know if you've ever heard her name. She's in Loudonville, not far from where you grew up. And she actually invented the backless strapless bra and patented it. And she's. She holds three bra patents. That's amazing.

No, I know, but I. I will look at her up.

No, I know. It's so funny. It's like, these are the people in your neighborhood. We're like the bra mavens.

I was so excited when I heard you were from upstate.

I know, Me too. Because it's like, it's one of those things that you're like, oh, you have that conn. And I feel like only people can, like, understand if you're from here.

What, that.

And then I also lived downstate for 13 years, so, like, I understand that, like, transplanting feeling too.

Where.

Where did you live?

I. I was in Scarsdale and White Plains. Oh, wow.

Okay.

Yes.

I have a good friend that lives there. Yeah.

So it was like going from, like, one planet to another. I was like, wait, it's so different here.

Scarce feels beautiful too.

It was really nice. And, you know, I enjoyed, like, you know, I was there with my ex, now ex husband raising our daughter for the first five years of her life, and it was really nice for her and everything, but upstate always felt like home. So I just always felt like this is where I would, you know, somehow end back up here. And it is challenging because Gigi goes back and forth, so. So, you know, because my ex husband is still down there, but, you know, that's a little bit challenging. But otherwise, I feel like she gets the best of both worlds. We have, like, horses next door and across the road and with, you know, our neighbors, and it's kind of like an. Just a nice oasis, I would say.

Away from it all 100%. I love going home. Like, I love it. You're right.

So are you right in the city?

Yeah, I'm on the Upper west side.

Oh, okay. All right. So you really do have that city life now. Do you have. Do you have any children?

I do. I have Two. I have a eight year old and an almost six year old.

Oh, wow. So, yeah, kind of around the same ages as ours. And so I know. I just had this conversation with someone the other day too where I was like, they were like, I could never raise my kids in the city. Like, it's just such a different way of life. And it's like, no one's not better than the other, per se, but it's definitely different.

You know.

It'S different, like not having a backyard. I think if I had boys, it would be a lot different. Like, yeah, they just need to run out that energy. Whereas, like, my girls are in color and it's fine.

Oh, I know. My, my. Our youngest now is. We have two boys and two girls and the youngest is like in this phase now where he's like spazzing out around like, I don't know, five or six o' clock, and he literally runs laps around the house and he like throws himself across the floor and he like. And I go. I'm like, callan, what are you doing? And he's like, I'm playing a game. I'm playing a game. Like he's playing a video game in his head around our house, right? And that's only because it's winter and he can't go outside. So I'm like, I can't imagine like.

The energy this kid has. They need space, those boys.

So true. It's so true. So you have two little girls. Okay, that's so nice. And they're not in the point where ours are at, where they were already in bras. So I'm like, yeah, I don't know.

I don't know. I'm waiting for those days. I don't want them to grow up. I, like, want to keep them small.

Oh, my God. I know. Oh, you just wait. You just wait. Especially with girls. Oh, when they become teenagers, they are nasty. They are nasty. But. So you're currently selling online. Are you in any stores?

We are not. We do pop ups. While we did pop up out east, we've done a bunch of pop ups. It's actually been great because I met a lot of female founders that have other companies and we have started doing all these pop ups together, like around the city. It started like around Covid, which is great because people wanted to get out, you know, and there was. Everyone's working from home and so we just threw a party basically.

That's amazing. I love.

It's been fun. But no, we sell direct to consumer. We're online Only I don't have plans right now to go into stores.

Okay.

Eventually, maybe, but for right now, I just. I want to get the brand message out there, you know, the way that I. The way that I see it.

Yeah, that's smart. And so, I mean, obviously they seem to be along the lines of pretty and comfortable, I guess. What would you say, like, wire free, Lacy.

Okay. So the big concept behind Love shoes is this idea of flex sizing. And flex sizing is the concept that we're, you know, you, you might be a size medium and I might be a size medium, but my hips might be bigger or my butt might be bigger.

Yep.

How can you relate to that? How can you fit the same size medium into one panty or bra for that matter? Right. And our bra fluctuate. And so this concept is, how do you build in your lingerie? So it's flexible, but it fits you whether you're a smaller medium or a larger medium. Because no two bodies are made the same.

Yep, true.

I mean, you're in this industry, you know this more than most people that it's like a mass market industry that should be custom.

So true. I had this, like, delusion that alpha sizing was going to be easier when I did the gem bra. And that couldn't be further from the truth, like, because now you're trying to squeeze all these, you know, women into like, oh, you're a small. And they're like, oh, the small doesn't fit me. But I normally would be a small. Like, it's a nightmare.

And then from brand to brand, you're different. So this.

You know, you might be a medium in one store and then you're a small in the other, and you're never really sure. You're sort of in between sizes. I mean, I'm always in between sizes just because my body naturally has fluctuated my whole life.

Same.

And so this concept of flex sizing is to give you relief. Like, you know, it's going to fit and it's going to flex and it's going to recover and it's going to fit your body the way it should.

That's amazing. And I have to say, like, the set that you sent me is like one of my favorite.

I love to hear that.

Yeah. Like, I actually love, like, I've never really gravitated toward, like a lace bralette or anything like that, simply because I'm a 34 double D and they don't support me. But I, like, love it. It was like, oh, my God, this is really Nice. And it does feel like it gives me support. And then I actually love. I'm a thong, you know, person all the way. So I like. I love that the people panties. Like, I don't feel like I'm getting that, like, wedgie feeling that I get a lot of times from the hungs or it's, like, really starting to, like, become pain. Like, it's just they're really comfortable and nice, and then on top of it, I feel like it's so hard to find something that along those lines that is also, like, pretty where you, like, feel pretty in it.

That's exactly you. I mean, you've got the concept exactly right. Like, I want you to feel comfortable and beautiful and sexy. Like, your everyday panties should be your sexiest panty. Like, why? Why not?

Right? And it makes it easy. Like, I love that it's like a matching set. I'm like, okay. I don't have to, like, dig for stuff or, like, you know, it. I have to say, like, I really love the whole concept and the idea and just the fact that I feel. It feels really good on. Like, I was like, wow, this is really nice, you know, because I get sent a lot of stuff. Like, a lot of, you know, lingerie lines, bra lines, they send me stuff, and it's like my biggest gripe is just not comfortable. Or if it's like a quote unquote comfort line, then there's no support. But it's like, never both, you know? So I really appreciate that. You did do something that really does both. And it's simple. Like, I feel like women, like, you don't need a ton of bells and whistles, right?

Like, I think.

Yeah, Like, I think we got into this, like, mode of, like, oh, I need, like, 17 wires and, like, boning and then, like, you know, foam that goes to five different degrees. Like, you know, it's like, let's just bring it back to, like, simplicity. And then, like you said, the innovative. The innovation in the fabric does what it does, so it's like, you don't need all that other stuff.

A hundred percent.

I love that.

Yeah, it's been a amazing ride. Like, I've had so much fun, you know, building this brand. The concept for this brand, years ago, I was doing.

You know, we would do these meetings with women and talk to them and. And we would ask them to bring, like, their favorite bra and panty. One of these meetings that we had, the woman brought to two bras and two panties, and she said that this is her favorite when she has her period and this is her favorite, like, regular.

Yep.

So to me, I'm like, why can't you have both? Like, why can't your most comfortable panty be your everyday penny? Like, you should be able to wear it whether you have your period, whether you feel bloated, and it should always fit and always flatter.

Yeah, I agree. Like, and I think, you know, when you have your period, you can go, like, you can be 10 pounds heavier. It's like, crazy.

Like.

You'Re so right.

Yeah. And it's true, like, that whole thing about the period bra and the non period bra. You know, it's like, if you're in menopause, then you need, like, what, a hundred different bras?

Like, yeah, there should be one that just solves all of your issues.

Yeah, I completely, completely agree. And I definitely appreciate everything you're doing and the work that you're doing for women because I do think it's so important, especially to have the face behind the brand be another passionate woman. No offense to any big companies that shall not be named him.

Or anything like that, but I just, I love supporting, you know, these, like, small, smaller, you know, women founded brands because typically they're the ones who are, like, really thinking about what they're doing and the product is really thoughtful and there's like, okay, this is what, you know, what women need, and that's not out there already. So I definitely appreciate everything you're doing and glad that it's going well for you. And hopefully as you expand and you grow, we can come back and talk again and revisit and just tell me where listeners can find Loves who's on social media. It's Loves whose NYC on, like, Instagram.

On Instagram. Y.

And your website is lovesuse.com.

Perfect.

Okay, that's easy enough. And that's love. S U Z E. Like you, Suze Suzanne. Right.

Assuming it's named after you. Right. Su Z.

Am I correct in that assumption?

That is correct.

Did we miss anything? Anything else you want to add?

I don't think so. I'm just. I'm like, so grateful. This was amazing to meet you and I want to hear about your bra that you started.

Oh, yeah.

Have to fill me in more on that next time we chat.

Oh, my gosh. I definitely will. Oh, gosh. I could tell you all about it. I'm sure it probably won't shock you being a business person, but I will definitely. I definitely want to chat with you about that. So thank you so much. And you've been listening to Visible Panty Lines, the podcast. A new episode drops every Sunday morning at 8:00am Eastern Time.