I’m really REALLY not good at brevity, folks.  Linear thinking isn’t my strong suit either.

I’ve been meaning to sit down and write a post about some of the ways Grail has been impacted by pandemic-fueled disruptions to the global supply chain. Instead, that got me thinking about the hows and whys of product sourcing, and the criteria we apply when deciding which vendors we want to have a relationship with.

Some other time, I’ll elaborate on why so much lingerie production- and garment production in general- is done overseas, and why the country of origin on a bra’s label doesn’t tell you anything meaningful about the conditions under which it was produced.

For now, I’ve had these “Fast, Cheap, or Good? Pick Two” memes stuck in my head. Maybe you’ve seen a sign jokingly placed in a service-centered business… “If it’s fast and cheap it won’t be good. If it’s cheap and good, it won’t be fast. If it’s fast and good, it won’t be cheap.” Something similar occurs in the garment industry, except instead of speed, the consideration is exploitation. At Grail, we try to balance price point accessibility with product quality in all our inventory decisions; however, the ethical manufacturing requirement is non-negotiable.

I know that for some bra wearers, the difference between big box store bra prices and boutique brands can be tough to swallow. In every case, we believe that the styles we carry justify the brand-assigned price in terms of fit and function. We aim for what we believe will give our clients the best value and overall wearing experience without compromising our commitment to being good citizens of the global community.