Underlines chats to Melissa Hardie, Founder & Owner of Lissie Lingerie, about the perils, pitfalls and eventual triumph of setting up her own e-commerce site specialising in large cup and plus size lingerie. A cautionary but ultimately successful tale!
Lissie Lingerie came to me as a nameless idea back in 2018. At the time, I was living and working in Belfast, chasing a career in the hospitality industry, with no intention of ever having my own company. The seed was first planted during a shopping trip to Boux Avenue, where I couldn’t buy a bra to fit my size 32 HH-J bust. At the time, a G cup was the biggest size on the shelf, and I wanted to wear nice, colourful and stylish lingerie, so I bought the G cup bra anyway. I was desperate to find lingerie that fitted my large bust and aligned with my taste as a young woman, sadly, this was always a challenge!
I was fitted into an E cup at the ripe age of 13, this letter came as quite a shock, to the point where I cried (and cursed my family’s heritage of fuller busted ladies). I was soon introduced to the beige, shapeless wall of fuller busted bras, a wall that I’m sure too many of us have been familiar with. My size has fluctuated over the years, from a 30 E, to a 30 F, 32 GG, 32 J, a 36 JJ and now a 34 K, so I know this beige wall all too well. Ten years had passed since that fateful day, and I found myself standing in the Boux Avenue changing room, squeezing myself into a red lace 34 G bra, asking myself again: why? Why can’t I get my size in anything other than a beige, white or black parachute? Could anything be done about it?
Over time, what I thought was a good business opportunity grew into the idea of me having a large cup and plus size lingerie business of my own, and I started to think about it every single day. In 2020, this is when things changed for me, as they would for everybody. The global pandemic and countless lock-downs allowed me to take stock of my life, and really think about this idea that I had been quietly obsessing over for the last two years. It was then that I decided
I wanted to make a go of it. A year later, Lissie Lingerie was born.
From purchasing my first Domain in 2021, the real work didn’t begin on Lissie for a further 2 years after this time. In the meantime, I had left the hustle and bustle of hotels to work for my Dad, who is also a business owner, and one of my biggest supporters and role models. As much as I enjoyed working for him, I wasn’t really passionate about the job, and was left wanting more from my career. I’m not sure if it’s sad to admit, but I absolutely love to work! I get
so much enjoyment and fulfilment doing something I genuinely care about.
Whilst working for my dad, I began to research and plan for Lissie. I knew I wanted an online shop, as the reach to customers is further and the rates to run the business would be lower. I knew that I wanted to sell large cup and plus size lingerie, and I knew that I didn’t have any prior experience in the field whatsoever, but this wasn’t a barrier for me. What I didn’t know was how much this business concept would change and evolve in the coming months. I made it my job to learn about the industry, the history of lingerie, competitors, I crawled so many websites, decided what I wanted to sell, and lastly, had the exciting (surprisingly hard) job of picking a company name.The name Lissie Lingerie can be credited to a lady whom I had the pleasure to work with, Sally, who sadly isn’t with us anymore. Sal had a pet name for everybody
in the office, and mine just so happened to be Lissie, or Liss – Lissie Lingerie had a nice ring to it.
I have been working on Lissie Lingerie full time since December 2023. It was then that I finally took the first big step for the business, 6 years after the initial thought, I left my job and signed a website proposal agreement. At long last, the website was being built! I knew that I wanted a custom built bespoke website, and not one on a platform such as Shopify, Wix, WordPress etc. because I wanted to give the website the best chance it could get to be found organically. I believe that I have truly found the best people for the job, and I cannot wait to see how the website performs and evolves in years to come.
Starting a business has been a whirlwind of emotions. I am an incredibly lucky girl, I have the most supportive circle of people around me, and it would be unfair not to mention how amazing they have been since I embarked on this crazy journey. The success of this business is going to be as much of their triumph as it is mine. I am constantly being supported and uplifted (from more than just my bra on this occasion) by my family, friends and partner. They keep my feet on the ground when my head is in the clouds, food in my belly, a Netflix subscription on the telly, my spirits high, and most importantly, a roof over my head, and I can’t wait to repay the favour in time.
Naturally, I’ve had to make some sacrifices to make Lissie happen, some small and some big, but all without a second thought. Anywhere I can save money I will, I’ve liquidated assets into cash (vinted has really been my best friend) I’ve pulled all my savings, and sold my car to make it happen. I’m in a very privileged position where I can survive through the help of those closest to me, and have the opportunity to fully commit to this business, something I am grateful for
everyday.
Since I went ahead with having the website built, everything has been a blur. So much has happened in such a short space of time. I’ve secured an office which has been transformed into Lissie HQ, equipped with space for a computer, as well as shelves for all my stock and also bra fittings. I’ve attended a Fitting Academy with Panache, travelled for trade shows to look at the new season lines, purchased stock, created the initial website designs, finalised P&P, and started my social media channels, where I’m gradually building a community of like minded and supportive people.
I have also found myself offering private bra fittings in my office, and to my surprise, it’s been massively successful. I started offering fittings on the last weekend of May, and have had well over 100 women (some as far as the west side of Glasgow!) come to me for a bra fitting on the weekends since then. Offering fittings was never something I thought I would do, but I’m so glad that I do. It’s the highlight of my week, and has helped me learn the product, and allowed me to
help women feel more comfortable and confident, a win-win.Looking back on these last 9-10 months feels like I’m watching a movie about somebody else’s life. It has felt like a dream, but has also been a massive adjustment, specifically learning how to prioritise jobs, stay motivated and learn how to switch off (which is proving very hard). I am quite
literally obsessed with Lissie Lingerie. I am in love with what I am doing, and I really hope that it translates into every part of the business.
It’s just myself working on Lissie, and although it can sometimes feel lonely, I’ve never felt alone. I’m still blown away by the reception from the people I’ve met within the industry, brand reps, shop owners, customer service teams, social media, the list goes on. In July 2023, I travelled from Scotland to Solihull to attend the INDX Intimate Apparel show, and was both very nervous and very green. I went to ask questions, get an idea of minimum order quantities, formally meet
the brands I wanted to stock, and get my name out there.
At INDX, I was met with so much kindness and acceptance from everybody who I spoke to, so much so, it made me emotional (dramatic, I know) but, then again, my background was in hospitality, a notoriously ruthless Industry where I was often looked down on and not taken very seriously, especially as a young woman. Attending INDX made me feel elated, totally boosted my confidence and affirmed that I was on the right path. The people I met that day made a huge
impact on me, so much so, I am proud to be a part of the industry, and I’m only just getting started. There is still so much to do and to learn, learn about the products, learn about business, and learn about the customer. The Lissie Lingerie website was launched on 23rd September, and is a website that will stock a range of brands that are known and loved, including Elomi, Panache, Freya, Fantasie, Cleo, Wacoal and Sculptresse, with the ultimate goal to one day have our own full cup and plus size line to call our own. The site will also offer fitting advice, style guides, blog posts and more.
As the business grows, our brand lineup and size range will grow with us. We have 119 sizes to start us off. Our initial stock is made up of best sellers from a mix of brands, in a mix of continuity colours, with seasonal stock rolling in as the year goes on. The initial offering is 28-48 bands and B-K cups. We are starting with lingerie only, and in time will add swimwear, activewear, post surgery, maternity and accessories. The plan is to reinvest over and over so we are left with an incredible range for our customers!
Lissie Lingerie, Large Cup & Plus Size Lingerie is an online and in person store and studio for anybody who’s body has been made to feel like an afterthought, for anybody who struggles to shop for a bra that fits, and for those of us who dread the thought of “I need a new bra”. I want to help anybody who needs a bra feel accepted, and that shopping for their body shouldn’t be a chore. I’m hoping to contribute to the banishment of the beige, shapeless wall, and help build a
space where variety is available to everyone.
Education is going to play a massive role within my job. As we all know, the majority of us aren’t wearing the correct size, and are living in discomfort on a daily basis. Social media has been an amazing tool to help try and combat this, and has given me the opportunity to ask our customer base what issues they are having. Receiving feedback and being able to educate at the same time is working out to be a fantastic formula, and I hope it can bring the excitement of new
lingerie day back to so many women who, sadly, don’t have that feeling anymore.
It is only the beginning, which is both an exciting and daunting place to be. I have big plans for Lissie Lingerie. It can be overwhelming to think about how high up the mountain we have to climb, especially looking up from the bottom when you can’t even see the top yet. It’s time to get the blinkers on and take it one step at a time. Watch this space!
You can email us at info@lissielingerie.co.uk, call us on 01592 724 893, or find us on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @lissielingerieofficial. I would like to say a special thanks to Pamela at Underlines, who was one of the women who made such an impression on me that day last July. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about something I have completely fallen in love with, and thank you for being so kind (and patient).
