Beginning the Jia journey!

Hey! I’m Katie, and I'm new here!

I started Jia Loungewear because I can’t wait to take off my bra at the end of a long workday. Maybe you’ve felt the same way?

I hear you, come on in. Kick off those stiff work shoes you’ve been trapped in. Flex those toes. Unhook that bra and peel it off. You can pull it right through your sleeve, or better yet, slip into nothing but the softest lounge top you can imagine, and let everything breathe. That is the feeling of coming home. ("Jia" translates to "home", by the way).

That is the feeling I lost, and desperately missed, when I moved in with my fiancé.

Wait, what?!

Before you accuse him of objecting to my bralessness (believe me, he doesn't mind!) I should mention that I'm now a step-mom to 3 great kids. My now-fiance was a single father of 3 when we started dating. With his tween-age sons at home, I felt uncomfortable with the idea of "swinging around" the house braless in a pajama top.    

This was a dilemma... I had to choose between wearing some type of bra 100% of the time at home (yuck), or wearing some bulky sweatshirt year-round to avoid "flashing the headlights" at everyone. I just wanted to show reasonable respect and boundaries. For me (and to each their own!) the situation called for this bit of modesty.

Desperate to feel at home in my new home, I searched the retail market high and low for comfy loungewear with “coverage” that didn’t feel like wearing a bra.

I ordered several tops advertised as “braless” options.

But the available options either provided no real coverage (i.e. just a double-layer T-shirt!?) or had uncomfortable elastic shelf bras or other design flaws. I’m sorry, but I’m just not willing to wear an elastic built-in-bra cami after my work day! *Sigh*

After months of wallowing in a bulky hoodie, the Houston heat finally wore me down.

I realized I would have to sew a braless loungewear top for myself. I used the foam insert cups from one of my sports bras, and the first (extremely amateur) Jia top was born. 

From day 1, I have had to learn everything on-the-fly. I have no formal training in business or clothing design, and I’ve had to get the hang of these industries during my nights and weekends.

I’ve designed each garment, and my brand’s standard for bringing it to market, from scratch. All along, my guiding principles have been my mission to serve women, my ambition to create and provide an excellent product to the utmost of my ability, and my vision to create a business that values the principles I value: treating people and the environment well. 

I am so grateful to share my story and Jia Loungewear with you. I hope each Jia piece brings you the feeling of home.