Women-Owned Business Spotlight with Alice Kim, Founder of PerfectDD

As a part of our interview series on women-owned businesses, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alice Kim, Founder of PerfectDD.

Alice Kim is the Founder and CEO of PerfectDD, a brand created from her own need to find clothes that fit and flatter women with DD+ cup, sizes 0-14. As a size 32DD, Alice struggled her entire life to feel confident in clothes that are not too tight at her chest or oversized on the rest of her body. Learning that the average bra size in the U.S. is a 34DD and millions of women struggle with the same problem, Alice was inspired to create a solution.

Thanks for joining me! Tell our readers about what you do.

We create sustainable clothes for women with a large chest, small to mid-frame, a demographic the industry has ignored. We provide options when you don't want your chest to be a distraction and push to change the conversation of over sexualizing and body shaming boobs.

What does being a woman-owned business mean to you?

Being a women-owned business means the world to me! It's liberating, inspiring and motivating to do better, be better and create opportunities that didn't exist before.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I started PerfectDD out of a need to solve my own problem of finding tops that fit both my my DD chest and smaller frame. From being body shamed when I was younger to my first job as an investment banker requiring suits where jackets wouldn’t close across my chest and button downs popping open, I felt incredibly insecure. If I bought a bigger size to accommodate my large chest, it would be baggy everywhere else making me look bigger than I am which made me look unprofessional and feel self-conscious.

Having been in fashion now for two decades, I still couldn’t find clothes both fit and flatter my body. Learning that the average bra size in the U.S. is a 34DD affecting millions of women with this same issue, I was determined to create a solution! My goal is to empower women by providing clothing options that marry comfort and fit without sacrificing style. We provide options when you don't want your chest to be a distraction.

Okay, coming up with a great idea and actually taking the steps to become an entrepreneur and launch your company are two very different things. How did you know it was time to start?

Being the target customer myself, having years of experience behind me and the data to show how big the demographic was gave me the confidence to start. I also reaching a milestone decade and thought, if not now, then when?

Becoming an entrepreneur is no easy feat. What are some of the lessons you learned along the way?

So many lessons I've learned along the way and continue to learn. 1. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. The highs and lows are real - you're celebrating a win one minute then crying about bad news the next. 2. Raise money before launch, if you can. 3. Everything takes longer than expected so be prepared for delays.

If you had to list three traits or attributes that have been pivotal for your success, what would they be?

Resilience. Focus. Tenacity.

How is your company making a difference?

We provide community and style solutions for this overlooked demographic of women, empowering them to look and feel their best. We push to change the dialogue of over sexualizing and body shaming big boobs. We partner with various charities throughout the year including Heart of Dinner, a non profit based in NYC delivering hot meals to elderly East Asians facing food insecurity and isolation, where we donate 100% of the proceeds of our capsule collection to them, and also partner with Keep A Breast and Michelle's Place for breast cancer awareness.

I know you probably have many, but what’s your proudest moment as a founder?

My proudest moment as a founder was when a customer emailed us to tell us that she canceled her breast reduction surgery after discovering our brand! She finally felt confident in clothes that fit:

"Alice! The second I walked into my salon the day after my package arrived my employee immediately said “why do you look amazing?'. (I was wearing the black tee shirt) It was the first time in FOREVER that I forgot to feel self conscious about my body, I just felt really confident.

I have been LIVING in my hoodie. I’m wearing it right now. I never knew how much I would love a short sleeve sweatshirt. My family told me I lost weight (I didn’t). It’s because I was wearing a properly fitting top. Here’s some pics. Thank you for creating this brand. I’m hooked. I am canceling my plastic surgery consultation. No need for surgery. I just needed clothes that fit. Keep up the great work."

What's one myth you'd like to debunk about your line of work?

That we're a bra company! People assume we are a bra brand because we tailor our clothes to fit a women's (large) chest.

What advice would you give to burgeoning entrepreneurs?

Go for it! The only way to know is if you try. So fail fast and pivot quickly.

What does the future look like for your company?

Becoming a household name and go-to destination for women with DD+ cups.

What words do you live by?

If there are a million other people and only one you, why would you want to be one of them?

Any final words of wisdom?

You are worthy and you matter.