Têra Kaia (formerly Arêt Basewear) was started in 2016 by outdoorswomen who were fed up with outdoor bras and swimsuit tops that were uncomfortable, fit poorly, and quickly fell apart. They got out their tape measures and sewing machines and began creating prototypes. After countless fit tests on multiple body types, they landed on the perfect top for outdoor adventure: The TOURA. They created a "seamless, reversible, and minimal" design - which they refer to as Basewear - that you can swim in, wear when climbing or any outdoor (or indoor) activity. Muscles and different body shapes are considered in the design and the result is that "you will forget that it's on."
More than just a sports bra, they describe the Basewear as being "so comfy that you can sleep in it, and wear it for days on end as you hike into the backcountry or live that van life." The TOURA Basewear Top comes in two cuts: Low Cut and High Cut because one size or preference doesn’t fit all. Têra Kaia is also working to expand their size ranges to have even more inclusive sizing and more supportive cuts.
In support of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and Brie Chartier's fundraiser giveaway in June 2021 to support a local LGBTQ center in Bakersfield, California, Têra Kaia is creating a special Pride and Trans Flag bra. Common Climber is interviewing Têra Kaia co-owners Bridget and Lauren and product developer Emily to learn more about this woman-owned small business and their new Basewear.
More than just a sports bra, they describe the Basewear as being "so comfy that you can sleep in it, and wear it for days on end as you hike into the backcountry or live that van life." The TOURA Basewear Top comes in two cuts: Low Cut and High Cut because one size or preference doesn’t fit all. Têra Kaia is also working to expand their size ranges to have even more inclusive sizing and more supportive cuts.
In support of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and Brie Chartier's fundraiser giveaway in June 2021 to support a local LGBTQ center in Bakersfield, California, Têra Kaia is creating a special Pride and Trans Flag bra. Common Climber is interviewing Têra Kaia co-owners Bridget and Lauren and product developer Emily to learn more about this woman-owned small business and their new Basewear.
Click above photos to enlarge. From left to right: Têra Kaia co-owners Lauren, Bridget and TK Product Developer Emily. (Photo Credit: Kiersa Koepnick IG: @kiersa_koepnick)
Tell us about the Pride TOURA Basewear tops that you are creating. What is it and how does it relate to your current line of goods that you create and sell?
BRIDGET + LAUREN: The Pride TOURA Basewear tops are one of a kind custom designs created for our upcoming fundraiser and giveaway campaign for pride month.
The purpose of the campaign is to create space for LGBTQIA2S+ folks and amplify voices in the queer community within the outdoor space. The giveaway will be raising funds for the Bakersfield Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity: a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender community in Kern County. Brie serves on the board for this nonprofit and they serve the Eastern Sierra where our basecamp Têra Kaia Bishop is located.
The Pride TOURA is the brainchild of our product team with one of our product developers Emily (she/her) bringing the creation to life. Growing up with a sister who is queer she was eager to get involved with the project. Everyone at Têra Kaia either is in, or knows someone in the queer community, so for us it’s a labor of love to help amplify our LGBTQIA2S+ friends and family!
EMILY: The moment I learned about this project, I was 100% on board. One of my heroes in life is my older sister. She's intelligent, sarcastic, funny, beautiful, and resilient. She also happens to be gay and that fact once turned our family’s life upside down. Since her journey started 20+ years ago, I have always tried to be her biggest supporter. As this was the time before Google had all the answers, I’ll never forget the time it slowly dawned on me what “LGBT” meant and she teased me for years after about it. With the Rainbow TOURAs, I wanted to channel that playfulness. I wanted to design a top that people could look at and smile, something they could see themselves wearing proudly, a top that creates unity with its unique design.
BRIDGET: Emily typically heads up our Basewear Repair Program, which involves repurposing our customer’s used TOURAs (that have been worn nearly to death) and upcycling scrap fabric to bring them back to life. Our program is a work in progress, and contributes to our responsibility to see our garments through their full lifespan.
The process of creating the Rainbow TOURA is the same meticulous process as a repair. Emily took apart a TOURA, and used her technique of careful patchwork to reconstruct it. She used scrap fabric to bring our team’s vision for two TOURAs that showcase the LGBTQIA2S+ Flag, and Trans Flag to life.
As usual, the results blew us all away! We can’t wait to bring these custom TOURAs to a few very lucky individuals.
You can learn more about our Basewear Repair Program here:
https://www.terakaia.com/pages/basewear-repair-program
and here:
https://collective.terakaia.com/2020/10/basewear-repair-program
BRIDGET + LAUREN: The Pride TOURA Basewear tops are one of a kind custom designs created for our upcoming fundraiser and giveaway campaign for pride month.
The purpose of the campaign is to create space for LGBTQIA2S+ folks and amplify voices in the queer community within the outdoor space. The giveaway will be raising funds for the Bakersfield Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity: a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender community in Kern County. Brie serves on the board for this nonprofit and they serve the Eastern Sierra where our basecamp Têra Kaia Bishop is located.
The Pride TOURA is the brainchild of our product team with one of our product developers Emily (she/her) bringing the creation to life. Growing up with a sister who is queer she was eager to get involved with the project. Everyone at Têra Kaia either is in, or knows someone in the queer community, so for us it’s a labor of love to help amplify our LGBTQIA2S+ friends and family!
EMILY: The moment I learned about this project, I was 100% on board. One of my heroes in life is my older sister. She's intelligent, sarcastic, funny, beautiful, and resilient. She also happens to be gay and that fact once turned our family’s life upside down. Since her journey started 20+ years ago, I have always tried to be her biggest supporter. As this was the time before Google had all the answers, I’ll never forget the time it slowly dawned on me what “LGBT” meant and she teased me for years after about it. With the Rainbow TOURAs, I wanted to channel that playfulness. I wanted to design a top that people could look at and smile, something they could see themselves wearing proudly, a top that creates unity with its unique design.
BRIDGET: Emily typically heads up our Basewear Repair Program, which involves repurposing our customer’s used TOURAs (that have been worn nearly to death) and upcycling scrap fabric to bring them back to life. Our program is a work in progress, and contributes to our responsibility to see our garments through their full lifespan.
The process of creating the Rainbow TOURA is the same meticulous process as a repair. Emily took apart a TOURA, and used her technique of careful patchwork to reconstruct it. She used scrap fabric to bring our team’s vision for two TOURAs that showcase the LGBTQIA2S+ Flag, and Trans Flag to life.
As usual, the results blew us all away! We can’t wait to bring these custom TOURAs to a few very lucky individuals.
You can learn more about our Basewear Repair Program here:
https://www.terakaia.com/pages/basewear-repair-program
and here:
https://collective.terakaia.com/2020/10/basewear-repair-program
Click on above photos to enlarge. Brie Chartier in the Pride Trans Toura (Photo Credit: Kiersa Koepnick) Check out CC's story about Brie "I Am a Woman: Brie Chartier Shares Her Transition Journey."
I have read that you all choose to create basewear with muted colors so that the person beneath them shines. How are the Pride TOURA Basewear tops different and why?
EMILY: We wanted to stay fairly close with the traditional colors and design, but with a Tera Kaia twist.
BRIDGET: The color palette for both Pride TOURAs was carefully selected to represent the LGBTQIA2S+ flags, and Trans flags while still retaining a muted and cohesive color palette that fits our brand’s aesthetic. We like to use colors that can be found in nature and pop! Our team brainstormed several designs and reviewed them with Brie to create the perfect Pride TOURAs.
LAUREN: The Pride TOURAs still let the wearer shine but are different because each Pride TOURA was crafted custom for its wearer. Brie being a trans woman is showcasing the trans flag on the front and Astryd’s being gay and a person of color has the brown, black, and rainbow section of the flag on the front. So although the patch work is not our signature simple earth tones the wearers of the Pride TOURAs shine bright and uniquely.
EMILY: We wanted to stay fairly close with the traditional colors and design, but with a Tera Kaia twist.
BRIDGET: The color palette for both Pride TOURAs was carefully selected to represent the LGBTQIA2S+ flags, and Trans flags while still retaining a muted and cohesive color palette that fits our brand’s aesthetic. We like to use colors that can be found in nature and pop! Our team brainstormed several designs and reviewed them with Brie to create the perfect Pride TOURAs.
LAUREN: The Pride TOURAs still let the wearer shine but are different because each Pride TOURA was crafted custom for its wearer. Brie being a trans woman is showcasing the trans flag on the front and Astryd’s being gay and a person of color has the brown, black, and rainbow section of the flag on the front. So although the patch work is not our signature simple earth tones the wearers of the Pride TOURAs shine bright and uniquely.
Click on above photos to enlarge. Astrid (orange hat) is wearing the Pride Toura that represents the LGBTQIA2S+ community including queer folks of color with the brown, black, and rainbow section of the flag on the front. Brie is wearing the Pride Trans Toura. Têra Kaia Product Developer Emily (in the trucker hat) is wearing a standard High Cut TOURA Basewear Top. This LBGTQIA2S+ campaign is particularly meaningful to Emily since her older sister is queer. (Photo Credit: Kiersa Koepnick)
Are the Pride TOURA Basewear tops made from the same patterns and materials as your other Basewear?
BRIDGET: Yes, and no. We are using the same materials, but as described above, the Pride TOURAs are undergoing a meticulous construction process to bring in the patchwork design. The Pride TOURAs were created by deconstructing, and reconstructing brand new TOURAs.
EMILY: For inspiration, I kept returning to the “Progress Pride Flag'' that Daniel Quasar designed in 2018. For Brie’s top, we took the trans colors and highlighted them on the front of her top, centering a diamond shaped design over the chest, so it sat close to her heart. We kept the design more straightforward for the second Rainbow Toura and incorporated the black and brown stripes to include and honor minorities in the queer community.
BRIDGET: Yes, and no. We are using the same materials, but as described above, the Pride TOURAs are undergoing a meticulous construction process to bring in the patchwork design. The Pride TOURAs were created by deconstructing, and reconstructing brand new TOURAs.
EMILY: For inspiration, I kept returning to the “Progress Pride Flag'' that Daniel Quasar designed in 2018. For Brie’s top, we took the trans colors and highlighted them on the front of her top, centering a diamond shaped design over the chest, so it sat close to her heart. We kept the design more straightforward for the second Rainbow Toura and incorporated the black and brown stripes to include and honor minorities in the queer community.
How did you connect with Brie and come up with the idea of the Pride TOURA Basewear tops?
LAUREN: Brie reached out to us after a women's climbing weekend she worked with Athena Rock Climbing in Joshua Tree, CA. At the event all the participants and guides received Basewear and Brie loved hers so much she reached out. Her email was really heartfelt and stuck with me, especially when she said:
“Everyone was thrilled [about receiving Basewear] and I think almost everyone wore them and it was this little thing we all shared. I think it definitely added to the sense of belonging and community. Who new. Building community through bras! 😆”
Here at Têra Kaia we call that feeling and community Brie experienced with our Basewear Têra Kaia sparkle emojis✨. We really stand behind the fact that these tops are more than just sports bras. It was basically a sealed deal after that, we scheduled a zoom meeting and the collaboration blossomed.
LAUREN: Brie reached out to us after a women's climbing weekend she worked with Athena Rock Climbing in Joshua Tree, CA. At the event all the participants and guides received Basewear and Brie loved hers so much she reached out. Her email was really heartfelt and stuck with me, especially when she said:
“Everyone was thrilled [about receiving Basewear] and I think almost everyone wore them and it was this little thing we all shared. I think it definitely added to the sense of belonging and community. Who new. Building community through bras! 😆”
Here at Têra Kaia we call that feeling and community Brie experienced with our Basewear Têra Kaia sparkle emojis✨. We really stand behind the fact that these tops are more than just sports bras. It was basically a sealed deal after that, we scheduled a zoom meeting and the collaboration blossomed.
(Photo Credit: Kiersa Koepnick)
In the early stages of your business it took some time and experimentation to find a manufacturer that could create Basewear without compromising the design. Tell us about that process and where things stand with your manufacturing.
BRIDGET: Manufacturing has been, and still continues to be our biggest challenge. Basewear is not an easy garment to make. It requires very meticulous sewing and construction techniques, a variety of specialty machines, and high quality control. Additionally, we have to balance the consumer’s expectations about pricing, while making sure all steps of our garment’s creation involve ethical and sustainable practices.
Ethical and environmentally conscious production requires a lot more work on behalf of the brand to hold factories and facilities accountable. To work with Têra Kaia, factories must meet third party certifications and inspections that require facilities to show they are meeting standards for fair labor practices, and address environmental concerns. You can learn more about our requirements by reading our TK Production Standards.
Overall, I would describe the topic of garment manufacturing as a big complicated iceberg, of which most consumers only understand the small tip above the water.
BRIDGET: Manufacturing has been, and still continues to be our biggest challenge. Basewear is not an easy garment to make. It requires very meticulous sewing and construction techniques, a variety of specialty machines, and high quality control. Additionally, we have to balance the consumer’s expectations about pricing, while making sure all steps of our garment’s creation involve ethical and sustainable practices.
Ethical and environmentally conscious production requires a lot more work on behalf of the brand to hold factories and facilities accountable. To work with Têra Kaia, factories must meet third party certifications and inspections that require facilities to show they are meeting standards for fair labor practices, and address environmental concerns. You can learn more about our requirements by reading our TK Production Standards.
Overall, I would describe the topic of garment manufacturing as a big complicated iceberg, of which most consumers only understand the small tip above the water.
Often manufacturing runs require minimums to get the prices down or fees to set up the machines for a run. What is it like to do something new like this with the Pride TOURA Basewear tops both in terms of business and logistics?
BRIDGET: Emily’s Pride TOURAs are custom made, one-of-a-kind designs that will not be going to production (sorry to disappoint!). As much as consumers may love to purchase one, it wouldn’t be viable for production (the final cost would have to be upwards of $300 once the labor is factored in fairly). SO, for one lucky winner in this campaign they will be getting a very special garment. (To learn more about the special giveaway follow the Têra Kaia Instagram or Brie Chartier's Instagram @brieoutside)
BRIDGET: Emily’s Pride TOURAs are custom made, one-of-a-kind designs that will not be going to production (sorry to disappoint!). As much as consumers may love to purchase one, it wouldn’t be viable for production (the final cost would have to be upwards of $300 once the labor is factored in fairly). SO, for one lucky winner in this campaign they will be getting a very special garment. (To learn more about the special giveaway follow the Têra Kaia Instagram or Brie Chartier's Instagram @brieoutside)
In the previous question you talk about the challenges with manufacturing and that the current designs are too complex to create affordably. Is some version of the Pride Wear something you envision in Têra Kaia's future?
BRIDGET: All said and done, we do anticipate an influx of hopeful customers who would love to represent the LGBTQIA2S+ community through their Basewear and we would love to provide something like that in the future. We may consider creating a Pride themed design that is suitable for production down the line, but it would not involve the same beautiful patchwork as Emily’s custom Pride TOURAs.
Our goal with this campaign is not to sell rainbow TOURAs, but rather to create a welcoming space for the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and amplify queer voices in the outdoor space.
BRIDGET: All said and done, we do anticipate an influx of hopeful customers who would love to represent the LGBTQIA2S+ community through their Basewear and we would love to provide something like that in the future. We may consider creating a Pride themed design that is suitable for production down the line, but it would not involve the same beautiful patchwork as Emily’s custom Pride TOURAs.
Our goal with this campaign is not to sell rainbow TOURAs, but rather to create a welcoming space for the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and amplify queer voices in the outdoor space.
(Photo Credit: Kiersa Koepnick)
Since this is a climbing magazine, and you are a climber, what do you think climbers would like about your bras?
BRIDGET: The original TOURA Basewear Top was designed with climbers in mind. The shape contours to fit your form, and never restricts muscle movement. It’s so comfy you can get out there and you’ll forget it’s even on.
Plus, we’ve heard you can go upwards of a month without washing it! A very strong climber friend of ours put that to the test while climbing and traveling in her van from the west coast of the USA up into Canada.
LAUREN: Bridget and I are both climbers, it is actually how we met! As she mentioned the TOURA was designed with climbers in mind but works on other body types beyond just climbing. Basewear caters to those who like to be comfortable, go weeks without washing their clothes but still have them not smell, and wants apparel that can be used for multiple occasions. For all those reason climbers love Basewear but, I think most other people can appreciate those reasons too!
BRIDGET: The original TOURA Basewear Top was designed with climbers in mind. The shape contours to fit your form, and never restricts muscle movement. It’s so comfy you can get out there and you’ll forget it’s even on.
Plus, we’ve heard you can go upwards of a month without washing it! A very strong climber friend of ours put that to the test while climbing and traveling in her van from the west coast of the USA up into Canada.
LAUREN: Bridget and I are both climbers, it is actually how we met! As she mentioned the TOURA was designed with climbers in mind but works on other body types beyond just climbing. Basewear caters to those who like to be comfortable, go weeks without washing their clothes but still have them not smell, and wants apparel that can be used for multiple occasions. For all those reason climbers love Basewear but, I think most other people can appreciate those reasons too!
Any last words?
BRIDGET: Our rainbow TOURA is designed to represent the full color spectrum (it’s a rainbow pun) of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. We hope that the rainbow TOURA fundraiser will be a total success so we help facilitate more events that are centered around amplifying and welcoming LGBTQIA2S+ people in the outdoors.
LAUREN: While this Pride TOURA started with just Brie and Têra Kaia, it has now grown into a full campaign with brands such as Scarpa, KAVU, Black Diamond, Organic Climbing, Deuter, Adventurers Pride, and Oterra Design now on board. I hope this campaign will continue to help create visibility and inclusivity for LGBTQIA2S+ people in the climbing/outdoor community. Everyone deserves to be part of a community where they can freely and non-judgmentally be themselves.
BRIDGET: Our rainbow TOURA is designed to represent the full color spectrum (it’s a rainbow pun) of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. We hope that the rainbow TOURA fundraiser will be a total success so we help facilitate more events that are centered around amplifying and welcoming LGBTQIA2S+ people in the outdoors.
LAUREN: While this Pride TOURA started with just Brie and Têra Kaia, it has now grown into a full campaign with brands such as Scarpa, KAVU, Black Diamond, Organic Climbing, Deuter, Adventurers Pride, and Oterra Design now on board. I hope this campaign will continue to help create visibility and inclusivity for LGBTQIA2S+ people in the climbing/outdoor community. Everyone deserves to be part of a community where they can freely and non-judgmentally be themselves.
(Photo Credit: Kiersa Koepnick IG: @kiersa_koepnick, website: www.kiersakoepnickphotography.com)
LGBTQIA2S+ Têra Kaia fundraiser and giveaway campaign June 2021