We Love TaTa Top!
I’ve definetly been known to take my top off at a beach or two. I’m one of those people that loves boobies and I think they are all amazing and beautiful, no matter what shape or size. It made my boobies smile when I started to see this magnificent bikini top that actually made you look like your topless popping up all over my social media feeds. Low and behold a few days later I received an email from the creators of the infamous TaTa top, asking me if KAB would like to partner with them… ummmm duh, yes! Here is a little Q and A I did with TaTa top.
Tell me a little about you two:
We are a couple, living in Chicago with our two dogs, Buddy and Pete. We are actually getting married in December, so in between our full time jobs and wedding planning, we run The TaTa Top!
What in the world was going through your minds when you came up with the TaTa Top?
Michelle came up with the idea for The TaTa Top in response to a story I (Robyn) told her about an incident at a Chicago beach. I had been hosting two Dutch women as a cultural exchange, and they were not familiar with the topless laws in the U.S. When they went to visit one of Chicago’s beaches, they didn’t think twice about running into the lake topless for a quick swim on a hot summer day. Chaos ensued, and a male lifeguard told them they had to leave unless they covered their nipples. Once he realized they were visiting from abroad, he explained “it’s illegal to expose nipples in America.” The women were confused, as the lifeguard stood there with his own nipples exposed. The pair relayed the story to me later that day, and I was completely stumped when it came to attempting to explain why the law existed! I just always knew I had to wear a top at the beach! When I asked Michelle her opinion on the subject, she responded in typical-Michelle fashion... :) Always one to push boundaries and challenge authority, Michelle decided that The TaTa Top was the perfect way to stir things up and get people questioning the current laws and censorship in general. That’s when the idea was born! As the idea developed, so did our goals. From the very beginning, we knew we wanted to use a sense of humor to shed light on some serious issues while simultaneously raising funds for two areas we are extremely passionate about: breast cancer awareness and women’s rights. It's great to create a product that makes people laugh, but it's even better to be able to do something very serious with that success. For each TaTa Top sold, $5 goes directly towards supporting KAB or our other partnered organization, and that is what it’s all about.
Were you surprised with the amazing almost instantaneous response you received?
Yes! We were shocked by the response. We started out with 700 pieces in inventory, and we celebrated each time we sold one piece. Then, after Salon.com posted an article online about us, things went crazy! We sold out in three days! I think the most surprising part for us was what our customers had to say and what reasons they were buying for. We had mothers and daughters buying together, we had husbands and boyfriends buying for their wives and girlfriends, we had breastfeeding mothers buying the tops after being shamed for breastfeeding in public, we even had entire teams buying together for fundraisers and breast cancer walks. We heard so many stories and so many reasons people were excited about The TaTa Top, and it really touched us that people were buying The TaTa Top to support so many important causes.
I know you have received some really special responses from breast cancer survivors about the TaTa top, Can you share one of those stories?
We have heard from so many amazing men and women, some breast cancer survivors, some currently fighting breast cancer, and some reaching out to support their loved ones who have been diagnosed. We had a woman buy two tops so that her and her sister could bike to chemo together wearing them. We had a husband buy a top for his wife who had undergone a double mastectomy so he could surprise her during her pool party birthday celebration. We heard from so many women who were excited to have their "nipples back." One of the stories that touched us the most was from an Australian woman who wrote us about her struggle to accept her body after her double mastectomy. She wrote about not feeling comfortable being intimate with anyone and not feeling feminine when she looked in the mirror. She told us she couldn't wait for her TaTa Top to arrive so she could have "nipples" again. She had plans to wear it to the beach once it was warm enough!
Why did you choose Keep A Breast to be one of your beneficiaries?
We chose Keep A Breast Foundation as a partnered organization, because we immediately related to their mission and their approach to support that mission: Breast cancer prevention through art, education, awareness, and action. We also loved that KAB focuses on a younger generation of women because many times younger women feel more indestructible, making them less likely to do their monthly self-checks and take preventative measures. No one is safe from breast cancer—no matter what his or her age. Now, more than ever, younger women are being diagnosed and early detection is so important. After talking with Shaney Jo and learning more about their different programs, the "Check Yourself" campaign especially, we knew that this was an organization led by fun and passionate people who knew how to get things done!
What is next for the TA TA top?
We recently expanded our sizes to include XS-XXL. We are now working on some different styles--a one piece swimsuit and a tankini. We are also working on a men's product due to popular demand! We have big plans to continue growing and spreading the word so we can help raise even more funds to support our partnered organizations!