How Kate Hudson kept THAT Venice dress on – Yoobtape, created by a Vietnamese-Australian to support or conceal women’s breasts without bras
- ‘A lot of women are anti-bra, but they also don’t like the feeling of not having a bra,’ says Hong Kong-based Yen Le, who launched Yoobtape in 2019
- She came up with the product based on her own needs; she has larger breasts and found she didn’t have comfortable support when wearing spaghetti-strap tops
When Kate Hudson appeared on the red carpet during the Venice Film Festival in September, onlookers would have been forgiven for thinking: “How is she holding that thing up?”
Hudson was in a black dress by Paris-based brand Monot that was more skin than fabric, an ingenious creation with artful cut-outs at the breast and torso, and a hip-high slit. That it stayed on without any mishaps seemed a feat of engineering.
It was actually a simple thing called Yoobtape.
Yoobtape was created by Yen Le, a Vietnamese-Australian based in Hong Kong who realised that women needed a way to support or conceal their breasts without uncomfortable bras or strange nipple covers. It comes as a single- or double-sided tape made from organic cotton in several different widths and colours, and can be put on and removed without the need for talcs, oils or applicators.
Le launched Yoobtape in September 2019, right before Covid-19 hit. While the going was slow at first, in recent months the product has been included in gift bags for the Oscars and the Grammys and has become the go-to resource for a number of celebrity stylists. It was also seen on the runway keeping slits in place at New York Fashion Week, and even on men in low-cut trousers lest they show just a little too much.
Le conceived the product to be worn by anyone in a low top, strapless dress, clingy T-shirt, even swim and yoga wear.
