Meet Karen Poirier, founder of Embrago

I’m in my mid 50s and proud to be a boomerang Pittsburgher. Born and raised in the Steel City, I moved east for college and career, then came back years later with my husband and children. I love the authentic friendliness, humor, humility, and grit of my hometown. (I’m not alone. It’s such a predictable pattern that it has earned natives like me the “boomerang” label!)

After a 30-year career in marketing, raising two children, and losing four parents (my own and my in-laws) — plus going through a gut-wrenching, identity-shifting menopausal metamorphosis — I found my true calling as an inventor, designer, and midlife evangelist by founding a new clothing brand, Embrago (em-BRA-go).

At Embrago, I design clothing with compassion for curves by re-imagining bust support for midlife and fuller-busted bodies. My patented line of Full Support Fashion eliminates the need for bras or shapewear by integrating body support directly into the seams of the clothing. This new concept — that bra-free does not have to mean unsupported — empowers women with new choices so they can live happier and healthier lives throughout peri-/post-/menopause.

I’m in the midst of

1.  Empowering women to look and feel beautiful without bras or shapewear.
2.  Serving the fashion needs of women over 40.
3.  Changing the world!

The pre-menopausal me could never have said all that. She felt discouraged by the changing shape of her midlife body. She was intimidated by a fashion industry full of younger, slimmer, more glamorous people. And she would never have dreamed of talking in public about her aging bigger boobs!

The new me is ready to take action to make a difference for the countless discouraged women I have met who are experiencing bra pain or feeling bad about themselves because their bodies don’t look 20 anymore. I am here to encourage them to embrace their curves and demand better clothes (clothes designed for the meno-body) rather than taking extreme measures to change and squeeze their bodies into a younger mold. I am all about making our lives easier while also making us look and feel better!

The best thing about my current age

Patience and peace. Whether it comes from experience, hormonal changes, or a combination of both, I feel like I’m finally finished waging my emotional wars. I’ve made peace with my decisions, I know who I am, where I want to be, and what I want to do. I accept the sacrifices and time it takes to nurture the things I value, such as faith, family, and career. I finally know what I’m here on earth to do so I can stop torturing myself and just get on with the work!

The best thing I’ve done for myself in midlife

Launching Embrago and not giving up on my dream to transform the fashion world. Despite the many challenges, it has been a journey of profound discovery for me, both personally and professionally. It has forced me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to make a real difference for good in this world, for the over 40-woman who carries so much on her shoulders.

Bonus best thing? Joining a Pilates studio.

My Grown-Ass Lady heroes

• My mother: She passed in 2015 but new lessons from her example keep revealing themselves as I get older.
• Vera Wang: she says the secret to happiness as you age is work that you love. I can relate!
• Queen Latifah: She has such an amazing combination of grit and grace, is multi-talented, has a long and varied career that’s still evolving. And she has such a joyful presence.

What’s next

Spreading the word about Full Support Fashion! For my third chapter, I will be busying myself with sharing comfort, ease, and support with women over 40 and women with fuller busts. I want MidstHers to know there’s an authentic brand out there designed for *them* and their softer, rounder bodies. I want women to know they have a new choice that changes their lives for the better. These clothes have changed my life (eliminated all my neck/shoulder/headache pain and digestive issues I used to get from bras) and I’m seeing it change my customers’ lives every day. 

Follow me here

Website: emBRAgo.com

Instagram: @embragoclothing

Facebook: /embragoclothing

Pinterest: /embragoclothing

YouTube: @embragoclothing

LinkedIn: /embrago

We’re in the midst of building the Founding MidstHer program into a membership model — one step at a time. To help build The Midst community and be featured in Meet a MidstHer, sign up to become a Founding MidstHer here on The Midst Substack. We’ll email you with more details. If you have questions, email feedback@the-midst.com.