California Apparel News

Soma Intimates, the intimate-apparel retailer owned by Fort Myers, Fla.–based Chico’s FAS, is collecting new and “gently worn” bras for the latest edition of its “Giving Is Beautiful” campaign, which will benefit the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV).

NNEDV will distribute the donated garments to women through its more than 2,000 shelter programs in 56 states.

“Soma Intimates is making a real difference in the lives of domestic-violence victims, who often arrive at a shelter with their children and nothing more than the clothes they are wearing,” said NNEDV President Kim Gandy in a Soma statement. “Undergarments are often difficult items to obtain for survivors, and the shelters really appreciate donations of new bras to help women who are trying to start over. The fact that Soma Intimates is partnering their boutiques with local domestic-violence shelters will help raise awareness in local communities, raise badly needed funds, and help victims find safety and rebuild their lives.”

The retail chains will collect the donated bras until Feb. 17 at the company’s 250 boutiques nationwide.

Since the Giving Is Beautiful campaign launched in July 2010, Soma has collected more than 600,000 bras, which were donated to more than 4 million women who stay in domestic-violence shelters each year in the United States. Some of those women’s stories can be found at the Giving Is Beautiful website (www.soma.com/givebras), which also features information about NNEDV and how to contribute to the initiative.