Meet Kate - a founder of The Skarlette® underwear for flat women
22 May 21Kate is one of the founders of The Skarlette®, a UK-based underwear for flat women brand designed for ladies who have had a double mastectomy and remain flat. Skarlette® Limited are proud to introduce a selection of Skarlettes® which have been thoughtfully designed with care and understanding.
Who is Kate?
My name is Kate Maurice and I grew up in a little village in Buckinghamshire before moving north to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield. Following graduation I gained my wings and launched myself into the skies to follow my childhood dream of becoming an airline pilot. Initially based out of Cardiff and before moving to fly from Manchester it was an exhilarating career.
As a woman, studying engineering and then becoming a commercial pilot I became used to being a bit different and standing out; I had to be determined and be sure that my voice could be heard when something was important! This attitude has stood me in good stead to design and launch beautiful UK-based underwear for flat women designed for ladies who have had a double mastectomy and remain flat; this is a bit different and stands out from the market.
I moved and settled here in Prestbury with my husband and family early in the 2000s primarily to follow both our careers. Despite both of us having grown up down south, we settled in Cheshire to raise our family and my goodness I’m so glad we did - otherwise we would never have met a beautiful lady who has become firstly my friend but now my business partner, a lady who has overcome breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and lives flat. Initially, Heather was our son’s nurse providing much required relief from our weekly day trips to Newcastle Upon Tyne for medical appointments. Heather then became a colleague of my husband and then by chance our daughters became best friends! Hence, you can see our lives have become entwined and so when Heather contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in helping her develop the idea of designing/creating The Skarlette® our underwear for flat women, the answer was obvious!
Where do you get your inspiration for the style of Skarlette®?
Being a friend of Heather’s I lived through her diagnosis; she has overcome breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and lives flat whilst dealing admirably with the impact breast cancer was/is to have on her and her family. Having a lifelong interest in creating garments both for myself, my family and further a field I have spent many an hour at my sewing machine; I have created lots of outfits for the local youth theatre, altered many garments for family and friends and I have enjoyed just sewing for sewing’s sake. It really appeals to my creative side, something I could not safely do when flying passengers to their holiday destinations! I am thoroughly enjoying listening and learning further what’s required for the brave women who have undergone a mastectomy and now live flat, and I am now loving designing and helping to create underwear for flat women. Our lingerie has specific features, for example soft seams, wide underband and no underwires and I have developed patterns with entirely flat triangles – no cups, no pleats, no darts. The Skarlette® is thoughtfully designed with care and understanding.
What is your favourite part about being an owner of a lingerie company?
The Skarlette® is created by and designed by a woman who has overcome breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and lives flat and a woman who has flourished in the engineering and the commercial airline industry. I love the fact that Heather and I have brought this underwear for flat women from concept to reality, and that is my most favourite part of all of this. A double mastectomy and living flat needn’t result in plain, boring underwear which is hugely expensive.
Manufactured in Manchester
Here at Skarlette® Limited we are immensely proud that our underwear for flat women is designed and produced here in the North West of England.
We will endeavour to keep our UK-based underwear for flat women brand, designed for ladies who have had a double mastectomy and remain flat here in the UK. We have teamed up with the Manchester based Ella & me to manufacture our garments. This means we can help them to retain their incredible skills as lingerie manufacturers.
Our brand celebrates British manufacturing and manufacturers, which is extremely important to us now more than ever.
What have been your biggest challenges with The Skarlette®?
Flying and nursing are two careers that don’t tend to lend themselves to creating a small company; certainly I haven’t previously had any involvement in business. The learning curve is incredibly steep and over the last year has been more like the climb out of a vertical take-off harrier jet than that of a glider! The determination and attitude I have previously nurtured has stood me in good stead to over come the challenges faced whilst creating Skarlette® Limited.
We are committed to bringing to market our beautifully designed lingerie for flat women. The Skarlette® is thoughtfully designed with care and understanding.
We have paid a lot of attention to the desires of women who are crying out for attractive and affordable post-surgery lingerie. Something for them to feel more feminine having already suffered so much through breast cancer, delivered to you by two determined women.
With the restrictions of a global pandemic, the challenges of sourcing our fabrics and finding a personal and local manufacturer we have succeeded and will continue to do so to bring beautiful lingerie to well deserving women who have also overcome so much.
We would love you to become part of our journey; subscribe here, let us know what you think and make sure to stay connected to hear all our news.