Calypsa a kinder kind of swimwear is launching today

Fashion likes to push women into unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable territories: the perilous deep V-neck, the tourniquet-tight dresses, the towering stiletto heels. Its ideal wearer is as insubstantial as a wisp with the balance of an aerialist.

Calypsa believes in women of substance, literally and figuratively. It believes so deeply and completely in the good judgment of its customers and fans that it relies on them for design inspiration. It flips the relationship between fashion and customer on its head.

Calypsa was founded by Nava Brief Fried, who began by listening to women rather than dictating to them. She started the brand as an online marketplace, selling art, jewelry and dresses. When the clothing captured the imagination of shoppers, she focused solely on fashion.

But this is fashion of a different sort. It is fashion made for and directed by the wearers. The idea is both logical and uncommon. Brief Fried zeroed in on swimwear and activewear with the understanding that many women are underserved by tight, skimpy and unflattering pieces that hamper movement; pieces that put wearers in a constant state of unease, adjusting and tugging, preoccupied with avoiding exposure. ”Women hate wearing swimwear,” says Brief Fried. “There’s so much anxiety around it.”

Calypsa is dedicated to swimwear and activewear that suit all women. Women who want to be covered in all the right places—whatever that means to them. Calypsa makes tops with sleeves or without; bottoms with skirts, shorts or leggings. The pieces have built-in sun protection and built-in comfort. The resulting clothes support, protect and honor women so they can feel confident and energetic. “Women’s voices can’t be ignored anymore,” says Brief Fried. Calypsa’s design process is adaptive, attentive, inspired by real life. “We listen to our customers to build best-selling items. It’s not ego driven,” says Brief Fried. “The customer is at the center, whether it’s the service we give them when they’re shopping or their suggestions for improvements.

“Our team goes through each comment and review and makes a list of the requests,” she says. “We live in data, and we know exactly why something works. Some of these suggestions have turned into instant best-sellers. It might be as minor as adding an inch to a pair of shorts or removing an inch from the sleeves, but it makes a huge difference.”