B. Lin Murphy, founder of The Bawdy Filter, designs gear that offers relief to women amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the creation of bodysuits that give what she hopes is a calming hug.

 

A fan favorite, The Multitasker compression bodysuit was designed to make it easier for women to get up and get going by featuring high-quality antimicrobial materials and gentle, selective compression that soothes and smoothes.

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“The pandemic has ushered in uncertainty and self-doubt in many cases. Every day, you wonder how you can manage it all. You wonder what you’ll have to let go of. It’s easy to feel alienated and high-strung when you’re used to having it all figured out. This pandemic has reinforced the value of a hug and its reassurance. Everything will be alright,” said B. Lin. “I want my customers to look forward to getting dressed, and I hope that they feel hugged and at ease as they conquer the day,” she continued.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the world, with women seemingly being the worst-hit. Recent statistics have revealed that women have been disproportionately impacted by mobility limitations associated with the crisis, especially due to the stay-at-home orders put in place to curb the spread of the virus.

 

Many women have been redirected and forced out of the workplace. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that more than four times as many women as men left their jobs last September. The pandemic has also adversely affected women’s mental health. Frontiers in Global Women's Health published a study that found that since the pandemic started, sleep problems, depression, and anxiety symptoms were more common in women than in men.

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B. Lin and her team at The Bawdy Filter are aiming to address some of these challenges through fashion by integrating compression into their unique bodysuits. Compression in womenswear is widely associated with shape-defining and smoothing. For decades, the concept has been used by bodyworkers and therapists in both Western and traditional Chinese medicine to calm and heal patients. Focused on serving women compression for purposes beyond contour and style, The Bawdy Filter touts the soothing benefits through their “bawdysuits.”

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The brand launched last year and its garments have proven to be especially beneficial during times of uncertainty and isolation. A heightened awareness of women's needs during this pivotal moment resonates with B. Lin’s goal of supporting women through considerate, user-centered apparel design.