Story & Lesson Highlights with Becky Connelly

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Becky Connelly. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Becky, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Right now I’m in full launch mode! We just introduced the Gigi Bralette, our first full-coverage style for women who need more support than our original Elli offers. My days are split between updating the website, planning Q4, and connecting with customers—though we’ve rolled out an automated exchange and return system to scale that without losing the personal touch.

Here’s what I’m most excited about: exploring partnerships to license our patented foam-free concealing petal technology to other brands. Our bralettes prove the technology works—customers love them—and now the goal is bigger than building a DTC company. It’s eliminating foam padding as the default solution for nipple concealment across the entire industry.

So my days bounce between hands-on work like product pages and bigger conversations about industry transformation. It’s a lot, but it’s exactly where I want to be.
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Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Becky Connelly, founder and CEO of Non Disclosure Apparel. I design foam-free concealing bralettes for women who want guaranteed nipple concealment without bulky padding.

The problem I’m solving started when I was 11 years old—feeling self-conscious about my nipples showing through my clothes. For years, I tried everything: padded bras, molded cups, layering clothes. Nothing worked well, and here’s why: foam padding was invented in the 1940s for volume and enhancement, not nipple concealment. The industry has been using the wrong tool for the job for 75 years.

So I created the right solution—concealing petal technology. It’s a system of micro-thin, flexible layers permanently sealed inside bra cups that provide complete nipple coverage without foam padding. I launched with the Elli Bralette in 2020, designed for small to medium busts. This year, I introduced the Gigi Bralette for full busts (34C-40G), and the response has been incredible.

What sets us apart is that we’re not just selling bralettes—we solved a real problem millions of women face, and have proved there’s a better solution than padding. Now we’re working to scale that across the industry through licensing partnerships. Woman-owned, made in the USA, and committed to giving women everywhere the option to feel comfortable and confident —without compromise.​​​​​​​​​​

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My husband and my sister. For years, they kept telling me the same thing: “Becky, it’s about the petals. Not the bras—the petals.”

And I’d brush them off. I was so focused on following the founder playbook—create a product, build a brand, sell bralettes. I spent years perfecting the petal, making the bras better, obsessing over every detail. I kept thinking, ‘I’m a bra company. This is what bra companies do.’ I couldn’t see that perfecting the petal was the whole point.

But they saw what I didn’t: I’m not a bra company. I’m a technology company that happens to make bras.

The real innovation isn’t the Elli or Gigi Bralettes—it’s the patented concealing petal technology inside them. I invented a solution to a 75-year-old problem that the entire intimate apparel industry faces. Millions of women are wearing foam padding for nipple concealment because nobody’s given them a better option.

My husband and sister saw that before I did. They saw that licensing this technology to other brands—lingerie, activewear, swimwear—could impact far more women than I could ever reach selling bralettes alone.

It took me a while to hear them. I was too focused on being a scrappy founder to see the bigger picture. But they were right. The bralettes are proof of concept. The real opportunity is transforming how the entire industry solves nipple concealment.

Sometimes, the people who love you can see your potential more clearly than you can. I’m grateful I finally listened.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell myself to trust my intuition.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie is that foam padding is necessary for nipple concealment.

Here’s the truth: foam padding was introduced into bras in 1947 for volume and enhancement—to create the pin-up silhouette that was popular at the time. But somewhere along the way, the industry started marketing it as the solution for nipple coverage. And for 75 years, we’ve believed it, we’ve accepted it, we’ve bought it.

Meanwhile, women who just want nipple coverage—not shape or volume—are stuck wearing bulky padded bras. I was so frustrated by this that I became obsessed with finding a better solution.

My concealing petal technology proves you can have guaranteed nipple coverage without any foam—and it works better.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
People will probably misunderstand the ‘why’ behind it all. That this is a gimmick, or that it’s about shame, or that I did this to build a billion-dollar empire.

It’s none of those things.

This started because I had a problem that affected me every single day—and I was fed up with uncomfortable, bulky padding that didn’t even work. I knew there had to be a better way, so I solved it.

Necessity is the mother of invention. I didn’t set out to start a bra company or become a tech entrepreneur. I just wanted to feel comfortable in my own clothes without worrying about my nipples showing. When I couldn’t find that solution anywhere, I created it myself.

The bra is a solution for non-padded nipple concealment; some may think it is about shame or hiding our bodies. That’s the exact opposite of what this is. It’s about choice. It’s about women having the option to feel modest and covered when that makes them comfortable—without having to wear hot, bulky foam.

My legacy is about women finally having the right tool for what they actually want.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ndapparel.com/
• Instagram: @nondisclosureapparel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyconnelly-inventor/
• Facebook: @nondisclosureapparel
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nondisclosureapparel

Image Credits
John Apsey, Michelle Fiorello