JulieMay

JulieMay is a British lingerie brand for sensitive skin, founded in 2018 by Tiffany Chiu and based in Herne Bay on the Kent coast. It makes bras and underwear from certified organic Pima cotton and silk, and describes itself as the UK's only allergy-friendly underwear brand, with products tested by dermatologists and accredited by allergy charities.

The name is personal. Chiu named the company after her mother, Juliemay, whose skin condition started the whole project.

A mother's rash and a career change

Chiu grew up in Hong Kong and studied at Edinburgh University before taking a postgraduate degree at Queen Mary University of London. She then worked as a legal assistant in commercial law. The change of direction came from home: her mother developed painful rashes on her breasts after hormonal changes linked to childbirth, and ordinary bras made them worse.

Looking for something her mother could wear, Chiu found that most lingerie relies on synthetic fibers, elastics containing latex and chemical finishes, all of which can irritate damaged or reactive skin. Comfortable cotton existed, but usually in plain medical styles. She left law and started JulieMay to make something in between.

Self-funded from the start

The company has been funded from Chiu's savings, award grants and reinvested profit rather than outside investors. That has kept it small. It sells online through a UK store and a separate US site, and runs an online community for customers with sensitive skin conditions.

JulieMay's Pima cotton and silk

The material choice is the product. JulieMay uses GOTS-certified organic Pima cotton, a long-staple variety with fibers around two inches long. Long fibers spin into a smoother, stronger yarn with fewer loose ends, which is why Pima feels softer against the skin than ordinary short-staple cotton. Some pieces blend the cotton with pure silk.

What the brand leaves out matters as much. Its garments are free of latex and harsh chemical finishes, and are sold as dye-free in many styles. Straps are made from double layers of Pima cotton rather than synthetic elastic tape, which spreads pressure and keeps a synthetic surface off the shoulder.

Testing and accreditation

JulieMay's claims rest on outside testing. Its products have been tested by dermatologists, including Dr Natalie Stone, and the brand cites accreditation from Allergy UK as suitable for people who react to synthetic fibers, as well as certification from Allergy Free UK. Its target customers are people with eczema, psoriasis and contact dermatitis.

Research and awards

For a small brand, JulieMay has unusual links to academic research. It has worked with the University of Portsmouth's Breast Health Research Group, the team best known for studying bra fit and breast movement in sport, on adding motion sensor technology to bras.

The company has also collected recognition from business programs:

• winner of an Innovate UK Young Innovators' Award for 2022/23
• commended in the Telegraph's coverage of female entrepreneurs
• selected by Small Business Saturday UK as one of the nation's 100 most inspiring small firms

What the range looks like

Much of the collection is soft and wire-free: bralettes, soft-cup bras, briefs and lounge pieces, in neutral and undyed tones. That is a sensible limit. Underwire casings, molded foam cups and lace trims are exactly the parts of a conventional bra that cause trouble for reactive skin, and the wireless bra is the natural shape for a brand built around them.

A niche with a real need

Allergy-friendly lingerie is a small part of the market, and few brands set out to serve it. Most organic underwear labels, such as Organic Basics, sell on environmental grounds. JulieMay sells on medical comfort first, which explains its dermatologist testing and charity accreditation.

Its base, Herne Bay, is a seaside town better known for its pier than for clothing manufacture. From there, a former legal assistant has built a brand around one woman's rash and one long-staple cotton.

Last updated October 7, 2026