Thirdlove launches nipple covers as it looks for white spaces within intimates

New DTC toolkit // June 10, 2026 Thirdlove launches nipple covers as it looks for white spaces within intimates By Julia Waldow Thirdlove Intimates brand Thirdlove is entering a new category as it continues to broaden its assortment. The company is launching reusable silicon nipple covers in three shades and two sizes (A-D and DD+).

Designed for 15 wears and retailing at $29, the products feature perforated holes for better breathability. From start to finish, it took about three years to develop the SKUs, which will be sold online, in stores and on TikTok Shop, Thirdlove co-founders Heidi Zak and Ra’el Cohen told Modern Retail.

Thirdlove, which launched in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer lingerie brand, built its early growth around online fit tools and inclusive sizing. The brand has 60 bra sizes, including half sizes, and has gained a following around its T-shirt bra.

But consumers are wearing more low-cut styles lately, and Thirdlove’s customers are increasingly searching for nipple covers online amid the rise of competitors like Cakes Body and Nippies Skin. “While we’re known for fit, we noticed there were some outfits that we weren’t able to service with our bras,” Cohen said.

“If Thirdlove’s going to be there for every moment of your life, we need to be there for that backless moment or that deep-V plunge moment, and that’s really what led us to launch the nipple covers.” Thirdlove set out to create a product that could fill existing needs in intimates, executives shared.

Based on shopper feedback and millions of insights from its “Fitting Room” quiz, Thirdlove knew there was demand for nipple covers. But it also learned from customers “what not to do,” Cohen said. For instance, some people shared that existing nipple covers often peeled off when it was hot or humid outside.

Others said that they noticed a sagging effect from various nipple covers. “We said, ‘OK, if we’re going to do nipple covers, we can’t just do what everybody else is doing,'” Cohen said. “We like to think of ourselves as problem solvers. We want to invent something that you can’t find out there.”

Zak added, “The one thing we’ve always done is say, ‘What’s missing in X?’ … ‘What do women need that they’re not getting, and how can we design something better?'” Thirdlove conducted wear testing for the nipple covers, tapping employees, friends, family and fit models for insights.

In the end, Thirdlove decided on a perforated design that would allow for more airflow, but not collapse or crease. The company plans to make future versions of nipple covers, based on customer requests for things like different sizes, colors or shapes. It will market the collection through a social-media campaign that asks shoppers to “go braless.”

The nipple covers debut amid a period of change for Thirdlove. The company is now more than 10 years old, and it’s looking to newer products that fill certain white spaces — like the nipple covers — for growth.

The brand is building out its activewear segment, and its 2025 TempSync collection — which includes thermoregulating fabric — made $1 million in sales during the first six weeks of launch. “That category has continued to be really strong for us, which shows us our consumer really loves innovation,” Zak said.

Meanwhile, the company’s wireless bra sales are up double digits year over year. Thirdlove’s newer Minimizer Bra, which reduces a wearer’s bust size up to two inches, has “over 50% new customer take” in direct-to-consumer channels, higher than Thirdlove’s typical average of 30% for new products, Cohen said.

More than 20 million women have completed the bra measuring quiz “Fitting Room,” and Thirdlove has now passed 10 million lifetime orders. Thirdlove’s products are available via its website, its two owned stores in California, and wholesale channels like Nordstrom, Amazon, Kohl’s and Belk.

(The company previously closed its stores in Chicago, Boca Raton and Philadelphia.) “Business has been really good this year,” Zak said. “We’ve seen the consumer remain engaged, even throughout the [macroeconomic] craziness.” The intimates market has also enjoyed growth. Sales of intimates in the U. S. were up 0.

8% year over year in March, per Circana, and brands like Victoria’s Secret are seeing greater demand for bras. The rising use of GLP-1 medications is also leading to bra purchases, especially for smaller cup and band sizes. But bra alternatives are gaining steam, too, as shoppers look for comfort and convenience.

The silicon nipple-cover brand Cakes Body, for instance, blew up on TikTok and recently hit $100 million in annual sales. Thirdlove expects