Aarthi Ramamurthy and Michelle Lam, two former Microsoft staffers from San Francisco, are the brains behind the newly launched online lingerie-retailer True & Co.
Typical of the Microsoft cohort, the ladies didn't just build a shopping site, they built an algorithm to create the ideal successful shopping experience.
With the chronically fraught field of bra fitting as their starting point, Ramamurthy and Lam came up with a series of simple-enough multiple-choice questions for the online shopper to answer: bra-fit, cup size, breast shape, etc. At the end of the quick questionnaire, you are asked to enter your e-mail address and directed to a page where the algorithm has tabulated your answers to come up with a selection of bras best-suited to your frame and figure.
A $45 deposit will get you five different bras to try on at home, three of your choosing and two selected by True & Co. with you in mind, and if you don't end up liking anything in the selection, you can send them all back at no cost and get back your $45 deposit. They make it that easy.
Whether the algorithm is in fact successful at sizing up your perfect bra remains to be seen, reviews aren't yet in. But with the promise of having the $45 deposit returned in full if you strike out, it seems worth a shot for curiosity's sake alone. [NYDailyNews]