Our Story

Grail opened in May 2019  as a responsive, local “better way to buy a bra.” 

Bodies are complex, and bra sizing is bonkers. It’s a lot for anyone to tackle on their own. Chain retailers carry a limited size range, their products are often poorly-made under exploitative conditions, and they generally either do not offer fitting assistance or give information that is incomplete or inaccurate.


Online shopping is an even bigger hassle; spend some time trying on different bra styles, and you quickly realize that
sizes are not consistent across styles and that certain bra shapes and body shapes do not work well together. If you want to purchase a well-fitting bra, you absolutely must try it on first. Unfortunately, there is no quiz or other shortcut that can change this reality.

A bra fitting is a collaboration! When you come to us, we work together to find bra styles that suit your unique needs in terms of size, shape, comfort, and personal style. We are constantly expanding our inventory selection to have more tools in our bra-fit toolbox and to offer you a range of choices you won’t find anywhere else!

Core Values

Our Staff

Owner and lead fitter Carmen Champagne has called Athens home for almost 25 years. She’s a mother of two and a graduate of Cedar Shoals High School and the University of Georgia. Her previous career was as an environmental educator and animal caretaker at Sandy Creek Nature Center. She’ll talk your ear off about bras, but she also loves questions about reptiles, insects, native plants, and geology. An avid martial artist as well, she regularly co-instructs women’s self-defense courses.

Carmen got into the bra business after her own years-long bad bra battle. She is truly grateful for this opportunity to help her customers find comfort and empowerment, as well as contributing to the overall destigmatization of women’s bodies. Grail is also an avenue to improve the well-being of women in the community through everyday discounts for public school employees and partnerships with non-profit organizations like The Cottage and Project Safe.

Ruth Walker bounced around the Athens area growing up, but has settled in Watkinsville for the past 14 years. She is an artist, animal lover, and a mom of one human and one feline furball. She always has an artistic project going and is a massive D&D nerd. She will happily talk about her latest art project, character ideas, or the latest critter she’s come across.

Ashe Wilder (she/they) has been an Athens townie for about 6 years now. She is currently working towards her Bachelor’s in Psychology, focusing on the burgeoning research field of tabletop and video games as therapy tools. Which goes to say, she’s an avid gaming fan! Ashe also loves helping out as many folks as they can, be that through baking, coffee, 

storytelling, or just a good                                                                          ol’ binging session. They’ve been a “hobby” bra fitter for several years, helping friends and family along their journeys to a better fit. She’s very excited to be joining the team, and to bring her empathetic and nerdy energy to the Grail community!

Our Story

Grail opened in May 2019  as a responsive, local “better way to buy a bra.” 

Bodies are complex, and bra sizing is bonkers. It’s a lot for anyone to tackle on their own. Chain retailers carry a limited size range, their products are often poorly-made under exploitative conditions, and they generally either do not offer fitting assistance or give information that is incomplete or inaccurate.


Online shopping is an even bigger hassle; spend some time trying on different bra styles, and you quickly realize that
sizes are not consistent across styles and that certain bra shapes and body shapes do not work well together. If you want to purchase a well-fitting bra, you absolutely must try it on first. Unfortunately, there is no quiz or other shortcut that can change this reality.

A bra fitting is a collaboration! When you come to us, we work together to find bra styles that suit your unique needs in terms of size, shape, comfort, and personal style. We are constantly expanding our inventory selection to have more tools in our bra-fit toolbox and to offer you a range of choices you won’t find anywhere else!

Core Values

Our Staff

Owner and lead fitter Carmen Champagne has called Athens home for almost 25 years. She’s a mother of two and a graduate of Cedar Shoals High School and the University of Georgia. Her previous career was as an environmental educator and animal caretaker at Sandy Creek Nature Center. She’ll talk your ear off about bras, but she also loves questions about reptiles, insects, native plants, and geology. An avid martial artist as well, she regularly co-instructs women’s self-defense courses.

Carmen got into the bra business after her own years-long bad bra battle. She is truly grateful for this opportunity to help her customers find comfort and empowerment, as well as contributing to the overall destigmatization of women’s bodies. Grail is also an avenue to improve the well-being of women in the community through everyday discounts for public school employees and partnerships with non-profit organizations like The Cottage and Project Safe.

Ruth Walker bounced around the Athens area growing up, but has settled in Watkinsville for the past 14 years. She is an artist, animal lover, and a mom of one human and one feline furball. She always has an artistic project going and is a massive D&D nerd. She will happily talk about her latest art project, character ideas, or the latest critter she’s come across.

Ashe Wilder (she/they) has been an Athens townie for about 6 years now. She is currently working towards her Bachelor’s in Psychology, focusing on the burgeoning research field of tabletop and video games as therapy tools. Which goes to say, she’s an avid gaming fan! Ashe also loves helping out as many folks as they can, be that through baking, coffee, storytelling, or just a good ol’ binging session. They’ve been a “hobby” bra fitter for several years, helping friends and family along their journeys to a better fit. She’s very excited to be joining the team, and to bring her empathetic and nerdy energy to the Grail community!