The reusable silicone bra alternative that grips with body heat, not glue - and grew into a nine-figure brand without raising a venture round.
CAKES Body makes reusable silicone nipple covers and stick-on bra alternatives. The pitch is unglamorous and exact: a wardrobe staple that lets women skip an uncomfortable bra under swimwear, loungewear, activewear or a going-out look, without visible lines or irritating adhesive.
Twin sisters Taylor Capuano and Casey Sarai started the company in January 2022. Both had spent their careers in marketing - Capuano is the brand's chief marketing officer - and both put in $5,000 of their own savings. Their first order was 500 units. There was no outside round, no institutional backer, and, at the start, no advertising budget to speak of. What they had was a product that addressed something women had tolerated for decades and a knack for making short-form video that people actually wanted to watch.
The design choice at the center of the business is small and specific. Instead of relying on glue, the non-adhesive covers are cut from 100% medical-grade silicone that tapers at the edges and grips to skin using natural body heat. They are washable and reusable rather than disposable. The founders' own shorthand - "grippy, not sticky" - is also the clearest summary of what separates CAKES Body from the covers that came before it.
"The world's best nipple cover. This grippy not sticky thing really works."Emma Grede - CAKES Body investor, co-founder of SKIMS and Good American
Women across a wide range of ages and body types who want coverage or light support under outfits a traditional bra can't handle - deep V-necks, swimwear, loungewear and activewear. The range also serves post-mastectomy customers, which is part of why the brand frames itself around women's wellness as much as fashion. Close to half a million people follow CAKES Body on social media.
Standard nipple covers tend to be too small, too flimsy, and dependent on adhesive that irritates skin and gives out after a wear or two. Bras add lines, straps and discomfort. CAKES Body's answer is a larger, higher-quality cover that stays put without glue and can be washed and reused - a single purchase that replaces a drawer of disposable, uncomfortable options.
CAKES Body stayed disciplined about its category, expanding within silicone "boob solutions" rather than sprawling across unrelated apparel.
The flagship: medical-grade silicone covers that grip with body heat, no glue. Reusable and washable.
An adhesive version for extra hold under fitted or strapless looks.
Triangle shape cut for deep V-necks and lower necklines.
A stick-on bra alternative offering lift and shaping without straps or bands.
Lifting boob tape for shaping and support across outfits.
A supportive cami that extends the range beyond covers.
CAKES Body sells almost entirely through its own Shopify Plus storefront. Demand is driven by a high volume of organic content on TikTok and Instagram rather than paid acquisition - the founders have reported a customer acquisition cost of around $5, a figure most funded direct-to-consumer brands would struggle to match.
Their advice on viral content is counterintuitive: don't approve it before it goes out. Trusting the people making the videos, rather than routing everything through sign-off, is part of how a small team keeps up the volume. The company remains bootstrapped and, by its own account, profitable.
The category already existed. CAKES Body's difference is in the details - and in how it grew.
Bigger covers, better silicone that tapers at the edges, body-heat grip instead of adhesive, and reusability. Competitors like NuBra and Nippies lean on stick-on designs; CAKES Body's non-adhesive approach is its signature.
Organic-first social content at roughly $5 per customer, versus the heavy ad spend of many funded competitors. The brand out-scaled better-capitalized rivals without a war chest.
On Shark Tank, they turned down Kevin O'Leary's royalty offer and took Emma Grede's clean $300,000 instead - a bet that the terms of capital matter more than the size of the check.
The sisters each invest $5,000 and start with 500 units of silicone nipple covers in January.
In a Season 15 episode airing in December, they accept $300,000 for a 10% stake from the SKIMS and Good American co-founder.
Triangles, the Cleavage bra and tape join the range as social following climbs toward half a million.
Roughly $95 million in net sales for the fiscal year ending June, with a valuation reported above $100 million.
CAKES Body sits at the intersection of intimates, wellness and viral consumer brands - a lane occupied at the top by SKIMS. It is smaller and narrower by design, owning the reusable, adhesive-free nipple cover and bra-alternative niche rather than competing across full apparel.
The founders have described a people-first culture, including offering employees up to two months of paid time off a year and hiring for trust and autonomy. Philanthropy is treated as a fixed commitment: the brand reports donating over $1 million to women's health causes.
Reusable silicone nipple covers and bra alternatives made from medical-grade silicone - including non-adhesive "grippy" covers, adhesive "sticky" covers, a stick-on Cleavage bra, tape and a corset cami.
Twin sisters Taylor Capuano (Co-Founder & CMO) and Casey Sarai founded the company in 2022. Both previously worked in marketing.
Yes. In a Season 15 episode that aired in December 2023, the founders accepted a $300,000 investment for a 10% stake from Emma Grede.
Its non-adhesive covers grip to skin using natural body heat rather than glue, and they are reusable and washable rather than disposable - "grippy, not sticky."
The bootstrapped brand reported roughly $95 million in net sales for the fiscal year ending June 2025, a valuation over $100 million, and about 57 employees.