This mom is designing special underwear for transgender women like her daughter

Karyn Bello, a mother based in Staten Island, is developing a lingerie brand meant specially for transgender women.

The design is set to solve issues surrounding 'tucking' which she said can cause urinary tract infections.

Bello's daughter Lily came out as transgender in 2014. Inspired by her daughter, Bello is designing a clothing line called Zhe, a reference to the gender-neutral pronoun, to help transgender people feel more comfortable in their clothes.

“They’re meant to help trans women navigate through the world and through their clothes comfortably without having to worry,” Bello told a website. “They’re much more accessible and safe for them to be wearing.”

The design is aimed at helping transgender women avoid harmful "tucking" practices that could damage the genitals or urethra over the long term.

“[These methods] are bad for your urethra — you get UTIs easily," Bello said. "They’re just bad for your health. I was coming at it from a mom’s perspective. I want you to be healthy and take care of yourself, too."

The underwear is meant to achieve the same effect as tucking without the health risks. Bello says shopping for her daughter inspired her to create the underwear line Zhe.

“When I was shopping with Lily, I realized that there was a definite need in the market for women like her,” she said.
“There were a lot of things to consider,” she added. “I had to think about what materials to use, how I could make it something that would work for the community. I was talking to trans women about what would benefit and how I could make all of the DIY things that they’re using easier."

Bello is not just designing underwear but also has plans to work on swimwear and activewear products in the near future.