Meet Bella Otér’s Founder, Kimberly Grzesek


"How we feel in our bodies profoundly shapes our confidence, energy, and connection to our environment."

  • Vision

    Kimberly Grzesek is a researcher turned entrepreneur whose work bridges psychology, design, and women’s well-being. After nearly a decade in clinical neuropsychology research and attending a PhD program in Clinical Psychology, Kimberly made the difficult but deeply aligned decision to step away from academia to build something of her own. Through that transition, she saw a powerful truth emerge: how we feel in our bodies profoundly shapes our confidence, energy, and connection to our environment.

  • Mission

    Driven by that insight, she founded Bella Otér, a women-owned, women-built lingerie and loungewear boutique and experiential community space in downtown Evanston. Her mission is to create a space where clothing, emotion, and connection meet, where women can rediscover what it feels like to be in their bodies, not just dress them. By bringing their small batch collections to Evanston, she is introducing Chicago’s North Shore to a new category of luxury: intimate, intentional, and rooted in emotional design.

  • Wellness Events

    Bella Otér is more than a boutique. It is a community hub. The space serves complimentary tea and coffee throughout the day and hosts workshops and reflective gatherings in collaboration with transformational coach Stephanie Puente, exploring themes of identity, self-expression, and what femininity means to you. During her travels across Europe, Kimberly met independent designers from France, Croatia, and Italy, many of whom have no U.S. presence. These gatherings invite women to reconnect with their inner rhythm, personal rituals, and sense of self.
    After hours, Oter After Dark transforms the boutique into a warm, candlelit evening lounge open from 7 to 11 PM for women to unwind, connect, and shop at their own pace, with curated beverages and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.
    There is no pressure for sales. The goal is connection. Bella Otér is designed to reflect the spirit of Evanston itself: creative, intelligent, inclusive, and community-driven. Kimberly and her team are building something rare, a space where women feel seen, supported, and inspired. At Bella Otér, lingerie is the first thing you put on for the day, and it sets the tone for how you move through it, a reminder that what touches your skin can also shape your state of mind.

Why This Works: Researching Behind the Feeling

Most women live with drawers of stretched-out bras that do more than flatten; they dull skin, collapse posture, and dim presence. At BellaOtér, we searched the world not just for beauty, but for fabrics that revive the body and reconnect the mind. Some cool overheated skin, some sculpt without harshness, some brighten mood with color, but all share one truth: when fabrichonors the skin, it restores the dialogue between body and mind, changing how you look, how you feel, and how you age. Bella Otér’s philosophy is rooted in behavioral science and psychology, where decades of research show that what touches your skin shapes not just your comfort, but your mood, cognition, and even long-term well-being.

Enclothed Cognition

Adam & Galinsky (2012) introduced the concept of enclothed cognition: clothing isn’t neutral, it carries symbolic meaning that alters performance and mindset. Participants who wore a coat described as a “doctor’s coat” performed significantly better on attention tasks than those
told it was a “painter’s coat.” The lesson: clothing linked to meaning doesn’t just cover you, it changes you. For a plain-language overview, see MIT Sloan Review’s write-up.

Somatic Psychology & Embodiment

Research in embodiment and somatic psychology (e.g., Mehling et al., 2011) shows that the body is a direct channel for emotional states: constrictive or itchy clothing can trigger subtle stress responses, while adaptive and breathable fabrics support regulation, presence, and ease. When fabric honors the body, the nervous system follows.

Sensory-Based Regulation

Research on sensory modulation (Champagne & Stromberg, 2004; Pfeiffer et al., 2018) demonstrates how textures, weights, an containment activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part that calms, restores, and regulates. Compression and soft stretch can mimic grounding techniques like weighted blankets, while breathable fabrics reduce
physiological arousal.

Skin as the Largest Emotional Organ

Gupta & Gupta (2014) highlight how skin is not only a physical barrier but an emotional one. Their review in psychodermatology shows how stress, resilience, and even perceived attractiveness are linked to what touches the skin. Fabrics that soothe the skin can indirectly support positive self-image and healthier aging. See also Psychodermatology: an update.

Why Bella Otér Applies This

Every fabric we curate from eucalyptus blends that cool overheated skin to lace that reshapes posture. This is chosen for how it interacts with both body and mood. We train our team not just to fit garments, but to guide women into fabrics that ground, awaken, or strengthen them.

Because the first layer you put on isn’t only functional. It is formative. It tells your nervous system how to begin the day, and your mind listens.