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Higher waist, happy girl.
Higher waist, happy girl. (Photo: Skirt Sports)

The Gear Company Asking Women What They Want

Skirt Sports is taking crowdsourcing to the next level, asking its customers to become its designers

Published: 
Higher waist, happy girl.
(Photo: Skirt Sports)

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At some point in your consumer life, you鈥檝e probably wondered: 鈥淲hy doesn鈥檛 somebody make a [fill in the blank]?鈥

Skirt Sports is answering that call, for women at least.

Since its 2004 founding by pro triathlete Nicole DeBoom, has remained dedicated to making stuff that active women want and need. But with its new campaign, the active-wear company is looking beyond popular mainstays and collecting ideas from women who still haven鈥檛 found what they鈥檙e looking for.

The project solicited apparel ideas from more than 100 women, who submitted designs for products they wished they could buy鈥攍ike a聽 that eliminates dreaded muffin-tops聽and a . Customers聽voted on the candidates, which were winnowed down to five top options. The funding phase ended last Tuesday, and buyers can now preorder their favorites.

鈥淭his is a way for women to publicly stake their claim,鈥 says DeBoom. 鈥淲e do listen to women聽and read their e-mails, but that doesn鈥檛 always aggregate into proven demand.鈥 Translation: one e-mail to customer service does not a movement make. And small companies such as Skirt Sports need some assurance that the products they launch are going to sell.

The Sewing Room project emerged as a way for the company to stay innovative without exposing itself to big financial losses. Its inspiration was the , which Skirt Sports offered via Kickstarter last year. 鈥淭his company made the very first running skirt, and at the time, that was crazy and unique,鈥 says DeBoom. 鈥淏ut the trapdoor skirt [with an opening to let women pee without baring their bums] was next level.鈥 Though quirky, it proved to be a hit: 742 backers pledged $61,026 to bring the Gotta Go to market.

So Skirt Sports decided to find out what other products women would聽gamble on. 鈥淲omen are noticing that we鈥檙e listening to them,鈥 says DeBoom. 鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to get exactly what you want, but we鈥檙e developing a relationship where customers can influence what鈥檚 made.鈥澛

That helps a small operation like Skirt Sports survive in the highly competitive world of women鈥檚 apparel. 鈥淭his could be a very big initiative for us that lives indefinitely,鈥 says DeBoom. 鈥淲e want to be able to act on the risky and unique.”聽

Lead Photo: Skirt Sports

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