124 West Athletic Clothing Reimagined
Making the first steps into fitness can be an anxiety-filled decision many around the world struggle through. Having the want to take the first steps in becoming physically strong and active. Though that initial path is usually clouded with insecurity and nervousness for a multitude of reasons. When first getting into fitness of any kind athletic wear is usually a given, an afterthought, just the norm. Not only is athletic wear a helpful factor in most types of exercise it provides a huge confidence boost. Clothing is an important piece of society and many express personalities through their clothing styles. It's a daunting reality being an individual on the thicker side of the spectrum when it comes to shopping for comfortable, practical and cute clothing. This is especially so when looking for plus size athletic wear, the options are scarce and flavorless. When a friend of mine shared 124 West's IndieGOGO campaign with me; a glimmer of hope and excitement washed over me. I was so enthralled to see a local entrepreneur making such a huge impact in many ways. Cute clothes with vibrant designs that are not only stunning to look at but clothing that is fun to wear too. Nothing is more discouraging than trying to exercise but being limited in movement due to clothing that wasn't designed for bigger body types. 124 West provides a wide spectrum of clothing sizes; ensuring inclusivity for all body types but it doesn't stop there. 124 West is working hard to lessen the ever-growing human footprint on the planet. With each sale 10% proceeds go to campaigns dedicated to ocean clean up. This is just scraping the top of this iceberg be sure to dive into this wonderful company to "sea" how they're making a difference in more ways than one.
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Ano Nora: So tell me a little bit about 124West? 124 West: 124 West is a startup making multiple use athletic clothing for women available in XXS-4X. It’s really important to me that women have access to comfortable, stylish athletic wear and that’s something lacking in the plus size world. Furthermore, our clothing is made from recycled plastic, most of which is pulled from the ocean. Ocean conservation is really important to us at 124 West and we’re giving back part of our profits to organizations that are actively cleaning the oceans. Ano Nora: What was the inspiration that sparked the idea? 124 West: I started surfing again in 2017 but I had limited to non-existent options for surfwear that fit. A few companies make an XL but I only found one plus size option. It was really discouraging to think no one made athletic clothing in my size when I’m a 14/16, which is the most common size for women in the US right now. I decided if no one was going to serve a market that has been ignored, I would do it. Ano Nora: Building a company from the ground up requires a lot of work; what do you think was the biggest hurdle you had to get through to get where you are now? 124 West: Supply chain coordination and raising the funds needed. I had to find fabric, which took almost a year. I was sending emails and inquires and finding something that had the right amount of thickness. Compression, but was also stretchy and could be used in saltwater or chlorine wasn’t easy. I had no clue what I was getting into and discovering the fashion industry doesn’t really have a “one-stop-shop” was a harsh lesson. Currently my fabric comes from Europe and then goes to a printer (who uses designs I commision from artists), who then sends it on to my manufacturer, who will then send it to my distribution team. It’s a lot to keep track of and there’s a steep learning curve. Ano Nora: As an individual on the low end of Plus Size I know how difficult it can be to find clothing companies that are size inclusive, what made you decide to include the wide range of sizes for 124West? 124 West: I think of myself as making clothes for myself. What do I want to wear? What have I seen other women wearing that I have not been able to wear because I can’t find it in my size? It’s almost silly that 124 West is “crazy” for selling so many sizes because I think everyone should carry this many sizes. Their loss I guess.
Ano Nora: What are your overall goals for the company as it continues to grow? 124 West: We want to expand our offerings. Currently we offer 5 styles, and by this time next year I’d like to offer multiple swimsuits, shirts, and maybe even sports bras. A long term goal of 124 West is to set up a charity arm that not only address ocean pollution, but also addresses problems we see here in Seattle, such as our large homeless population. I would love to move our fulfillment center here in the future and help those struggling build a work history by employing them. Ano Nora: 10% of the profits go to cleaning the ocean, how did you decide which companies/company to donate to? 124 West: We’re looking for companies that make a difference and are active. Our first round of donation will go to The Ocean Clean Up and the Surfrider Foundation, both of who are doing amazing work. The Ocean Clean Up is working on deploying a system into the ocean that will remove garbage from the Great Pacific Garbage patch, a collection of garbage that’s the size of two Texas’s. The Surfrider foundation sponsors beach clean ups as well as advocates for the environment. In the future we hope to sponsor our own beach clean ups as well as work on a local pollution prevention/cleanup for the Puget Sound. Ano Nora: Walk me through the inspiration process when creating the designs for the leggings. 124 West: My biggest three issues with leggings are: they fall down, they’re see through if you bend over, and they don’t have pockets. Likewise after much trial and error, we have high waisted leggings that should stay up, won’t go clear no matter what crazy pose you are in, and have a pocket! Pockets are important! Ano Nora: Do you have plans to expand into other clothing outside of leggings?
124 West: Currently we have leggings, rash guards, a swim bottom, and a multi-use top (that’s reversible!). We’re working on more swim items right now as well as trying to find fabric to start making tops. Ano Nora: What are future goals for the company?
124 West: Immediate goals- get our first production run out. I just got back from a week with our manufacturer in LA to place our order and oversee a few changes. We start at the end of this week and I’m so excited. Long term it’s expanding our offerings, becoming competitive, and being able to grow our charitable arm.
Ano Nora: Building a business requires a lot of networking; what's your fondest memory to date since the beginning of your voyage?
124 West: The last week of October we did a photoshoot down in Costa Rica. I invited a handful of people down thinking maybe 3 or 4 would say yes. Everyone said yes! There were 12 amazing women (and two excellent Cabana boys!) who helped capture the clothing line and it was an amazing week. BUT the first day we were there and we had our first yoga class, seeing everyone there supporting me and in the clothing I had designed… it was hard to not cry. It was such a beautiful week.
Ano Nora: With the state of the environment the way it is it's wonderful to see new up and coming businesses are using alternative methods to create everyday items. How did the idea to source fabric from recycled plastics come to be? Were there any design limitations due to the materials? 124 West: I remember seeing clothing labeled “made from recycled plastic bottles” when I was looking for something to wear on my first surf trip (nothing in my size though, womp womp), and went looking for it. There are a few more companies now, but finding the fabric was really difficult as there weren’t any options in the USA at the time for fabric that could double as in or out of water fabric. I wasn’t really sure about using it until I took a surf trip to Bali and I don’t think “devastated” is a strong enough word here. We had to call off surfing two days because there was so much garbage in the ocean we couldn’t get a wave that didn’t have pieces being flung at you or hitting your fin. That’s when I decided we were going to do what we could to clean up the ocean. There are a few design limitations, mostly around compression. BUT we have a fix for it and hopefully that will be part of a 2019 release.
Ano Nora: Is there anything else you'd like to add that we haven't covered or spoken about?
124 West: On top of being made from recycled plastics in a wide range of sizes, I’d like to point out we’re also using fabric that is UPF50, meaning it offers great sun protection. Sunburns are awful, skin cancer is no laughing matter, and we want people to know they’ll have good protection (head to toe if they opt for a rashguard with leggings) and avoid those burns. The fabric is also chlorine resistant, meaning you can use it in the pool! We’re running an Indiegogo til the end of the year and we’d love for more contributions. These are the lowest we will ever be able to price our items, so if you’d like something, now is the time!
Pockets, functionality, vibrant designs and making a difference. Did I mention pockets? What was just a dream is becoming a reality and you can help that dream grow and in turn make a difference. 124 West is making waves in the fashion industry and the Pacific Northwest, if you can't help by donating to their IndieGOGO share their campaign with others. I look forward to the growth of this company and can't wait to purchase some much-needed workout clothes.
