Shopping can be a dreaded task for women — something crowdfunding entrepreneur Marissa Beaty knows firsthand. Her frustrating experience came when purchasing a new wardrobe to accompany her new job at a law office. She wanted flattering pants or leggings with pockets to wear to work, but wasn’t able to find any that met her needs.
That fruitless trip left her wondering, “Why don’t we modern women have professional clothing that fulfills our need for comfort, class and practicality?” She decided that “if I wanted professional pants and leggings done right, I was going to have to do it myself.” Thus, her Salt Lake City company, Feminine Figures, was born.
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Her startup will produce leggings that can be worn everywhere, from the office to the gym — she says you can even sleep in them. And Beaty went into detail with her designs, making sure to address as many pain points as possible. She incorporated high waists for comfort, stretchy, opaque material for versatility, and zippered pockets large enough to hold everything from smartphones and credit cards to pepper spray.
In addition to making stylish, comfortable pants, her broader goal is to give a leg — or legging — up to fellow working women who want to get through the day with ease. “We all deserve to look and feel classy, comfortable, and confident!”
The Money: Beaty is raising money to cover production costs — she is proud to manufacture her leggings in the United States, but says the price of doing so is high. The rest of the money she raises will go toward paying for her free shipping and return programs, and other growth-related costs. She hopes to reach her $20,000 crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter within the next 5 days.
Related: Read about other women crowdfunders we’ve featured.