Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Charrier.
Hi Katie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I am an accidental entrepreneur! I started as a frustrated consumer looking for the perfect loungewear top. I searched the internet and could not find exactly what I wanted. I got the crazy idea to create this piece of apparel for myself and for the other ladies in my life who I knew also wanted this type of product. For every aspect of business building from there forward, I just took it all one step at a time.
I learned on the internet how to register and start my business, build and launch the website, and of course design, test, and manufacture the product. Now I still run the e-commerce website myself and have been to several markets to sell the product in person as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road! Most of the struggles have been centered around the fact that startup entrepreneurship has no straightforward roadmap. For one thing, creating a totally new product, sewn in a way that had not been done before, was met with issues from pattern makers and manufacturers. I had to do a lot of convincing, and logistical tweaking, to arrive at a product that is functional and can be feasibly created. There are also issues with sourcing materials in terms of quality and cost.
Then there are the struggles of mastering business ownership, from cash flow and inventory management to website logistics and bookkeeping. I’ve definitely over-bought inventory and had the coding fail on my web page! Startup ownership is one of those learning processes that seems to never end. Each time the business scales larger and takes on a new step, there are new learning curves and obstacles that have to be managed!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Jia Loungewear is a woman-owned (by me!) apparel brand that creates loungewear solutions for a woman wanting to be comfortably braless but maintaining coverage that leaves her confident to be around others. For myself, this means that I can comfortably lounge around my stepkids at home. After a long day of work, when I take off my work clothes, I like to be able to take off my bra as well and put on my lounge clothing or pajamas. When other pajama styles are worn braless, there is a very exposed-looking appearance that not everyone is comfortable with sharing with their housemates, guests, or family members.
I designed Jia Loungewear to have a completely innovative inner layer that provides coverage to the chest but does not feel constricting by having elastic around the rib cage. Thus, the Jia top’s under-layer is different from a shelf bra because it actually has foam insert cups, but they merely drape over the bust within a very soft fabric layer and no elastic, resulting in the feeling of complete comfort but the appearance of coverage. This is the brilliant innovation behind my clothing line, and what we are becoming famous for! As a brand, we provide this comfort and confidence.
As a company, I am scaling with important principles in mind, such as paying onshore workers ethically for the design and production of the clothing, choosing environmentally-friendly materials, and creating a top-notch customer experience.
What’s next?
At this stage of the business, we are focused on raising awareness about this amazing product and sharing it with more women who can benefit from this improvement in their lifestyle.
Spread the word! Most of the big changes in the business right now are centered around this publicity and managing the orders that come with it. We also have a few more exciting new designs in production right now, so I can’t wait to share those with our eager customers wanting more styles. In the longer-term future, I see us scaling to bring this comfort to every woman’s household and changing the loungewear landscape for good!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jialoungewear.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jialoungewear
- Facebook: facebook.com/jialoungewear
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jialoungewear
