Shade The Story
The inspiration for Shade Clothing took shape during a routine shopping excursion for Chelsea Rippy, founder and CEO. As had happened on so many previous occasions, she spent hours trying on dozens of outfits with her two young children in tow and failed to find anything that she felt was both stylish and modest. Fed up and frustrated with her options, Chelsea decided to take matters into her own hands and immediately went to work developing a line of shirts that allow women to wear the latest fashions without sacrificing a comfortable degree of coverage.
Chelsea literally “started from scratch.” A Brigham Young University graduate with no formal background in business or fashion design, she went to the Internet to research fabric, manufacturers and distribution methods. She had only the money in her savings account to make her idea into a reality, most of which went into the process of designing and redesigning the shirts until she felt she had the perfect products. She spent an entire year on this effort before she felt satisfied.
Chelsea partnered with her neighbor and friend, Char Garn, who was immediately a believer in the Shade Clothing product and quickly became Chelsea’s most enthusiastic “sounding board” as she would try on each style and work with Chelsea on designs. The two officially launched Shade Clothing in September 2004.
Shade Clothing started with two shirt styles – the strap camisole and the cap sleeve under tee. The initial demand for Shade Clothing shirts overwhelmingly exceeded Chelsea and Char’s expectations, and the company’s biggest challenge for the first year was keeping up with demand.
Shade Clothing spread quickly by word of mouth. The initial channel of distribution was through the home party system, making Shade Clothing the first apparel company to sell through home parties. This strategy proved extremely effective – in its first year of business, Shade Clothing did more than $2 million in sales. Additionally, this strategy was replicated by more than 15 of Shade’s competitors.
Today, the company that once depended on Chelsea to take orders herself (she used her basement as its storage facilities) now employs more than 100 people and bases its operations out of a 5,000-square-foot warehouse. Shade Clothing has expanded from its original offering of three designs and now provides its customers with 18 modest styles to choose from. Consumers are able to purchase Shade Clothing through a Personal Shopper, at home parties, online and in select retail locations.
Shade Clothing fully intends to stay right where it is – leading the industry – by continuing to remain one step ahead of its competitors. Rather than stake its success on a particular fashion trend, Shade Clothing strives to create new products that enhance and expand current fashion offerings. As long as the company stays true to its mission, Shade Clothing is confident that its products will never be out of style or obsolete.