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The Road to Entrepreneurship wasn’t easy…
Working as a sales trainer by day and performing stand-up comedy at night, I didn't know the first thing about the pantyhose industry (except I dreaded wearing most pantyhose). Also, I had never taken a business class which made the process even more challenging. As a result, I had only one source to operate from...my gut.
My Ah-ha Moment
Like so many women, I became frustrated that I could not find the right undergarment. Panties never stay in place and leave unsightly lines, the thong just put underwear where we had been trying to get it out of, and neither option did a thing for my figure. My only other option was a body shaper. What a nightmare! They were uncomfortable, too thick, and all had constrictive leg bands you could see on my thigh through my clothes. This is how I found my inspiration to “reshape” undergarments for women. I cut the feet out of my pantyhose one night to wear with my cream-colored pants. I loved the second-skin, body-shaping effects of hosiery, but they kept rolling up my leg all night. My idea for Spanx was born!
Perfecting the Product
It took me two years to patent and perfect my footless pantyhose invention. Along the way, I learned so much about how pantyhose were made and why they were so uncomfortable. I had no idea that all these years, men were making our pantyhose! And they were fit-testing them on mannequins instead of real women. No wonder women found them so uncomfortable! That’s why I designed my body-shaping hosiery with four comfort features that I didn’t want to live without: a soft, non-binding waistband, an extended control top that won’t dig into your thighs or cause a bulge, a cotton gusset so you don’t need to wear underwear, and soft yarns that comfortably slim you down a size.
As soon as I got the product in hand, I cold-called a buyer at Neiman Marcus. She agreed to give me just 10 minutes to show her my footless pantyhose. I held our meeting in the ladies room and gave her my own personal “before and after” demonstration. Amazed by the results, she placed an order! I called my friends everywhere and begged them to go buy a pair of Spanx. Soon after, I got the call of my dreams…Oprah loved my footless pantyhose so much that she put them on her “Favorite Things” show, and the orders started pouring in! |
