We Work for Women's Bodies
We strongly believe there is no single "runner body." While we’re at it, there is no such thing as a bikini body or tank top arms. What does exist are bodies, running or wearing bikinis and yes, there are arms in tank tops. But there is no one constructed body to do any of these things.
When we design apparel the goal is for every body to feel great (and sure, look great) doing what they love.
When we opened Oiselle Store one of the challenges was taking this message we’d cultivated online and bring it to life…IRL. What it came back to time and time again is We Work for Women’s Bodies.
And when we say We Work for Women’s Bodies, we mean we’re employed by you. We work for your trust, your loyalty, and yes – the fit of your body. Do we currently have something that works for absolutely everyone? Not yet! But every time we hear from you (and thank you oh women of feedback@oiselle.com) we take it to heart and plan for the next season. (One thing to note in the apparel biz: input can take a year to 18 months to implement, because we are already working so far out. But that doesn’t mean your idea or improvement isn’t being acted on. Stick with us and you may see it happen!)
Bottom line: we work hard to work for you. But we know there’s still so much more to accomplish (tall styles, petites, larger AND smaller sizes, big girl bras - among the top ones). To succeed in our mission, however, requires we all view ourselves with more respect and adoration. No matter our height, size, weight, etc, we are all athletes. We are all badass mofo women athletes.
Or perhaps our #sisterhero Lauren Fleshman summed it up best when she said,
"I learned a long time ago that the last thing any woman should be thinking about is being 'skinny' or 'thin.' To me, those words imply weakness, fragility, the inability to stand firm in a storm. If you want to change your body, aim for 'athletic.' An athletic body is healthy, strong, and built to thrive. An athletic body can take many shapes."
A special thanks to the atheletes that contributed to the making of our size story poster: Sarah Conklin, Kelly Burns Gallagher, Beth Gillespie, Beth Baker, Nicole Antoinete, Andrea Duke and Kami Beckendorf.
MORE STORIES
Core Routine For Runners: The Dozen
I was introduced to the "The Dozen" in the winter of 2012 by my favorite Oregon running family. I love this set of core exercises for its efficient targeting of core muscle groups, and because no gym equipment is required! You can do this on a grass field, in your hotel room, or really anywhere you can lay on a flat surface.
Reflecting on the Year of the Underbird
This past August, we launched our Year of the Underbird program: an open application for aspiring Olympic Trials marathoners, with a promise to select 5 women for a 6 month contract encompassing a stipend, gear, storytelling, and community support. As we reach the end of our flight with our selected athletes, we invited each of them to share a few reflections on their past 6 months as teammates.
Black History Month: Celebrating Our Athletes
We are honored to support five exceptional Black women athletes challenging norms in the running industry: athletes, advocates, and powerful voices in the sport. We invited each of them to reflect on their journeys through sport: how their identity has affected their development, and how they hope to impact the rising generation of athletes. Hear from Madie Boreman, Kendra Coleman, Brenna Detra, Carmen Pelar Graves, and Ari Hendrix-Roach.