The parents of young girls everywhere have probably heard of the wedgie complaint. The underwear doesn’t like to stay in place, wedgies occur, and for some unlucky parents it can be a common complaint with no end in sight.
Rebecca Winterhalt’s daughter had that problem. Her daughter was still in the potty training stages when she had an accident. Unfortunately Rebecca didn’t have a spare change of clothes on her so she had to borrow a pair of her nephews underwear. As the two children played, she noticed that her daughter wasn’t complaining about her underwear riding up and an idea began to spark within her mind. After much planning, that idea became what is now known as Girl Gotch. Taking advantage of the materials and design that makes boys underwear so great, Girl Gotch has created something that is much “too cute to be boys'”.
Tell us a little about Girl Gotch.
Girl Gotch is a company that designs and manufactures underwear for girls aged 2 thru 6 years of age. They come in 2 different styles; boxer and brief. They were designed after the traditional boy’s brief and boxer, but made ‘too cute to be boys’;)’
What inspired you to create this new type of girl’s underwear?
While I was potty training my oldest daughter, I couldn’t find underwear that would fit her. They would constantly ride up and she was pulling at them and saying how they hurt. One day when she was playing with her cousin, she had an accident and I didn’t have a spare set of clothes, so I borrowed my nephew’s gotch. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but as the day went on I realized that she wasn’t complaining about her underwear. She was running, jumping and climbing and they were staying in place. That’s when I decided that boy’s underwear were fantastic in design and little girls should be able to have them too. That is when Girl Gotch was born.
How many colors/styles do they come in? How much do they cost?
Currently Girl Gotch come in boxes of 3 boxers or briefs. They are available in a tri-colored box containing pink, purple and aqua. They are also available in pure white. I am hoping to have 2 more color lines by Christmas. The underwear retail for $14.99/box of 3. They can be purchased on-line at www.girlgotch.com or at a participating retailer. The retailers are listed on the where to buy section of the Girl Gotch website.
What was the design process like? What went into determining the materials and design that you wanted to use?
The design process was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I bought a bunch of boys underwear and literally took them apart. I worked with a local designer who was really great and she drew up the patterns for me. I sewed the underwear together and shipped them off to potential manufacturers. I had them provide samples in 100% cotton as well as a 95% cotton and 5% spandex blend. From there, I had my daughter play and wear the underwear and then I was able to finalize the style and fabric blend that was perfect for Girl Gotch. I wanted a high quality fabric that didn’t lose it’s shape as they were worn. The small amount of spandex allows for the little bit of stretch for comfort and helps hold the shape of the underwear.
Can we expect to see some new colors or patterns for your underwear in the future?
There are three different color families for Girl Gotch; cool, confident and pretty. The cool line contains the bright vibrant colors where the pretty line features soft pastels. The confident is the white line. There should be an additional cool line and a pretty line by Christmas time.
Do you have any goals that you hope to reach over the next year? Long term?
Over the next year I plan expand the number of retail partners. I also plan on launching into the USA. My long term goals for Girl Gotch is to grow the brand so that it is a ‘lovemark’ for consumers. Girl Gotch will be a household name and if there is a home with a little girl, it will also have Girl Gotch.
What are some of the changes Girl Gotch has seen since it first launched 1 year ago?
Initially, I had planned on partnering with a couple major mass retailers, however I decided that there was a better fit for my brand to partner with many smaller independent retailers. There haven’t been significant changes as I only went to market on May 07, 2009. When I started Girl Gotch, I wrote a detailed business plan and I use it to keep me in line. It is easy to lose sight of your original idea, so I constantly look back at my vision and make sure that all the decisions that I make are true to that.
What are some of the challenges you’ve had to face in business? What has helped you overcome them?
I think that the challenges I have had to face are getting the brand and logo perfect, finalizing manufacturing partners, finding the most cost effective partners in banking, website design to ensure that I can bring my product to market at a competitive price point. Patience, research and the support of my husband have helped me overcome my challenges without giving in to frustration.
What are some of the lessons your business has taught you?
My business has taught me that I can do anything. I have also learned that you can have the best plan and intentions, but there will always be something unexpected that will come up. I have learned that I need to stay positive and not take myself too seriously.
Is there any advice that you would like to share with fellow entrepreneurs that are just getting started?
I would say start with a detailed business plan and do your research. Be sure that there is a need for your product or service in the market before you invest all of your money. I would also recommend that you have the full support of your partner and family because you are going to need their support and help especially in the infancy of your business. Lastly, just go for it. Don’t over think it, just go for it. Someone has to come up with the next ‘it’ thing, so why can’t that someone be you.