The Kindest Cut
Sure, Oprah cut the feet off her pantyhose, but she's not the one making money off 'em.
What: Footless
pantyhose
Who: Sara Blakely of Spanx
Inc.
Where: Atlanta
When: Started in 2000
It all started with a gorgeous pair of form-fitting pants. Sara
Blakely, a sales trainer by day and stand-up comedian by night,
loved those pants, but never felt comfortable wearing them because
she felt that every little bodily imperfection showed. Instead of
shelving the slacks in frustration, though, she found an innovative
solution.
"I went through my pantyhose drawer and cut the feet off a
nice pair of control-top," says Blakely, 30. A crude design,
sure, but the altered hosiery worked-so well, in fact, that Blakely
knew other women like herself would pay to enjoy the support of
control-top yet still be able to wear open-toed shoes. On a quest
to create the perfect pantyhose, Blakely dipped into her savings
and launched Spanx Inc.
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Obsessed with quality and comfort, Blakely had a hard time
convincing hosiery manufacturers, who were mostly men, that the
footless design would interest the hosiery-buying public. But when
Oprah Winfrey lifted her pant leg to reveal that she, too, had been
cutting off the feet of her pantyhose for years, the manufacturers
finally sat up and listened. Before long, a footless-pantyhose
craze ensued.
Retailing for $20 in hundreds of specialty and department stores
nationwide, including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth
Avenue, Spanx hose come in three shades (black, nude and spice) and
five sizes. Sales have been brisk-Blakely happily admits she's
already exceeded her goal of selling 200,000 pairs in the first
year of business. Recently awarded a patent on her design, she
plans to expand internationally and add new products-like Short
Spanx for shorter skirts-to her hosiery line.
"I think women find it fun to buy," Blakely says. Of
course, it helps when "Don't worry, we've got your
butt covered" is her product's tag line.
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