Why I Started WorkHer Wear
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I remember the exact moment the idea hit me.
Early in my career as a construction safety professional I was standing in a store, and I couldn't find flame-resistant clothing that fit. Certainly not women's FR clothing because at the time there basically wasn't any. And men's FR that fit a woman's body? Nearly impossible. I stood there frustrated, already knowing the answer before I even finished the thought: Someone needs to start a company making women's specific workwear. The year? 2008.
That was over 18 years ago. And here we are.
The Problem Nobody Was Solving
I've spent my career working alongside women in the trades, ironworkers, roofers, operators, riggers, plumbers, pipefitters, sheetmetal workers, electricians, carpenters, painters, laborers. Women doing hard, skilled, physical work every single day.
And almost every one of them has the same story when it comes to workwear.
High visibility vests and jackets? All in men's sizing, hanging off their shoulders. Work pants? Too tight at the hips and way too long. Or they were women's and all the pockets were purely decorative. And if you finally found a pair that fit reasonably well, the fabric started falling apart in weeks, while your male coworker's looked like they'd last another decade.
Women's workwear has come a long way since I started in 2008. But there is still a very long way to go.
I know because I ran the numbers. I created a market research survey and the results were hard to ignore: over 90% of women in the trades are not satisfied with their current workwear options. Ninety percent. And when asked what matters most when buying work clothes, they ranked fit above function and above cost. They're not asking for something fancy. They're asking for something that works. Pants that work on their bodies, on the job site, through the whole shift.
The Moment Everything Changed
Fast forward to the summer of 2024. I'm sitting on the beach during a family vacation, reading Do Cool Shit by Miki Agrawal. My wife, Lauren, is next to me. I close the book, turn to her, and say: "I'm going to start a women's workwear company." She didn't blink. She said go for it.
That was August. By November, I had formed WorkHer Wear, LLC and won second place in the 2024 Wayne County Startup Adult Pitch Competition. This was a kickstart grant that put real fuel behind the idea that had been living in my head for sixteen years.
What WorkHer Wear Is And What It Isn't
WorkHer Wear is not a men's brand that decided to add a women's line. It's not a "pink it and shrink it" afterthought. It's a company built from the ground up by a woman who has been on job sites for nearly two decades, designed specifically for the women I have worked alongside my entire career.
The first product is a utility style, straight-leg work pant made from cotton canvas with a durable water-repellent (DWR) finish. Real, full-size pockets and lots of them. Enough to carry your phone, your tools, and still have room. A fit designed around how women are actually shaped, not a pant shrunken down from a men's pattern.
And we're doing this in sizes 0 through 28, with plans to keep going. Because the woman in a size 2 and the woman in a size 22 both deserve workwear that fits.
Why I Believe in This
I work in construction safety. I see the real cost of gear that doesn't fit. Not just the frustration, but the actual safety implications of clothing that bunches, gaps, or gets caught because it wasn't made for the person wearing it.
I also believe that the way we outfit workers is a signal about how we value them. When the industry hands women a men's small and calls it a day, it sends a message. WorkHer Wear is my response.
I want women to feel great in their work clothes. Confident. Capable. Like their gear was made for them, because here it is.
Where We Are Right Now
We are close. I have been heads-down in development: technical design, fabric sourcing, prototyping, pattern grading, fit samples in multiple sizes. This has been two years of real work, real investment, and real iteration.
We're building something that lasts. That's the whole point.
If you're a woman in the trades, or you know one, I want you here. Join the crew by signing up with your email and follow along on Instagram at @workherwear.
Be part of what we're building because you belong here.
— Jenna