While the family is growing their boxer shorts business, Piper and Tobin also have busy lives reading books, making art, and tumbling on a gymnastics mat (in functional boxers, of course). Here, these two kid founders weigh in on everything from middle school to Simone Biles.
]]>Click below for the full article! Thank you Shopify, we love you!
https://www.shopify.com/blog/homework-kid-entrepreneur-girls-boxers
]]>Extra credit: When your kid rocks these boxers, it means a kid in need can too. My Pipers has donated over 1,000 pairs to low-income children through Baby2Baby and Undies for Everyone."
-Allison Sutcliffe
Add it to your BTS shopping list: mypipers.world
]]>A little over two years ago, underwear was not for everyone. Well, boxer shorts weren’t for everyone. They were only for boys. It was a boys only club, but My Pipers changed all that. My Pipers reinvented boxer shorts for girls, tailored to girls, so that girls can be let in on the fun, be given more choices, and so that they would never again have to suffer wearing a front open fly. However, along this journey, boys joined in. We had boys wearing and loving My Pipers, our best friends were buying them for their boys who no longer wore anything else, even grown men applauded me on the expulsion of the front fly. My Pipers are for everyone, boys and girls, and that opened up another door for us. A door of giving back, an opportunity to provide underwear for everyone.
The story of My Pipers begins with a little girl named Piper who has many sensitivities, mostly with clothing. She would not and could not wear any style of underwear. Believe me, we tried them all. Then one day she threw on her brother’s boxer shorts under her dress and we all laughed. But, then we all paused. The boxer shorts worked! They were too long and too plaid, but so what, they worked and it was our first morning in years without tears. Off to school we went and off to buy boxer short for girls I went. I couldn’t find any. They don’t exist and we were mad, so, we created them ourselves. Our kids boxer shorts for girls are organic cotton, shorter in length, have zero open fly, and all our designs are hand-drawn by kids! The reason I am telling you our story is because this is a story of struggle in figuring out how to help our daughter. We want to continue to help all kids and we were stunned to find out how many children do not have access to clean underwear. Underwear! Underwear is one of the most under-donated and most needed item of clothing. A basic necessity that we all (yes, even you) take for granted. If you had to choose between putting a meal on the table or buying new underwear, which would you choose? I never take underwear for granted. My Pipers saved us from daily morning tears, fears, anxiety and has provided us with morning dressing solutions and ease of the morning routine.
Now we can help provide underwear for everyone through the amazing non-profit Undies for Everyone (UFE). Via the generous Rabbi Paul Kipnes and the Caring Community Foundation at my congregation, Temple Or Ami in Southern California, we are proud to announce our donation of 300 pairs of new My Pipers to UFE!
You can also buy more My Pipers! For every My Piper purchased, one My Piper will be gifted to a child in need. Thank you for helping the world become a better place, one clean pair of underwear at a time.
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Amelia Jenks Bloomer (May 27, 1818 – December 30, 1894) -
wearing the famous "bloomer" costume named after her (a tunic + "pantelettes")
Happy International Women's Day to all you incredible females out there! There are so many women I admire, adore, and want to be when I grow up. Today I wanted to honor someone who not everyone may know. The women's rights activist and temperance advocate Amelia Jenks Bloomer (May 27, 1818 – December 30, 1894) whom "Bloomers" take their name from. Also called the bloomer, they were developed in the 19th century as a healthful and comfortable alternative to the heavy, constricting dresses worn by American women. Even though she did not create the women's clothing reform style known as bloomers, her name became associated with it because of her early and strong advocacy. She became the first woman to own, operate and edit a newspaper for women called The Lily. She stated: "It (The Lily) was a needed instrument to spread abroad the truth of a new gospel to woman, and I could not withhold my hand to stay the work I had begun. I saw not the end from the beginning and dreamed where to my propositions to society would lead me."In her publication, Bloomer promoted a change in dress standards, and a need for dress reform, for women that would be less restrictive in regular activities: "the costume of women should be suited to her wants and necessities. It should conduce at once to her health, comfort, and usefulness; and, while it should not fail also to conduce to her personal adornment, it should make that end of secondary importance." Can I get a hallelujah!!!
The Bloomer became a symbol of women's rights in the early 1850s. Also in 1851, Bloomer introduced the suffragettes Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to each other. Being a completely new and distinctively different form of dress, the bloomer garment also provided women with a metaphorical freedom, in the sense that it gave women not only more diverse dress options, but also the opportunity and power to choose their type of garment. According to Wikipedia, the same women—Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Susan B. Anthony—who adopted the new form of dress also advocated women's right to vote. These women preferred to call their new style the "freedom dress." During the late 19th century, athletic bloomers (also known as "rationals" or "knickerbockers") were skirt-less baggy knee-length trousers, fastened to the leg a little below the knees; at that time, they were worn by women only in a few narrow contexts of athletic activity, such as bicycle-riding, gymnastics, and sports other than tennis (see 1890s in fashion). Bloomers became shorter by the late 1920s. In the 1930s, it became respectable for women to wear pants and shorts in a wider range of circumstances.
Less than 100 years ago women couldn't wear pants people!!! I wear pants everyday! I truly could to imagine a world where I was not allowed the freedom to wear whatever the heck I wanted to. Each and every day. I would be incensed and angry and definitely would have been advocating right next to Amelia and all those other women fighting for women's rights way back then. Thank you, Amelia for paving the way, for starting the evolution of women's clothing, and for even making my Pipers a reality! The evolution of women's clothing, and specifically women's underwear and boxer shorts, have come a long way! And now because of My Pipers, Boxer shorts are now made for GIRLS! Girls no long have to wear boys boxers shorts; we reinvented them for us girls. Maybe we will be in Wikipedia one day too?
-1890s caricature of athletic bloomers History of Woman Suffrage, 1: 815.
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Sand
School is out. Summer is here. We live in California where summer is hot and we all head to the water or beach for some relief. Most southern californians head to the beach. Too feel the wind in our hair, to smell the salty air, and to squish our toes in the sand. Tons of little toes are seen in the sand, running up and down the beach, shoeless and carefree. But, what about those whose little toes don’t like to be in the sand? When the sand doesn’t feel good to the touch, when the feeling of sand in your shoes makes you feel like screaming. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have had to clean shoes of sand, even microscopic grains of sand that aren’t visible to the human eye. But to someone with sensory issues, that one sand granual feels like a million sand granuals. It can feel like shards of glass poking into the bottom of their feet. It bothers the *#$^ out of them, and they can’t ignore it. It has to be eliminated, and that is easier said than done. The same goes for sand in bathing suits, sand in clothes, sand in the carseat, sand in hair, etc. These all present issues and spark tears.
So, how do you survive a summer without sand? Without beach? Without water? You could. You could stay inside with the air conditioning and the tv on all day long. But, we don’t do that. We are doers and makers around here. We are creators and thinkers and dreamers. Screen time is limited, and yes, it is a fight, but that’s how I roll. So, we go on adventures in summer and make memories. We go to the beach, and the water, we get hot and sweaty, and we have had to develop our own tricks to ease sensory issues when they come up. Which, at the beach, is every time. Piper usually doesn’t want to go to the beach, but we go. We struggle and we cry, but we also laugh and spend priceless moments together. So, we go.
Our main struggle is to keep water and sand from mixing. I know, what the heck am I talking about? That’s crazy. So, when Piper’s little toes are in dry sand, they are okay and happy. When they are in water they are okay and happy too. But, when they get out of the water and sand sticks to the little toes, the toes are unhappy and they get very upset. So, after we are done in the water, we pick Piper up, carry her from the water and set her and her feet down on a dry, sand free towel. She sits there until her feet are perfectly dry and there is not a speck of wet sand on them. Do not ask her to put even flip flops on her feet after the beach. No footwear of any kind until after a bath. The beach is a feat, and sadly, Piper usually does not go in the water because she is well aware of the aftermath. The beach is often is an exercise in futility and a parenting challenge we now know to be ready for. We end up having a good time, it is one of our happy places, but it is not easy.
What happens when I can’t be with Piper? When I can’t remove all the specs and tiniest particles from the insides of her shoes? I always ask who my children played with at school that day. It provides great insight and other interesting tidbits. One day Piper told me that she wanted to play with a particular friend of hers but she couldn’t because that friend plays in the sandbox. Huh? I had forgotten about our sand saga and asked why couldn’t she play with her? She looked at me frowning and said, “Because sand gets in my shoes and I can’t get it out.” I knew her sensitivities to sand, but I did not know that it was affecting her at school. I could see the longing in her eyes as well as the knowing that she has an issue that these other kids don’t. Piper can’t wear socks and wears only Native shoes. So, the sand seeps in through the holes in the shoes and it is extremely hard to get every single grain out. Even one grain of sand in an spd child’s shoes can spark a reaction. Native shoes are magical and have saved our sanity, but they cannot keep sand away. So, the school sandbox is out, and the heartbreak I feel over this is thunderous. To know that your child cannot play in a sandbox (of all things), and can only look longingly at her friends happily playing from the sidelines is crushing. And, I have no solution.
In the summer, flip flops reign over this house and then the sandbox/shoe dilemma disappears for awhile. But, school will be in session again soon and the cycle will resume.
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We are so lucky to live in sunny, southern California. Like beyond lucky. Luckier than lucky. So lucky that my children can walk around barefoot almost all year round, so lucky that light loose dresses are a staple most of the year, and so lucky that as a baby onesies are all the attire needed. In fact, here where we live, sweat itself is an outer fashion layer. I cannot tell you how many times our children have forgotten to even put on shoes when leaving the house. Flip flops are a summer staple and often even those are tossed aside in favor of cute bare feet and small little toes.
So, when socks and shoes are called for, it is like an inky dark black cloud that rushes and looms over this house, my heart, and literally socks us into doom. I have bought hundreds of pairs of socks. Long ones, short ones, organic ones, light ones, soft ones, hard ones, anklet ones, fancier than fancy ones, colorful ones, boring ones, seamless ones, and my bank account hates me for it. We have boxes filled with socks. They sit there and collect dust and taunt me endlessly with their adorable designs and their ugly seams. They represent hardship and tears, and struggles only some of us know. So, we just gave up. Socks do not work for Piper. They bring about tears, and uncomfortableness, and more crying (adults and children), and then anger, and then yelling, and an endless cycle of effort ending in failure. It is a battle that cannot be won. So we created a mantra, a mantra that we say every day:
Socks just suck.
There is no winning against socks. We tried. We conformed to the sock and sneaker school policy. We engaged in the everlasting, energy draining morning school saga of putting on socks and shoes. It ended in tears and emotional trauma for everyone. Every. Single. Time. Socks are too powerful, too purposeful, too
suffocating, too socky. There is no such thing as a lite or loose sock. Then it will not fit into the shoe. It will be bulky and droopy and make the situation worse. I applaud the companies that are striving so hard to make seamless socks and I have bought them all. They have worked for many children with spd and other issues. But, there is a teeny, tiny seam. And to children who feel things others cannot even comprehend, and are sensitive to even the most minute stitch, they don’t work.
In giving up against the reign of socks, we had to come up with solutions. First there were Crocs. We felt elated. The schools agreed and they worked! They come in all sorts of colors, popular characters, and even glitter! They could be cleaned easily, worn year round, and we finally had tear free mornings. Rain boots were worn without socks (yes even in the rain), same with cowgirl boots, and sneakers became a thing of the past. But then we discovered Natives. Ah, Natives. I love them. They look like sneakers without the laces, they don’t require socks, they have much better foot coverage, and are easily washable and comfy. Now Piper wouldn’t have to stand out in her Crocs, no one would even bat an eyelash. We have them in sparkly turquoise, marble orange, glittery purple, and I now have them. Our son has them. One more problem solved. Thank you Crocs and Natives. You have helped the world of sensory processing disorder and many other children with disabilities without ever meaning to, and maybe still not even knowing. We are forever grateful and forever indebted to you. Please never go out of business. Thank you for eliminating the need for socks and allowing my family to get to a place where socks collect dust, or are used for art projects or puppet shows. We can now laugh at our sock puppet faces.
I have been told that next I need to invent a sock. I don’t think it can be done. Socks just suck.
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Today.
I always tell my children that tomorrow is a new day. A day to start over, wake up fresh, begin anew. We can leave the woes of the day before behind and begin with a fresh slate. A slate in which you can write your new choices, your new actions, and your new achievements down during the day ahead. Its okay to make mistakes, not have a good day, or even make some wrong choices. It’s okay because tomorrow is a always new day.
But what if you wake up every morning to a groundhog day (my least favorite movie on the planet) existence? What if you dread the day ahead? What if every single morning you wake up with a pit in the bottom of your stomach? A mean, heavy bumpy pit that just sits there, trying to make itself a permanent fixture in your body.
Well, these were my mornings. My eyes would pop open, and fear and unknowing would set in. Would we get to school today? Would the crying be less or more than the day before? How is the weather going to affect the clothing choices today? Did I wash the favorite t-shirt? How on earth do I do the hair today without tears? And above all else, will I be able to keep it together this morning and will my patience persist?
As I sit here, watching the sunrise (right? Who is up this early?), I realize that my life is very different from those dreaded mornings. It’s different because we sought out solutions, not a diagnosis, not a declaration that yes, your daughter does have Sensory Processing Disorder. I don’t know if that would have helped. We were told that she would grow out of it, or that her symptoms were not that severe. But, these people did not live in my world. They didn’t the defeat, they didn’t witness the tears falling daily down a tiny girls face everyday without fail. A girl who was too little to voice her struggles, to let us in, and a girl who was the happiest most dynamic kid I have ever known.
We had to get her back to happy. We had to figure her out. I wasn’t going to let something as silly as clothing stand in my way. We had to find solutions and find them fast because no diagnosis was going to be able to do that. You know who does that? Moms, that’s who! Moms search high and low for the best remedies, the best products, the best advice, and gosh darn it that was what I was going to do. This is not a one size fits all dilemma. Children with Sensory Processing Disorder are incomparable to one another. What works for some will not work for others.
This is my story of that struggle. Two years later, it is still a struggle mornings, noon, and night. However, our struggle has subsided a bit because we found solutions that worked, that made our daily life easier, and ones that let me breath a bit easier. We had to develop and create our own underwear line for our daughter! The story of how My Pipers came to be will be shared here. I am here to share helpful resources, and tips and tricks, and anything else that falls in front of me on this messy path of life ahead. I have bought too many products to count, and I will let you know what worked with our sensitive child and what didn’t, along with a few surprise tactics along the way. You may disagree with me, and have a few tricks of your own, but please know that this is a positive vibe space only. A place to help children like Piper, and our son Tobin too.
Welcome to our world. A world we created. A world where children are free to be themselves, free to wear what they want to wear, and where sensitive kiddos have a voice. A voice that speaks to me loud and clear, and it is an honor to be a voice for these children. Thank you for allowing me to share on this space, and for giving me permission to be myself. It begins today.
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