We’ve all been there. On the first tee and wishing you had done a few more crunches that morning or the day before, just in case your top creeps up and shows your belly to the foursome, or worse yet, the gallery.
Three friends had similar nightmares of muffin tops and decided to do something about it by adding a compression layer, or shapewear, to women’s tennis and golf apparel. “We wanted to look as good as we feel when we play,” says Kelly Daugherty, Managing Partner at Smashing Golf & Tennis. “We didn’t want to be worried about how we looked on the course, we just wanted to concentrate on our game.” Sound familiar?
Once they had the general idea for the company, they did a lot of market research and came up with some surprising results – most women can actually find clothes they like, it’s the fit that doesn’t work. “While everyone wants updated looks, the number one complaint was that clothes didn’t fit their bodies right. This wasn’t a ‘plus size’ problem. Many women sized 4-8 also complained how after kids they have a “little muffin top” that other brands only made worse. They want to look good when they are on the course.”
Smashing on the right
Smashing was born to solve these issues and has not surprisingly quickly grown a strong band of followers. Their secret is the performance fabric they use that wicks, keeps your muscles warm (helping with performance and recovery) as well as slimming your figure. “They are all poly/spandex blends. The inner layer of compression is an actual technical fabric. Many people in the industry talk of ‘compression’ when all they mean is spandex that has a tight or compression-like feel. Ours is a technical fabric that provides performance benefits as well,” explains Kelly.
All three founders are in Chicago and were committed to having the clothes made in the US. They were able to find higher quality fabrics and production in the Chicago area than overseas as well as helping to revive Chicago’s fashion scene.
Smashing's Golf Dresses
Smashing’s line includes two dresses to flatter a longer or shorter torso that retail for $169. The tanks and sleeveless polos are ruched to show off your curves while the tops with sleeves are seamed to slim your shape (in addition to the amazing fabric).
Although the fabrics and designs do a lot for your middle, the skorts are a little short since they are meant to cross over to tennis. So be warned that while you can skip the crunches, some squats or leggings might be necessary. 2012 however will bring a “slightly straighter and longer skort” as well as a low-rise skort.
Shi Shi Putter readers get a 25% discount through 12/31/11. Just use the code Shi25 at checkout. SmashingOnline.com
Images copyright Smashing Golf & Tennis. All rights reserved.
Love this line!
So glad! Be sure you take advantage of their offer to Shi Shi Putter readers!