When Sarah Greisdorf began studying computer science at Boston University, she never thought she’d graduate in three years only to start a fashion company and launch it in the middle of a global pandemic. Now, here she is doing exactly that. Try that for 2020 MadLibs.
While brainstorming in the shower one night, Sarah wondered why whenever she left the house, she never had a place for all her belongings — except in her hands or a purse. She questioned why none of her male friends had this issue and came to the quick realization it was because traditional men’s clothes had expansive, functional pockets. When it came to women’s clothes, Sarah found that the pockets were frequently fake or on average 48% shorter than men’s pockets. At that moment, Sarah knew she needed to do something to fix this problem.
Thus, Holdette was born. After several pivots, Holdette is now a direct to consumer e-commerce brand producing women’s professional workwear with real pockets that strives to empower college-aged women and those entering the workforce for the first time.
“Holdette strives for two main goals,” said Sarah Greisdorf. “The first is to support women from the moment they get dressed in the morning and the second is create community both around the brand and among its customers and supporters.”
The Holdette suit is sure to make you look good and feel good. The sizes range from 0 to 14 but Sarah is already excited to expand its range to be even more size inclusive. The suit features not one, not two, not even six — but eight functional pockets with your comfort and lifestyle in mind. There are two outside blazer pockets, 2 deep pant pockets, and four inside blazer pockets — perfect for snacks.
While part of being suited for success is the suit itself, Holdette wants to take it a step further by providing community and connection. Holdette recently introduced Back Pocket, its forward-thinking membership program for only $10 a month. Back Pocket features a variety of different programs for women to grow both personally and professionally. Right now, Back Pocket has one-on-one mentorships, professional development workshops (like how to Marie Kondo your inbox), and a podcast club. All the community members meet every Sunday night for a weekly check-in to reflect on the past week and prepare for the week ahead.
When first looking to launch Holdette, Sarah turned to a variety of resources. While initially utilizing her university’s resources, Sarah found that reaching out was the best solution. “Being resourceful and never being afraid to talk about my idea was the most important thing,” she said. “You never know how talking about that idea to the right person can lead you to your next steps.”
Since we’re all stuck in quarantine or physically distancing, Sarah recognizes the struggles many entrepreneurs and young women are facing while entering the working world.
“As you make this next transition into adulthood — even if things feel scary or uncertain — just remember that you got to where you are today because of your ingenuity, creativity, and persistence.” Sarah said. “Even though things may be difficult right now, you can call upon these experiences to help you prepare for the next chapters of your life.” One thing Sarah says she wishes she knew sooner was “when things don’t work out, you have to remember the saying ‘every no brings you one step closer to a yes.’”
As if Holdette wasn’t already impressive enough, within the first 72 hours of its crowdfunding campaign launch on iFundWomen, Holdette received 40% of its goal donation amount. Now, they have over $22,000 pledged of its $25,000 goal to produce its first 200 suits. If you’re looking to join Back Pocket, buy a suit, or show your support, you can follow Holdette on Instagram and read more about its programming.
