Berkeley Start-upsBerkeley Start-Up Restyles Menswear for Women
by Tamra Teig
Any woman with healthy curves who has worn a tailored shirt off the rack has undoubtedly contended with the dreaded gaping issue with the chest buttons. Androgyny is a clothing brand designed especially for androgynous women, but appeals to any woman who prefers the clean lines and detailed tailoring of traditional menswear. One of the key style elements touted on the company’s website is that the button-ups have been re-engineered to avoid “boob button nightmares."
The San Francisco-based start-up’s stated mission is to "inspire confidence by providing clothes that fit as true as one’s own skin.” Their designs have a comfortably full cut with subtle hourglass shaping that accommodates a woman’s curves. Then there is Androgyny’s trademark “boob button” feature– strategic placement of the center button on the chest to minimize the gaping in most tailored women’s shirts, plus a center pleat in the back that gives extra room to move through the chest and shoulders.
Company founder Melissa Millan maintains that the androgynous fit and style preference is rarely met by mainstream brands. “For years I struggled to find my identity on the racks of mass-market chains. The women’s offerings were always too form fitting and feminine, whereas the men’s offerings were oversized and failed to accommodate my female proportions.”
“We want to inspire personal confidence one shirt at a time.”
With an emphasis on variety and differentiation, Androgyny released its Signature Shirt in January 2013 after 18 months of development. Each shirt is handcrafted of high-quality cotton in very limited production, often no more than 50, so once a certain style is sold out, it’s gone.
Judging by the number of styles on their website that are already sold out, Androgyny is on to something.
Check out the Signature Collection
Androgyny founder and CEO Melissa Millan received her MBA from UC Berkeley. She is currently accepting applications for a number of internships http://www.wearandrogyny.com/pages/careers.
