Our Origin Story
-
Meet Jen
Created and led by women.
Hi, I'm Jennifer Leonard, the founder of Raw Threads. My journey started as a new runner at race expos. I struggled to find shirts that have a fun graphic message and a flattering silhouette for women. Everything was in a men's style shirt. I couldn't believe how saturated the industry is with only low-quality polyester options.
I couldn't believe how ugly and uncomfortable the designs were. I decided to find a better solution. I wanted high quality soft fabrics with a flattering fit made for all body shapes and sizes plus I wanted to only use ethical manufacturing and a low-waste business model.
Women supporting women.
We've expanded our network to include female-owned fabric companies and sewing factories that also prioritize a sustainable initiative. Our plant-based fabric partners use every bit of our fabrics, and what they cannot turn into a garment they repurpose.
-
How it started.
It all started with a van and a dream.
I started Raw Threads in March of 2010 with the goal of expressing my creativity through t-shirts. What all started from driving cross-country from event to event has turned into the most amazing community a business owner could ever dream of.
When I started Raw Threads my office view was a windshield; my husband quit his job and drove me across the country with a van full of shirts to live my dream. I had to email customers and design new shirts on a laptop track pad while sitting in the passenger seat navigating with an Atlas before roaming on a cell phone was more affordable.
We were on a mission to show the world my designs. We sold our house and put all of our belongings into storage while we drove state to state, expo to expo, marathon to marathon across the United States, even to Alaska in our white cargo van.