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Digg It - Breaking into Women's Golf Apparel with Style
A fresh approach to club attire
Jennifer Glaspie launched Chicago-based Aphira golfware to create apparel for the social golfer who wants to stand out on the green, not fit into the club.
by Carolyn Schwaar
When novice golfer Jennifer Glaspie was kicked off the green at a Florida golf club for wearing a sleeveles
Jennifer Glaspie launched Chicago-based Aphira golfware to create apparel for the social golfer who wants to stand out on the green, not fit into the club.
by Carolyn Schwaar
When novice golfer Jennifer Glaspie was kicked off the green at a Florida golf club for wearing a sleeveles
According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product
s, collarless sweater, she didn't know then that women's golf apparel would become her life's passion.
From the runway to the fairway
In 2000, Glaspie, a successful corporate business consultant at the prestigious Chicago-based firm of Baine & Co, started learning golf at the request of her boyfriend (now husband)
From the runway to the fairway
In 2000, Glaspie, a successful corporate business consultant at the prestigious Chicago-based firm of Baine & Co, started learning golf at the request of her boyfriend (now husband)
; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.
Examples of combination products may in
Examples of combination products may in
. But as her golf swing improved, this petite and style-savvy urbanite found her clothing options didn't.
"Golf apparel is so far behind the curve fashion-wise and the options for the fashion-conscious golfer are limited," she says. But it took a cool October morning with a tee time looming and "nothing to wear" th
"Golf apparel is so far behind the curve fashion-wise and the options for the fashion-conscious golfer are limited," she says. But it took a cool October morning with a tee time looming and "nothing to wear" th
lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.
t finally pressed Glaspie to action.
Convinced that there was great potential in a high-end line of women's golf clothing that was trendy and comfortable yet sophisticated, Glaspie put her career on hold, and put her Kellogg MBA to use developing a business plan to launch a chic line of women's golf apparel.
"I've
Convinced that there was great potential in a high-end line of women's golf clothing that was trendy and comfortable yet sophisticated, Glaspie put her career on hold, and put her Kellogg MBA to use developing a business plan to launch a chic line of women's golf apparel.
"I've
here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe
always had a love of fashion, but I thought entering the competitive apparel industry would be just crazy," recalls the 32-year-old Michigan native. However, research showed that, although the apparel industry is cut-throat, high-end niches such as resort ware and specialized sports apparel, have their own, more ac
d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.
Combination pro
Combination pro
essible and less competitive market. "I found some fashion-forward lines that were doing well, but the market certainly wasn't saturated, so everything pointed to 'go,' " she says.
Glaspie and her tradition-bucking designer, Cassy Clark, set out to create golf apparel that was fun to wear, hip, and a little bit sex
Glaspie and her tradition-bucking designer, Cassy Clark, set out to create golf apparel that was fun to wear, hip, and a little bit sex
ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc
y, hoping against hope that they would have a hit. And they did.
Aphira debuted at the 2005 PGA Merchandise show in Florida. "There we were walking practically three miles back to our little booth past these huge corporate booths," recalls Glaspie. "We felt totally overwhelmed, but from the beginning, people starte
Aphira debuted at the 2005 PGA Merchandise show in Florida. "There we were walking practically three miles back to our little booth past these huge corporate booths," recalls Glaspie. "We felt totally overwhelmed, but from the beginning, people starte
easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi
saying great things. One women said 'I love this line, this is my favorite line here out of 1,000 exhibitors. It felt promising. We felt really, really good."
The duo wrote dozens of orders at the show for their first line. And when their initial customers received their shipment and loved it, they began to think
The duo wrote dozens of orders at the show for their first line. And when their initial customers received their shipment and loved it, they began to think
nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically
that they might just have something. "One client said people where buying it right out of the box before she could get it on the rack," says Glaspie.
Now in it's third year, Aphira is established in nearly 150 golf shops in the United States, Europe, and Asia. But success didn't come without some missteps.
"I thou
Now in it's third year, Aphira is established in nearly 150 golf shops in the United States, Europe, and Asia. But success didn't come without some missteps.
"I thou
and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ
ht we had to be really different when we first launched," recalls Glaspie. The debut line was sexy and edgy with closefitting tops and tennis-length skorts. "But we've toned that down a bit as we've gone on." The shift in style reflects the company's research into just who's buying their stylish line, which in many
ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi
markets is actually retirees in there 50s and 60s.
"Nike and Addidas design sportswear for the athletic golfer," says Glaspie. "Our customer is more socialite than athlete. She doesn't play four-times a week, she plays with her girlfriends on the weekends, and she's someone who's always put together."
Like a lot o
"Nike and Addidas design sportswear for the athletic golfer," says Glaspie. "Our customer is more socialite than athlete. She doesn't play four-times a week, she plays with her girlfriends on the weekends, and she's someone who's always put together."
Like a lot o
ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.
Following aspects would a
Following aspects would a
f entrepreneurs, Glaspie is owner, marketer, sales rep and even model. "One time at a meeting with the proshop owner at the Ravinia Green Country Club I ran and put on a pair of shorts to show the client how they fit," says Glaspie. Every piece in the line is made in her size for product testing. "I need to try it a
dd to the challenges in developing combination products:
Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod
Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod
l on. I swing a club and I walk around it in. I'm a golfer and I know the functionality that the garment needs to have."
The Aphira line is made entirely in America. The fabric is custom dyed and shipped to a factory on Chicago's north side for assembly.
For now, Aphira apparel is only available in golf stores, an
The Aphira line is made entirely in America. The fabric is custom dyed and shipped to a factory on Chicago's north side for assembly.
For now, Aphira apparel is only available in golf stores, an
cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin
d that's just fine with Glaspie. "We need to stay focused on the golf market. We know every dollar invested will be a few dollars return in the golf market but it would take too much capitol to break into the larger apparel retail market."
Although you won't see Aphira in department stores, you can get a glimpse of
Although you won't see Aphira in department stores, you can get a glimpse of
tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen
it on the popular Golf Channel reality show The Big Break: Ladies Only, which will feature Aphira apparel on golfer Valeria Ochoa this spring. And the new Hollywood film "Who's Your Caddy?," billed as "an urban take on the comedy golf movie" features a sexy character wearing Aphira throughout the film.
The chancy c
The chancy c
t?
As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel
As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel
areer hop from guiding the strategic growth of Fortune-500 companies to making golf skorts has definitely paid off, says Glaspie. "It has just been a whirlwind but I'm definitely having fun. In consulting I had peeks and valley and good weeks and bad weeks, but when it's your own company your highs are really high a
ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.
Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust
d lows are really low. Everything takes on so much more importance when it's your own."
###
Callout or boxed item: Aphira: a-fear-ah. A word invented by golfwear entrepreneur Jennifer Glaspie taken from the Latin word ephiro, meaning to exult.
Sidebar: Can fashion attract more women to golf? Although it may so
###
Callout or boxed item: Aphira: a-fear-ah. A word invented by golfwear entrepreneur Jennifer Glaspie taken from the Latin word ephiro, meaning to exult.
Sidebar: Can fashion attract more women to golf? Although it may so
y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products
und shallow to say more fashionable golfware will get more women to play golf, Jennifer Glaspie, owner of Aphira women's golf apparel in Chicago, says it's absolutely true. "I have a friend who I asked to take some golf lessons with me but she said 'I play tennis because the cloths are cuter.' Having more fashion in
.
As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de
As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de
this sport does change its image."
Just take a look at internationally televised women's golf tournaments like the Lexus Cup where teams lead by Annika Sorenstam and Grace Park ditched the masculine polo top for trendy designer golfwear to project a fun and fashionable image for women's golf.
And younger players,
Just take a look at internationally televised women's golf tournaments like the Lexus Cup where teams lead by Annika Sorenstam and Grace Park ditched the masculine polo top for trendy designer golfwear to project a fun and fashionable image for women's golf.
And younger players,
elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.
Companies that provide selfless information through particip
Companies that provide selfless information through particip
such as tank-top sporting Michelle Wie, are bringing their young attitudes and free spirit with them to the green -- and this includes their fashion statements.
"There's a lot more younger people playing the sport," says Glaspie. And with youth, she says, comes new ideas that buck the traditions and set a new style
"There's a lot more younger people playing the sport," says Glaspie. And with youth, she says, comes new ideas that buck the traditions and set a new style
tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products
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