I’ve been called Fluffy my whole life. It’s a nickname that goes back to my birth. I had the biggest cheeks as a baby, so my mom would affectionately call me Fluffy. I’ve been plus-size all my life, but I never imagined that my disability would provide a way for me to pursue my purpose; creating a line that empowers women from head to toe to love themselves as they are. Growing up plus-size, I always felt like I weighed too much. And then I would lose weight and still feel inadequate. I didn’t feel that I was worthy of love or acceptance at any weight. My own body positivity journey made way for me to create a community brand.
Business Description
Shortly after having my son Joshua in 2012, I experienced some postpartum hair loss, so I decided it was time to finish transitioning to my natural hair by cutting off all the remaining straight hair. After embracing my natural, I wanted to get a Natural Hair t-shirt but was disappointed and discouraged when most shirts stopped at 3xl. So, I decided to find a way to make my own, giving birth to my business from my personal disappointment with the industry.
My Beautiful Fluff is a body-positive, plus-size brand that celebrates and depicts the beauty of fluffy bodies and natural hair. We empower women with curves and curls through representation and affirmations in our full line of plus-size t-shirts, accessories, and blank and guided journals. We operate an online store out of Davenport, Iowa, and we do events throughout out the United States. And, I’m so proud of our expansion to create customer-driven and customer-focused products.
What is the Purpose of This Loan?
I started this business because of a common frustration I’ve experienced in not being able to find my size across various clothing and accessory lines. I know what it feels to be excluded due to size and we don’t want to ever have to tell a customer we don’t have their size available. Our mission to be size inclusive while using print-on-demand services has limited our sizing to size 28 (or 5xl), which leaves out 30% of our customer base and excludes us from being able to market to those who require a larger size. This loan will help us fulfill our mission to be size inclusive.
This loan will allow us to grow and scale by being able to target a market that is often overlooked in plus-size clothing and definitely in mainstream retail. After receiving help from a design team to create the sizing, we now need funding to launch the line. This loan will help us create, market thru social media sites, and successfully launch our size expansion efforts.
Our longer-term goal is to be able to offer a micro-grant to disabled entrepreneurs like me by 2025.