Kicking Things Off at PIK!

September 30, 2024

HERE WE GO! I am super excited to kick this off.

Hi everyone, my name is Kate, and I’m stoked you’re here, browsing PIK’s site and learning more about us. To be honest, this all started out of frustration and a massive leap of faith.

The frustration: Why has all women’s clothing become tight, short, cropped, skin-tight — you name it — or loudly patterned and un-tailored?

The massive leap of faith: Pickleball boom + goal to make apparel better while doing things the right way.

I’ve gotten used to making decisions based on frustration and leaps of faith — I studied engineering in college because I was frustrated that I didn’t know what I wanted to “do with my life.” My first job was in construction management, which began with a move out to California after never having been west of Nebraska — a great leap of faith (for a nervous 22-year old, anyway). A year later, I got into tech sales out of frustration with the lack of competition and control in my previous job.

Soon after, I moved to NYC with a few peers to start the regional sales team, moved up through the manager ranks, and eventually joined a different tech company.

Although I enjoyed (and still do!) many things about tech sales, there were aspects of the profession that didn’t quite jive with me.

Feeling frustrated and stuck, I pursued certification as a life coach and took on consulting work — both of which I still love today — but I felt the urge to create and sell something physical while building a network along the way.

Enter the rise of pickleball — I noticed how many people were playing for fun and for exercise at any time of day. The barrier to entry is low —the equipment isn’t pricey, you don’t need much skill to get going, and anyone at any age can enjoy it. I also noticed the outfits, and most people wore one of two things: fashionable athleisure or regular gym clothes. Professionals after work played, kids played, grandparents played, moms and dads played between errands. At this time, there wasn’t a “brand” around pickleball. I made a mental note.

Around the same time, my family and I were doing tons of activities together, and my sisters and I were nothing short of embarrassed at our lack of appropriate outfits. Why was everything for women either too tight, too short, or full of spandex? None of us felt comfortable in these outfits, especially around our parents. The other side of the coin was the brightly colored, loud patterns in outdated silhouettes that most women don’t like for day-to-day activities. I noted: Especially in a sport like pickleball, where a lot of folks playing are older and want to feel “put together,” why isn’t modern fashion catering to them?

Finally, after growing up in the Forever 21 “fast fashion” era, where spending $20 on a shirt that lasted you two washes was commonplace, I became frustratingly aware that quality was missing in modern men’s and women’s fashion. Quality means different things to different brands, but for me, it meant making my clothing in the United States with a company and suppliers I trusted. More on this later, but mental note #3 was — if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right.

And just like that, out of frustration and a leap of faith, PIK Activewear was born. There’s so much more I can’t wait to share with you all, so thank you for following along this far. I’m excited for what’s to come!

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