Welcome and hello :)
During pregnancy and postpartum, it can feel like you’re an early aughts reality show contestant dropped on a remote island with a mostly broken compass and some string. You are in a strange place. It’s unclear what you should do first. How will you survive?? We’re exaggerating somewhat, but not entirely. The first thing you’ll notice in the world of maternity and parenthood, if you haven’t already, is that there are lots of opinions and tons of stuff. It’s overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time.
Here is our message for you—
We're here if you need us.
Our goal is for you to feel comfortable and feel like yourself during a very momentous time. Lots of people out there are going to be thinking about the baby, but we are going to be thinking mostly about you, the parents. We are focused on making what we wish we had or think you’d need, to make your life easier.
Is pregnancy temporary? Sure. Does that mean what you buy during pregnancy is therefore temporary? It does not. Can you make your regular wardrobe work for pregnancy? Maybe! But lots of us can’t, and that’s no reason to pile on the guilt or shame around shopping. [Admittedly Biased Side Chat: humans make so-called temporary purchases all the time. A big sunhat for vacation? A fancy outfit for a wedding? A trendy impulse buy from fast fashion world? A robotic bassinet you’ll use for a few months? The notion that maternity clothing is unnecessary feels misplaced, in our opinion…and misogynist...but we’ll save that for a future op-ed.] .
We do our best to make sure everything we design is comfortable, versatile and useful. Our pieces are made to last through pregnancy and beyond. And the truth is that you really don’t need to replace everything in your wardrobe when you become pregnant. We’re here to fill in the gaps, solve acute problems, and just generally make the hard parts easier. Like dressing a growing pregnant body. Or changing diapers in public. Or pumping at work.
One day, hopefully soon, the systems in our society will evolve to value and support parents in more meaningful ways.
Until then, we’re here if you need us.
And a bit more info on what we're all about...
Thoughtful design
When we’re creating something new, we take our time and make sure each piece will become a true wardrobe essential. We also know this can be an uncomfortable time for many people, so we focus on making the things that will make you feel good. Feel good about how they’re made, feel good shopping for them, and feel good when you’re wearing them. With that, here are a few of the principles that guide our design process.
Wardrobe staples. We only make the pieces you’ll be reaching for on a daily basis because we see a genuine need for a particular style to exist. You can think of our basics as super comfy and cute modular building blocks that can be mixed and matched and paired with what’s already in your closet. Wardrobe crisis averted.
Longevity. Literally no one wants to spend money on a maternity wardrobe and we understand. We make clothes that are designed to last in a temporary time of life, to take you from one pregnancy to the next, through nursing and postpartum and onward into life with kids. They are destined to become the cozy favorites that you’ll keep on reaching for long after babe arrives.
Sizing. We currently design apparel in sizes 0 through 4X or 30. We will continue to work on expanding our size range as our company grows, to better reflect the body and size diversity we see among our community and beyond.
Luxe, practical fabrics. Comfort is always our number one concern. We seek out fabrics that are soft and breathable, that drape beautifully, stretch and recover well, using eco-friendly or natural fibers when possible. We’re always on the lookout for things that are machine washable and can be easily cared for.
Streamlined details. A lot of small but important decisions go into the making of each product. Seemingly simple things like using heat transfer labels and as few seams as possible means you don’t have to worry about anything scratchy or uncomfortable touching your body.
Customer feedback. Open communication with our customers is essential. Instead of designing a hundred new things every few months, we spend a lot of our time iterating, refining and perfecting the styles we produce over and over. We are always looking for ways to improve our designs and regularly incorporate what we hear from our customers to create better and better products.
Parenthood looks cute on you. And that sweater looks cute on you, too.
Manufacturing
We approach manufacturing and sustainability in tandem, but we’ll separate them here for clarity. Manufacturing apparel has a negative impact on the environment, and humans are producing way too much overall. From choosing ethical production partners to selecting fabrics that are safe for parents and kids, our goal is to be as deliberate as possible as we work to make our processes cleaner and more transparent.
Ethical manufacturing. Storq products are ethically made in China, Peru, the Philippines, Portugal and the United States. This means that when we’re selecting our manufacturing partners, we place a premium on quality, compliance with worker safety, fair wages, and commitment to minimizing environmental impact. Our primary manufacturing partners are audited yearly by an independent third party for safety and fair working conditions.
Safe, non-toxic fabrics. The majority of our products are made from fabrics that are certified Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex. This means that the fabrics used in Storq products have been tested by an independent organization and certified to be free from AZO dyes, formaldehyde, phthalates and many other chemicals known to be carcinogenic or otherwise harmful.
Overseas production. We understand many customers are concerned about production in China. For the materials we work with and the price point we’re working towards, China has proven to have the strongest combination of advanced manufacturing technologies, ethical and accountable work practices, and affordable production.
Sustainability
For us, the concept of sustainable clothing production is very much a marathon and not a sprint; it’s not about making big, lofty claims that are impossible to support. We feel it’s important to look at sustainability honestly and holistically, to set goals and to make steady progress. Here’s a look at where we’re at right now, and where we hope to be soon.
Inventory management. We produce clothing in limited quantities to ensure we don’t create more than we truly need. Because we design with intention and avoid seasonal production, we’re able to cut down on excess inventory that may be ultimately destined for a landfill. On the flip side, this may mean we’re sold out of things from time to time. Rest assured that we always do our best to ramp up production to meet demand without holding onto excess inventory.
Packaging. We keep our packaging as minimal as possible and work hard to source components that are reusable, recyclable and made from recycled materials. It is an ongoing project to source more environmentally-friendly packaging solutions that are genuinely sustainable without compromising functionality.
→ Mailers Our products ship in EcoEnclose 100% recycled and reusable poly mailers. While paper mailers are another solidly sustainable option, in our experience they don’t always survive the rigors of shipping intact, they are not reusable and have a higher carbon footprint than their poly mailer counterparts. Our customers can use the same mailer they received to send back any returns.
→ Poly bags Our poly bags are 100% recyclable. We wish we didn’t have to use poly bags at all, but for the time being, this is the best way to ensure our products are not damaged on their journey from the factory to the warehouse and onward to our customers. Damaged products that are unwearable have a greater environmental impact than manufacturing a poly bag. Here’s an article from Patagonia explaining their research on the subject.
→ Clothing Whenever possible, we avoid garment labels and use heat transfer labels instead. There are zero hang tags on our products. It cuts down on waste, but it’s also more comfortable. Pouches and gift packaging are always designed to be reusable.
Product lifecyle
The guilt around maternity shopping is real. We are well aware, and we want to make sure you can feel confident that you will get the most out of every Storq purchase.
Build your capsule wardrobe. Our clothing is designed to be a bridge for your pre-pregnancy wardrobe. By creating versatile styles that work with what you already have in your closet, you really only need to buy a few things to fill the gap.
Wear often. We make the pieces that you will wear over and over and over again. When you wear the same pieces on repeat for months on end, you might be surprised by just how low your cost per wear actually becomes.
Pass it on. Save your favorites for future pregnancies, pass them on to a friend, re-sell them online or donate to a family in need. We are always happy to help customers donate their gently used Storq goods to families in need through the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco and Alternatives For Girls in Detroit. More on that below.
Community
Pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood are universal experiences, but they can also feel very isolating. We envision Storq as a destination that is welcoming to every visitor first and foremost, a place that not only reflects the incredible diversity of families today, but also one that celebrates it. Here are some of the ways we are working to grow a vibrant, supportive community built on kindness and respect.
Clothing donations. We put a lot of energy into creating high quality products that you’ll want to hang onto long-term, but we also understand that you may end up with a few pieces you no longer need. To help close the loop, reduce waste, and provide support to families in need, we’ve partnered with the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco and Alternatives For Girls in Detroit to donate pre-loved Storq clothing that comes directly from customers, as well as from our warehouse. HPP and AFG are non-profit family resource centers that primarily serve local low income families.
Got a donation? Email us at hello@storq.com. In return for spreading the love, we’ll give you a $25 gift certificate towards a future Storq order.
*Please note, all clothing donations must be freshly laundered and in wearable condition.
Representation. One of our most closely held values as a brand is to create space for people and families who would like to see more of themselves reflected in visuals and editorial content when shopping online. We do our best to show our clothes on people that represent a variety of body types, heights, walks of life and stages of pregnancy and postpartum. We are always looking for partners that are aligned with this goal and would like to share their voice with our growing community. Send us an email at hello@storq.com.
Feedback
We want to hear from you :) If you’ve got questions, would like additional information, have product feedback or ideas to share, need advice on baby names, etc. feel free to drop us a virtual line at hello@storq.com anytime. Let’s chat.