Pockets of opportunity: Seattle startup’s clothing line looks to end inequality in women’s workwear

A Seattle startup introduces a clothing line aimed at addressing inequality in women's workwear. This initiative seeks to bridge gaps in professional attire, providing women with functional and stylish options that promote equality and empowerment in the workplace.

Point of View, a new women’s clothing label started by two founders with experience at Amazon, offers pockets that accommodate smartphones, along with other design features meant to make it more practical for women to wear stylish clothing at work. (Photo courtesy Point of View)

‍Aditi Sinha was working at Amazon, as the worldwide marketing leader for Prime Day and other global shopping events for the e-commerce giant, when she reached a tipping point on a specific issue.

“One of my colleagues, who was a VP back at Amazon, brought her son to work one day, and she would go into these high-profile meetings, power-packed, and she kept her phone in her son’s pocket.” Sinha said. “Her 2-year-old had six pockets in his pants, and she had none. And I’m wondering what has been done to deserve this amazing inequality.”

So she decided to do something about it.

That was the genesis of Point of View, a Seattle-based women’s workwear startup. It’s aiming to end this “pockets inequality” with stylish designs and pockets big enough to hold a smartphone.

Sinha started Point of View with Sakina Adeeb, who continues to work as an Amazon senior manager for product and technology on the Alexa Shopping team. Sinha is working full-time on the startup.

Point of View’s debut collection launched recently to a strong reception as a direct-to-consumer offering. The clothing line has been getting enthusiastic feedback from early paying customers.

The collection includes tops, dresses, jackets, pants, and skirts, designed in accordance with the company’s “Pocket Pledge.” While larger pockets are a point of differentiation for now, Sinha said she hopes to spark a larger movement across the women’s fashion industry.

“I’m a small town girl, but I believe in the power of one to bring about meaningful change,” Sinha said, describing her mindset as a legacy from her mom, a doctor who has devoted her life to providing access to high-quality medical care to a remote village near her hometown in India for more than 30 years.

Sinha spent the early years of her career in branding and marketing with startups that went on to become large companies in India, before going to work for Amazon, first in India and then in Seattle.

“Tech is a very interesting place to be. I owe a lot to my time at Amazon and other tech startups. Thanks to them, ‘building for scale’ is now in my DNA and ‘customer obsession’ is my second nature,” she said. “At the same time though, working in tech as a woman also had its set of challenges, and one that irked me particularly was how it somehow expected women to fit in more than stand out.”

She added, “There’s power in femininity, and I believe great ideas come to life when women bring their authentic selves to the world.”

Based on her research, Sinha said, about 5% of women’s clothing can accommodate a smartphone, compared with 85% of men’s clothing. Even when women’s workwear has pockets, they’re often so small as to be impractical.

Sinha and her team, including a fashion designer in India, spent six months working to get the design right. They ended up with a design that places the phone on the front of the thigh, to avoid adding bulk to the sides

They explored a variety of existing performance fabrics, including those used for sportwear, to find a fabric for the pocket with enough tensile strength to hold the smartphone. They settled on poly-crepe, which is strong enough to hold a smartphone, she said, while feeling great against the skin, among other benefits.

Point of View spent months perfecting the pocket design for its new clothing line. (Photo courtesy Point of View)

Point of View’s pockets are about 11 inches deep, more than enough to accommodate modern smartphones, which tend to be around 6 inches tall. Pocket openings are about 4-5 inches for easy access. The goal is to make sure that a smartphone can disappear into the pocket, without peeking out or falling out.

Sinha doesn’t plan to stop with pockets. The company is also exploring additional features such as stretchable fabric, adjustable-length pants, hidden shirt buttons to eliminate gaps, and built-in bra-strap holders.

In addition to its direct-to-consumer website, the company is participating in pop-up events and exploring other avenues for in-person sales and real-world feedback.

Point of View has been self-funded so far. In addition to the two founders in the Seattle area, the company has three people in India who oversee design, operations, and logistics.

For all of the tech industry’s efforts in diversity and inclusion, Sinha said, there’s an opportunity to do more.

“I imagine a world where practicality in women’s fashion is a given, not a luxury,” Sinha said, “and where the small victories, like equal pockets, symbolize larger strides towards gender equality.”

Sourced from GeekWire