Pregnant fans can look fab, too

By: By Cloe Cabrera | Media General
Published: March 05, 2010

Gayle Clark is a die-hard University of Florida fan and rarely missed an opportunity to express that adoration with her clothes.
That is, until she got pregnant.
As her waistline expanded, it became increasingly difficult for her to find stylish Gators garb.
"The only (shirts) I could find were ones with the arrow pointing to my belly that said 'Baby Gator on Board,'" said Clark, 39 of Trinity. "That just wasn't my style."
Over in Clearwater, a pregnant Jane Grantham was experiencing similar growing pains trying to find stylish looks as she cheered on her University of South Florida Bulls.
A few years later, the two women met at a mom's group and shared their nine-month fashion frustrations.
Their experiences gave birth to an idea — Sporty U, a business that sells fashionable collegiate shirts to pregnant women. SportyU.com features maternity fashion for three big Florida schools — the University of Florida, the University of South Florida and Florida State University.
"If we both had the same problem, finding stylish team looks to accommodate our growing bellies, there had to be other pregnant women experiencing the same thing," said Clark, a graduate of the University of Florida. "But we didn't know how to begin."
So the "mompreneurs," as they call themselves, turned to the Internet.
They soon discovered starting a small business isn't easy, especially when it involves NCAA licensing.
The Collegiate Licensing Co. of Atlanta wanted to see a business plan. And there was paperwork to fill out — a lot of it.
"There's a huge application process," Clark said. "And it's very intimidating because only 58 percent of businesses get approved. They want original ideas."
After a yearlong wait, the women got word they made the cut. Then they called local sporting goods stores to see if there was interest in their product. There was.
Next, the duo had to find a company to make the shirts.
They wanted classic, polo-style shirts with a high-quality embroidered logo, and they wanted them to be comfortable.
"Just because you are dressing for two now, it doesn't mean you have to completely change your style," Clark said. "We knew we wanted an upscale shirt. We wanted a look you can wear to a football game, a party, office dinner or tailgate party."
And that's not all.
The pair wanted a fabric that offered moisture control as well as UV protection for moms-to-be and their growing bellies.
During a convention in Las Vegas, they found an Arizona firm to make the shirts, and soon, production got underway.
SportyU polo shirts sell for $35. In addition to the Web site, they're also available at the University of Florida bookstore, It's Bucs and Bulls Heaven at 14823 N. Florida Ave. in Tampa, and Gator Haven, 5660 66th St. N., in St. Petersburg.
Their best-selling team shirt is Florida's. The women say they hope to expand the line to include more Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference and Big Ten schools. And they hope to soon expand the line to include maternity hoodies, long-sleeve shirts and baby accessories.

Pregnant fans can look fab, too

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