Miles Of Smiles

In this new decade of boycotting Nike, if anyone is looking to branch out and try a new brand, look into JOLYN!!

I have been a runner for 14 years now and I’ve run in SO many different brands. I know that I have my favorite brands to run in, as do most runners, so trying a new brand can be scary. Once you find that perfect sports bra or those spandex that don’t make you chafe and help you feel comfortable while running, it can be hard to ever want to try anything new.

If your brand was Nike, but you don’t want to continue buying their products, here are a few reasons why you might want to consider supporting JOLYN:

1) JOLYN clothing is all made in North America. This means that they don’t burn as much fuel into the atmosphere because they don’t have to ship their products across the ocean.

2) JOLYN started as a competitive swimwear brand and the owner created the company because of the lack of diversity in style, color and pattern in the suits everyone was wearing. (Pretty much everything that women were wearing to swim was boring) JOLYN’s mission since day one was to make swimwear and activewear that was as cool and fun as the women who wear them. 🏃🏾‍♀️⚡️💃🏼🌈🧜🏽‍♀️💥💪🏼🌺

3) JOLYN activewear is ACTUALLY designed FOR WOMEN!!! Most of the larger brands don’t create new designs for their women’s clothing, they just size it down from the men’s clothes. (Which is why you see a LOT of baggy and poofy running shorts out there) JOLYN actually takes into account what women’s bodies look like and how they move and design accordingly.

4) all of JOLYN’s clothes are product tested on real women of all different shapes and sizes. They then alter their designs based on how the women look and feel in them. The products don’t get released until the design is PERFECT. (I’m talking the spandex shorts have that little curve in the back of the legs to cup and hold your booty in tight)

5) JOLYN supports athletes of all different sizes, ethnicities, and abilities. They recently partnered up with Haven Faith Shepherd, who is a 16 year old Paralympic hopeful swimmer and cross fitter! She survived a bomb as a baby, and is living her best life with double below the knee amputations.

6) JOLYN stands up for women and for what is right. They did a spotlight on Breckynn Willis, a teenager from Alaska who won her race only to be disqualified afterwards because the referee ruled that her TEAM ISSUED Nike swimsuit was inappropriate for competition.... (so much I could go on about for this one, but I’ll keep it short for everyone’s sake)

7) JOLYN partners with non-profit organizations throughout the year. Most recently they partnered with the surfrider foundation, which helps clean up our oceans, by donating $1 from every purchase and by giving their customers the option to round up their purchase if they wanted to donate more. Before that, they created a special pink flowery print that they called “tatas.” 50% of every purchase of the tatas print went to the breast cancer angels foundation, which is a non-profit that gives financial assistance to women with breast cancer.

When I was a child, from the time I was about four and could understand things, my mom told me and my brother that we should have a secret word. That way, if we were ever in trouble or felt unsafe and we didn’t want the people around us to know we needed her to come get us, we could let her know. So she let us pick the word and my brother and I chose the phrase “peanut butter cups.” (I’m happy to share the phrase now since both my brother and I are adults now). 

I used the phrase twice in my life. Once, I was at a friends house when I eight years old. Her dad got really drunk and was throwing things against the wall. I was really scared and I didn’t want to draw attention to myself on the phone when I called my mom to come get me because I didn’t know if he would get more violent if I asked her to come get me. So I called her and was calm and after a couple minutes I asked “Hey mommy, did you get me those peanut butter cups from the store?” And she said “I’ll be right there.” And she came and got me within minutes. 

Second, I was a teenager spending the night at a friends house. Her brother and dad were drinking and they started talking about things that made me uncomfortable - ie: what they liked to do to women. My friend didn’t seem perturbed and said that was normal for them and that I shouldn’t worry. But I was worried because they were really drunk and I was 15 and the only ‘woman’ around that wasn’t related to them. I went in my friends room, told her I needed to call my mom and say goodnight. Before I hung up with her I asked “Next time we go to the store, can we get some peanut butters cups? I’ve been craving them.” And she came and got me, just like that.