Buy / Give Program
Changewear is focused on helping women be a force for change within their communties. We understand that women give the best of themselves when supported and empowered.
In 2014, Changewear founder Michelle Judson and her sister Samantha were both going through divorces. Because there were seven children between them to care for, they decided to live together and co-parent their children. Michelle had also been recently diagnosed with stage-3 breast cancer and a BRAC 1 mutation. As the turbulent times dragged on, Michelle's savings were consumed by on-going court costs and legal fees. Money became increasingly tighter. Michelle relied on the Portland Public Schools PTA Clothing Center to provide free used clothing for her children. The Clothing Center allows students with limited income to shop for clothes for free.
Despite all of the challenges life was throwing at her, Michelle was not defeated. In 2016, with her cancer in remission, she took a leap of faith by starting her own company as a way to be able to someday support her family and give back to her community. Changewear was born, a bra company that allows users to change the colorful inserts and straps in their bras, giving women an opportunity to style, dress and feel unique each day.
Michelle was inspired to start a business that changes the way companies think about profit margins and community impact. She created Changewear to be a mission-based company that gives back to nonprofits by both giving products and sharing profits with organizations helping their communities. Changewear is giving new bras to the Portland Public Schools clothing closet for teens, changing how students feel about wearing donated clothing. The Portland Public clothing center helps dress nearly 2,000 students annually. However, intimates are rarely donated, making it difficult to fully cloth teen girls. For every bra sold, Changewear is donating a new bra to the Clothing Center through the end of 2018.
"No one in this industry is donating new bras in a BUY/GIVE model and yet they're a daily staple," says Judson, now 45. "Plus, a young girl can change a bra size in the course of one year, and that can be expensive."
"I understand what it's like to take my teenager [to the Clothing Center]," she continues. "We can send a deeper message to young girls that they matter, and that they don't have to wear something used against the most intimate part of their body."
Changewear is piloting this new Buy/Give program to hopefully expand the program and increase the impact.