SheFly Apparel: Revolutionizing How Women Answer Nature’s Call

Georgia Grace Edwards of SheFly Apparel was one of the only female guides on her team, leading trips on Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier. This fact became most evident when it was time to answer nature’s call.

When all her male colleagues could simply “turn around and go”, Georgia Grace was forced to hike to a secluded area, avoid dangerous crevasses along the way, remove 3 to 4 layers of clothing in sub-zero temperatures, then do it all again in reverse. This laborious task often prompted her to limit water consumption to avoid it entirely.

“This was limiting my outdoor performance potential when I was responsible for people’s lives. There’s got to be a better way,” she said.

Off the ice and back at Middlebury College, Georgia Grace couldn't stop thinking or talking about adapting a pair of pants to accommodate her anatomy. 

While taking a class on social entrepreneurship, Georgia Grace along with SheFly co-founders Bianca Gonzalez and Charlotte Massey jumped on an opportunity to build a working prototype, and then turn that into a full business model.

Georgia Grace laughed, “I became the ‘pee pants girl’ on campus!”

Together, Georgia Grace, Bianca and Charlotte bought pants from thrift stores and accepted donations from early fans of the project, ripping out crotch seams and sewing in zippers and other closing mechanisms in every which way. The winning prototype was an altered pair of cross-country ski bottoms equipped with a neon green zipper in the crotch to allow for peeing without removing the pants.

“I hadn’t sewn since 7th grade home ec,” Georgia Grace laughed. “I don’t know how they took me seriously. It was truly horrendous! They looked terrible but the function was there.”

What followed for the accidental startup was several winning pitch competitions.  At one point, SheFly Apparel was awarded the Investor’s and People’s Choice awards at Vermont’s Road Pitch. “That was a big moment for us,” Georgia Grace said. “I realized I was onto something bigger than myself.”

The brand’s flagship Go There™ Pant has a discrete, patented zipper running from the crotch to the rear — which is in addition to the traditional fly zipper. This allows people who squat when they pee to answer nature’s call without exposing themselves to elements or other people.

“We’re solving a real problem for real people, which is exactly what we set out to do.”

SheFly explains that while personal urination devices do allow people with female anatomy to pee without taking off their pants, they’re really just rubber representations of male genitalia that you get to carry around with you in your backpack. While it addresses the symptom, it fails to recognize the root cause. 

“It’s not our anatomy that’s the problem, it’s our clothing,” Georgia Grace said.

“We are designing clothing designed for our bodies, and it’s not just about solving for a social inconvenience," Georgia Grace said.  “Peeing outdoors as a woman often requires removing life-saving equipment [such as a harness]; it’s a health and safety risk, too.”

The Go There™ Pants aren’t just loved by women working and playing outdoors. “We hear from a lot of people who say they’re just the best fitting, most comfortable and flattering pants that they own with a lot of useful features.”

The Go There™ Pants have five pockets that are 48% deeper and 16% wider than most.  “And yes,” Georgia Grace laughed, “We measured!”

The 4-way stretch fabric with durable water-repellent coating offers an adjustable waist tie for a customized fit, and the waist is harness and backpack hip belt compatible. The straight leg cut can be cinched into joggers or converted into capris using calf snaps. With sizing available in 00-22 in multiple colors, SheFly is confident you’ll find your fit.

Currently headquartered in the Rocky Mountains of Gunnison, CO, SheFly Apparel’s entirely women-led team doesn’t always get taken seriously. “It’s only been a few decades that women have been permitted to even wear pants! It’s hard to revolutionize an entire genre of clothing and create a new market category.” 

“But, overwhelmingly, there’s a lot more highs,” Georgia Grace said of SheFly’s mission to bust the pant patriarchy. “We’re at a point in time where the outdoor industry is more focused on advocating for women and other underserved voices. We’re more comfortable talking about women’s discomfort. We are building a movement at the intersection of outdoor accessibility and empowerment.”

Go There™ Pant by SheFly Apparel

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