Aries Apparel sizes up girls sports needs

Tag : Female Apparel

Women's sports have come a long way since Title IX of the EducationAmendments of 1972 took effect.
The law brought equal opportunity to women's sports and sweepingchanges in high school athletic programs. Yet decades later, DianaMarsden has recognized a gap in that equality, just waiting to befilled by a creative entrepreneur. Her solution is Aries Apparel, asportswear store just for female athletes.
Marsden is herself the mother of two girls who, she says,participated in high school and college competitive sports and alsoon club teams. Her experience matched that of other mothers:finding sportswear designed specifically to fit the female athletewas almost impossible. "For years and years I couldn't find thingsfor them," Marsden said.
Girls, and their mothers, have coped by buying practice clothes andother sports gear from boys departments. The results often didn'tfit well and weren't very pretty either, both of which can beimportant to women and girls.
With her own daughters grown, Marsden had the time and opportunityto do something about the problem. She began researching a businessplan about 18 months ago. What she found was a big hole between bigbox sports retail stores and tiny specialty shops that focus onindividual sports.
To fill this niche, Marsden set up Aries Apparel with separateareas for each of eight core sports: volleyball, basketball,soccer, softball, golf, tennis, swimming and lacrosse. Shoppers canfind everything they need to outfit an athlete in each of thesesports, from shoes to socks and specific equipment.
Marsden said she's trying to ensure customers of every size will beequally served. The store stocks a full spectrum from extra smallto size XXL, to serve everyone from youth to adults. Marsden saidyounger girls often can't find sports clothing of any sort in theirsizes or preferred colors.
As to colors, Marsden researched over 20 high schools in the region- including schools as far south as Wilsonville and some privateschools too - so the store could stock their specific colors. "Theneed I'm trying to fill is universal," she said.
Payback comes from feedback she's already getting from customers."One of the most satisfying things is having customers come intothe store and say the things I'd thought they would," Marsden said.
She tells of one women athlete, who'd had prior knee surgery, andexpressed her appreciation at being able to buy a brace designedfor a woman and "not a big bulky one" designed for a man.
Aries Apparel is at 1890 NW 188th Ave. in the Tanasbourne district.Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m.to 6 p.m., Sundays.