Entrepreneurs / Small Business  June 16, 2016

Boulder-based Skirt Sports opening first retail store

BOULDER — Skirt Sports, a 12-year-old company specializing in online sales of stylish sportswear for women, has opened its first retail outlet and will hold a grand opening celebration there tonight.

The store at 2795 Pearl St., Unit 102, in Boulder — about 1,000 square feet plus office space in back — is in a spot formerly occupied by a Pearle Vision Center. The address is a bit misleading, said founder and owner Nicole DeBoom, because the storefront faces the intersection of 28th and Spruce streets. Even so, she said she found the site perfect for attracting her clientele, given that it’s midway between Boulder Running and Whole Foods.

“We considered other towns, but our heritage is in Boulder,” DeBoom said. “It is a place where you need to stake your claim if you’re a fitness and outdoor company. The ability to get the highest volume and most visibility is still Boulder — and specifically that intersection. There could have been some cheaper options in surrounding towns, but I feel we found a great base for our brand.”

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It certainly wasn’t the cheapest option, she said. “The market in Boulder is what it is. It’s tight. There’s no wiggle room in negotiating for price. But it is like a gem. It’s the most beautiful structure, with high ceilings and skylights. It’ll make an amazing event space.”

Despite the cost, DeBoom said she feels the decision to expand from online sales to a physical store was the right one.

“We had a small showroom in our offices in Gunbarrel for about 10 years, and people came to shop, but we started thinking, ‘We’re doing an amazing amount of business in a place where nobody can see us.’ So we’re working hard to grow and nurture community by having a place where we can do events and give women a place to come together,” she said. “That’s how our brand has evolved over time.

“We needed a space where we could showcase all of our products in a beautiful way. Even in an age of internet shopping, women’s relationships with their bodies are very important, and finding the right clothing can be a sensitive endeavor. Women still want to try things on, especially when it’s an investment. Otherwise it’s too much of a leap of faith.”

She’ll get to show off the new store with an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight, including a fashion store beginning at 6:30. Chipotle will provide food, Ska Brewing will supply craft beers and Ken and Jake’s will serve up gluten-free cakes. The store will be offering 20 percent off list prices through the grand-opening weekend.

The company has 13 employees, DeBoom said, nearly half of whom are retail workers now. “We’ve tried to create an environment for working moms, with a lot of flex time,” she said. “We’re adapting to a changing workplace.”

A native of the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Ill., and a professional triathlete, DeBoom got the idea for her company in December 2003 while doing a training run down Main Street in Lyons. She caught her reflection in a storefront and realized she wanted to look prettier in active wear. She began designing high-performance women’s running apparel that also was cute and flattering. In September 2004, she won the 26.2-mile Ironman Wisconsin marathon while wearing a lightweight race-belt skirt of her own design, and incorporated Skirt Sports three days later.

Her husband, Tim DeBoom, also is a triathlete and is a two-time Ironman world champion.

Dallas Heltzell
With BizWest since 2012 and in Colorado since 1979, Dallas worked at the Longmont Times-Call, Colorado Springs Gazette, Denver Post and Public News Service. A Missouri native and Mizzou School of Journalism grad, Dallas started as a sports writer and outdoor columnist at the St. Charles (Mo.) Banner-News, then went to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before fleeing the heat and humidity for the Rockies. He especially loves covering our mountain communities.
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