Dragonwing Blog
Inventors of the First Sports Bra Inducted into Hall of Fame
Our girls need strong examples of women that aren’t afraid to stand up and blaze a trail. Women who took the brave step forward to break a barrier, not just for themselves, but for the generations of women that come after them.
In 1977, three women came together and did just that. Each with their own personal superpower, they found a way to bring something into existence that would change the face of women’s athletic wear and women’s participation in sports forever At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith were honored for their invention of the Jogbra and will be inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame on May 6, 2020.
This brainchild initially came from Lindahl, an avid runner from Burlington, Vermont, who discovered that conventional bras lacked the support and design needed for the level of physical exertion running required. She wanted a bra with stable straps, breathable fabric, compression...and comfort. Lindahl asked Polly Smith, her childhood friend and costume designer for assistance in creating something that could meet the need.
Polly referenced the world of men’s athletic wear and sewed two jockstraps together, which Lindahl wore on her runs. After real-life testing, Smith modified the prototype, adding non-chafing seams and an elastic band for support. Lisa Lindahl partnered with Hinda Miller to co-found Jogbra Inc. in 1977. The garment, created out of necessity and passion, was patented in 1979.
Jogbra, which grew into a multi-million-dollar business, is credited with helping millions of women run in comfort and with confidence. The impact of the Jogbra on women’s health and the growth of women’s sports is undeniable thus earning Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith their historic membership in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Keep in mind, the National Inventors Hall of Fame only started inducting women in 1991 and to date, of 603 inductees, only 47 are women—less than 8%.
Dragonwing’s beginnings were much like Lisa Lindahl’s. Founder MaryAnne Gucciardi repeatedly found herself and her athletic tween daughter at a loss when shopping for appropriate and supportive sports bras, athletic camis and compression shorts designed specifically for young girls.
Much like Polly Smith, MaryAnne focused on creating a highly functional sports bra. A major pain point for girls are straps that slip, droop or chafe. Another is a sports bra that rides up because the bottom band doesn’t have enough support – or a bottom band that digs because it is too compressive. Dragonwing’s sports bras address these issues with a wide bottom band which is essential for support and straps that don’t droop, slip or chafe. As well, Dragonwing has zeroed in on the amount of fabric on the back of their sports bras. It’s a crucial element often missed by other teen athletic wear designers and serves an important functional purpose—it helps prevent back problems as active girls grow.
With a line of athletic sports gear like Dragonwing, girls can embrace their femininity and their athleticism without sacrificing the quality of the gear they wear and feel secure in the support their developing bodies need.
First things first...
Hi, I'm Emma. I currently live in North Carolina, and I have spent most of my childhood here. When I'm not at school, I'm exercising, working, socializing with friends or family, watching Netflix , eating, or sleeping. And I think I love all of those things equally.
I'm a senior in high school and am headed into my 7th year there. I prefer math and science, although the other classes aren't too bad. I've also taken French for 6 years, and while I'm definitely not fluent, I'd like to think I'm close. I also spend a good portion of my time working for one of our school's volunteer organizations, Beta Club. This coming year, I'm excited to be the president!
As for sports, I play soccer for my high school varsity team. I played competitive club soccer for 7 years, and we had the opportunity to travel all over the country. I finally decided to stop playing in the summer of 2013. I loved it but wanted to focus on other things.
Without as much of my time strictly dedicated to soccer, I love to dabble in lots of other forms of exercise including hot yoga, group workout classes, swimming, biking, hiking and sometimes, although rarely, running.
In my spare time, when I'm not working on my homework, or playing sports, I am a hostess at a local restaurant. I've been there about a year and love the opportunity to constantly interact with lots of different types of people of all ages.
I started working with DragonWing in the summer of 2014. I'm very excited to be working with this company. I can't wait to watch it grow and hope to contribute to that!
Shipping Update in Light of the Novel Coronavirus
Dear Dragonwing Family,
In this uncertain time, nothing is more important to us that the safety of our customers and our co-workers. I am sending my heartfelt hope that you and your families are staying healthy.
Our team members are well, and we are all working from home. I want to let you know the steps we are taking to ensure that the girlgear you order is clean and safe:
MaryAnne personally packs your girlgear order and wears a clean pair of disposable vinyl medical quality gloves for each order.
Approximately three weeks ago, I moved several months of stock to my home in the event that our warehouse closed. We had all remaining boxed stock double shrink-wrapped on pallets to protect them. We will resume fulfillment from the warehouse when the novel corona virus is under control.
I am personally packing each order and using fresh plastic gloves for each one. I give each order the care and attention that I would give if I were packing a care package for my family. Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidance continues to indicate there is no evidence the virus is spreading through the mail. We are still shipping orders on our usual schedule although our shipping service has notified us that deliveries may be slightly delayed arriving to you.
We realize that purchasing apparel may not be a priority right now, but we want to give you an update on our retailer availability in the event you have the need. Amazon, a main sales channel for us, stopped shipping non-essential products, such as Dragonwing, until mid-April at the earliest. The Grommet, another valued sales partner, is still shipping and is taking extraordinary shipping precautions. If you haven’t visited their site, you will find unique and varied products from an array of small businesses. We appreciate their support.
Not surprisingly, our production channels have been affected by the pandemic disruption as well. Unfortunately, a few of our items are out of stock and re-orders are delayed – some until next year. We are very sorry for this inconvenience.
As always, I’m grateful to you for being a part of the Dragonwing family. Together we can help our girls stay active and confident underneath it all.
MaryAnne Gucciardi
Founder