Dragonwing Blog
A Fish Out of Water
Now that September has started, Anna is back in the pool four or five days a week. In the sometimes strange world of year-round swimming, most swimmers take August off to give their bodies a much needed rest. It seems odd to me that the one month kids want to swim, year-round swimmers…don't. They can ride bikes, go for a run, lounge by a pool, play in the ocean. But swimming laps--don't even THINK about it. So Anna channeled her inner runner and went several times a week for runs in our neighborhood. And my girl was a fish out of water because running is NOT her sport. She wore a tween sports bra from Dragonwing which definitely helped. The Keyhole seamless sports bra, made of moisture-wicking fabric, was soft and comfy in the August heat and fit really well across her broad shoulders. The Dragonwing sports bra made her runs more comfortable, so I am really happy we found it. Now Anna (my fish) is back in the water as I write on this rainy evening. The heat of August will soon be a distant memory as we settle into the routine of school, swim, and sleep. I am grateful for the structure it imposes on our life but a small part of me misses our less-regimented August lives. Late dinners on the porch, s'mores with friends and some time to catch our breath before school and swim start again. Now we're back in the daily routine and my fish is back in the water. All is right with the world.
Rave Reviews for our Racer Sports Bra for Girls
I checked online customer reviews for our Racer seamless sports bra today and was delighted to see so many positive reviews and comments! Dragonwing seamless sports bras are made especially for girls, tweens and teens of all shapes and sizes. They provide superior fit, support, and comfort -- soft, stretchy, and moisture-wicking fabric -- so that girls can play sports with confidence and without distraction. Plus, they won't lose their shape or stretch during a whole sports season of washings! Here's a sampling of customer reviews of our Racer seamless girls sports bra: "This product encompasses everything you can ask for from a sports bra - super soft and extra comfortable material that absorbs liquid (aka sweat) and keeps it off of your skin; stylish and fun colors; and flexible, yet form fitting. Five stars for comfort alone." "This is one of the better quality teen sports bras I've picked up. Some are so cheap they fall apart shortly after getting and washing them, and start to pill. Not this one. This one doesn't pill at all in the wash and holds its shape nicely." "My 16 year old daughter tried this bra after hearing about it from some other athletic girls at school, and loved the look as soon as it came out of the package as well as the fit and support!" "The fabric and stitch work evidences a quality you don’t often find in foundation garments for this age group."
School-to-Sports Transition is Easy with Dragonwing
The school year and fall sports seasons have started. And that means girls -- and parents -- need to make quick transitions from school to practice or a game. Need to change clothes in the car or bus? Concerned about modesty or just trying to find the time? Dragonwing's got you covered! Our girls sports bras, camis, and light compression shorts are perfect under school clothes and make changing for sports quick and easy. Whether your sport is soccer, field hockey, cheering, or cross country, stock up for the fall season with our moisture-wicking, comfortable performance wear designed especially for girls. To help you stock up on sports bras, compression shorts, camis, and base layers just for tweens and teens, we're offering 20% off each order until Sept. 1. Just enter SAVE20 in the discount code at checkout from dragonwinggirl.com.
1 in 8 is a Statistic I Can't Live With
Every October during Breast Cancer Awareness month, memories of family and friends who've fought the disease flood my mind. Like most people, I've donated money for research, dropped off food for family dinners, and sent cards and emails of encouragement and, sometimes, sympathy. Something clicked this year. I can't just make dinner or send cards when statistics show that 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. This year, I am determined to do much, much more. To use the power of this business and the amazing Dragonwing community to make a real difference in medical advances -- not just for my friends or family but for women everywhere -- and for our daughters, nieces, granddaughters, so that they may have a better, healthier future. Almost 25 years ago, my beloved Auntie Vita died of breast cancer at age 51. Back then, treatment wasn't really targeted, and the doctors tried everything to cure her. It was a huge loss. Since then, scientists have made tremendous advances in breast cancer treatment. My friend for 30+ years, Lisa Carey, is medical director of UNC's Breast Cancer Center, where they are have made great strides in targeting treatment and patient care. $25,000 can make a significant difference for a cancer research project. That's why we've set a goal of raising $25,000 through the sale of a limited edition Racer Sports Bra, our best-selling item. We'll donate $10 from the sale of each special white and pink Racer to UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. It's a crazy, ambitious goal, but I believe we will do it. Join our team: buy a bra (or 2 or 3!) for your daughter, niece, granddaughter; share this post; spread the word. Together, we can do this!
The Power of a Girl's First Bra
I had the pleasure of talking recently with Kelly O'Brien, owner of Linger Tween, a shop that specializes in undergarments for tweens and teens. She's a big fan, as are her customers, of our Racer and Keyhole sports bras. Not surprisingly, we talked about the importance of a girl's experience with her first bra. Between the two of us, we've had hundreds of conversations with girls and mothers about their desire to find sports bras and traditional bras that are made for tweens and teens, not mini-sized women's bras or lacy, plunging, push-up styles that are not age appropriate. A girl's first bra is important to her sense of self and can have a lasting impact on how she views her body. She wants -- and should -- feel comfortable, at ease, free to move, and free to be herself. For a girl who plays sports, her first bra is often a sports bra. I've talked before about why a sports bra makes a great first bra. A sports bra that's comfortable, provides the right amount of coverage, supports and moves without binding or riding up, and doesn't scream "bra" can help a girl see herself as the healthy, active, powerful person she is.
Armour for Your Sports Girl? No Way!
The driving force behind Dragonwing girlgear's creation was a frustration over the lack of quality performance athletic wear for girls. Girls shouldn't have to shop in the boys' department or search the racks for XS women's clothes. 
That's why we've created a line of performance wear designed for teen and pre-teen (or tween, if you prefer!) girls. No wedgies. No straps that slip or bras that ride up when you pull down a rebound. Everything designed for an athletic girl, so she can concentrate on playing the sports she loves.
That's why we've created a line of performance wear designed for teen and pre-teen (or tween, if you prefer!) girls. No wedgies. No straps that slip or bras that ride up when you pull down a rebound. Everything designed for an athletic girl, so she can concentrate on playing the sports she loves.
"Hands down the best sports bra"
There are plenty of reasons why our Racer Sports Bra for girls is our best selling item: unmatched comfort, superior fit, durability, and value. 
Blogger Wendy Morelli of Tweenhood, a leading blog for parents of tweens, summed it up in a recent review. She wrote that her 13-year-old hockey-playing daughter "absolutely loves" the Racer:
Blogger Wendy Morelli of Tweenhood, a leading blog for parents of tweens, summed it up in a recent review. She wrote that her 13-year-old hockey-playing daughter "absolutely loves" the Racer:
Whether she's skating suicides on the ice, doing burpees or planks, she said it was extremely comfortable and soft, she didn't feel it at all. It's hands down the best bra she's owned to date. Now that's saying a lot, since all her bras are mostly sports bras, but you can really see and feel the difference with the Racer Sports Bra. The fabric is thicker than other sports bras and it has a good stretch to it."She didn't feel it at all" is one of the most common comments we hear about our sports bras. And we love it! When girls can move and play without even thinking about their clothing, they're free to play -- and be -- their best. And THAT's what Dragonwing girlgear is all about.
Tween, Mom Agree on Dragonwing
Who says that Moms and tween daughters don't agree when it comes to undergarments, in particular bras and sports bras?! Becky and her daughter were so pleased with the fit and performance of the Dragonwing Mesh Racer sports bra that she wrote an online review, entitled "Good fit, soft material. Go by the Measurements on the Size Chart -- It works!"
She'd been wearing another brand loyally, and since she's grown taller, she needed more length in the straps. For the past several months, she's been embarrassed by the resulting push-up effect and annoyed by the constant ride-up. She's tried on multiple brands and models, even women's xxs sizes for the length, but ran into the same problems everywhere: Too much bra and not enough strap. The sizes that fit her height were clearly made for larger-chested girls. The Dragonwing sports bra offers more length and coverage without excess fabric. It truly seems proportioned for a more athletic but developing girl's body. Also, the material on this bra is soft cotton, and both the band and straps are wider than other bras she's tried. She finds that more comfortable, and I like that wider bands and straps offer better support for developing bodies.We love hearing detailed feedback about our performance athletic wear for girls. We're 100% committed to girls getting the perfect fit and use feedback in our design and development of new products.
Bundle Up & Save!
According to the calendar, Spring may be right around the corner, but the weather is downright cold in most of the country. Here in North Carolina, we've had lots of snow -- well, lots for us -- over the past couple of weeks. 
Soccer and lacrosse fields, running paths, and tracks may be covered with snow. But cold weather doesn't need to keep girls from playing the sports they love. Tweens and teens can stay warm and dry -- and save more than $20 -- with our special 3-piece bundle. The Winter Weather Bundle features our warm, wicking, and super comfortable Chill Weight fabric, made from recycled plastic bottles! - Chill Weight long leggings in black and azure. (Quantities are limited so order today!) - Chill Weight long sleeve top in azure - Mesh Racer sports bra in black and azure
Soccer and lacrosse fields, running paths, and tracks may be covered with snow. But cold weather doesn't need to keep girls from playing the sports they love. Tweens and teens can stay warm and dry -- and save more than $20 -- with our special 3-piece bundle. The Winter Weather Bundle features our warm, wicking, and super comfortable Chill Weight fabric, made from recycled plastic bottles! - Chill Weight long leggings in black and azure. (Quantities are limited so order today!) - Chill Weight long sleeve top in azure - Mesh Racer sports bra in black and azure
Review: Tween Loves Half-Tee Sports Top
We love getting positive reviews from girls -- from pre-teen and tween to teens -- who love our girlgear. Vicki is a fellow sports mom and entrepreneur, the founder of Throw Like A Girl sporty apparel for girls who love sports. Her daughter, age 11, loves her super-comfortable Half Tee Sports Top. "She says she feels like she can do anything in it!" To which we enthusiastically respond, "She can!"
Girls Athletic Wear "Made in the Carolinas"
I recently spent several hours with a film crew from TWC's "Made in the Carolinas" series for a featured story on Dragonwing. We traveled to the North Carolina manufacturing plant where our seamless sports bras are made and then to a soccer scrimmage and practice with our spokesperson Cindy Parlow Cone and a team of amazing teen girls. We're all delighted that TWC's "Made in the Carolinas" profile captured our mission and spirit perfectly. And we take pride in our seamless sports bras being Made in the USA, right here in North Carolina. Reporter Richard Green explained part of what makes our girls athletic wear perform so well, "Dragonwing incorporates elements that wick away moisture, prevent chafing and essentially allows girls to compete without worry." Soccer great Cindy Parlow Cone echoed that Dragonwing's sports bras, compression shorts, and other athletic wear "empowers girls to be free and not worry what they're wearing under their uniforms." 
"Girls on the field who wear Dragonwing clothing are sold on the benefits," said Green. Teen soccer player Sarah agreed, "It's nice having something locally made, locally created, and
something that actually fits." 
I was pleased to have the opportunity to highlight our mission of empowering girls to play -- and be -- their best. "We want to give girls an advantage. If their gear performs better, they will play better."
Please help spread the word by sharing this post with your friends and family -- by email or social media.
"The Only Sports Bra My Daughter Will Wear"
We love customer feedback of all kinds -- it helps us make the best fitting, best performing girls athletic wear possible. And we especially love to hear that girls love the comfort, performance, and fit of their Dragonwing girlgear. Vicki wrote to say that the Half Tee Sports Top is "the only sports bra my daughter will wear. She loves that it is soft and lower, so she can wear it to all her games knowing that she is covered!!" Super soft and comfortable, the Half-Tee is perfect under everyday school clothes and sports jerseys, especially ones with lower cut or scooped arm holes, like basketball, lacrosse, or track. We also hear that lots of girls wear these sports bras under their pajama tops -- they're THAT comfortable! 