I can't remember when I discovered Junonia but when I did, it was a life-changing experience.

I have always been tall and heavy. I've lost a few inches in height and unfortunately, nothing in weight. I have always been extremely active in different sports, e.g., tennis and golf. Now, it was easy to buy shorts, tops, and sweaters, but I could never buy specialized shirts, exercise clothes or cute golf clothes - whether it be shorts, skorts, skirts, or blouses - and definitely nothing special for tennis. I was a very good player and I would have loved a cute tennis skirt with specialized places for the balls, etc. Everything on the physical end of life was "CUTE." I got tired of that word.

As a young woman, I was a size 16 and never could find athletic clothes that were stylish, colorful, and acclimated to the sport. Finally, when I found you many years later, I found what I have been looking for my entire adult life. Thank you for realizing you don't have to be thin to LIVE.

I am now 62, living in a very active community, and I look cute when I go to the golf course. I have gotten many, many compliments on my golf shirts and have been asked where I found them by the other plus size women. I have spread your word. I feel good and "with it" when I hit the golf course.

Thank you very much,
Joyce

Dear Joyce,
Thank you so much. This type of letter always makes our day. I founded this company in the hopes of making women like you (and me!) feel comfortable doing things that we'd seldom had the opportunity to do properly before. We've gotten a lot of letters over the years from women who felt like they'd gotten a new lease on life with our products, and it always makes us feel so good.

When I launched Junonia in 1995, I envisioned a place where larger women could find all of the active and sports apparel they'd been seeking for so many years. The women I spoke to at my local gym were tired of squeezing into too-small swimsuits or drowning in oversized clothes designed for men. The few available options for active plus size women left something to be desired in the fit and quality departments. It was as if the active wear industry either thought bigger ladies didn't exercise or else just didn't want our business. I very much wanted to change that.

Maybe that's why Junonia has struck a chord with so many women. From the start, we've been about more than just selling clothing. Our primary focus is on satisfying the needs of a large and underserved community. We don't just make clothes that fit larger sizes - we make sure our customers are getting the "good stuff." That means high-tech features like our moisture-wicking QuikWik® and swimsuits with well-designed bust support, presented in styles and colors that might just make smaller women a little jealous. Many of our employees are themselves plus size women. We know what we want from our clothes, and we think our needs are pretty close to those of our customers. That's another reason why we value customer feedback so highly - your questions and suggestions are invaluable to our decisions on what new directions to take.

So keep it up, Junonia customers! Keep running, swimming, skiing, biking, golfing, playing tennis, learning yoga and doing all of the other invigorating activities that make you feel your best! We'll keep listening to your needs, and we'll always stay focused on our original mission.

Thanks for reading,
Anne Kelly
Founder and Chair
annekellypresident@junonia.com
651-365-1830 ext. 100