Travel Bloggers Develop Clothing Line

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Now that’s inspiring. 

Our friends Christy and Scott of Ordinary Traveler have developed their own bikini line and with your help, they will do what no other travel blogger (at least that we know) has done. Develop and market a product that is innovative and adds value to people’s vacations and travels abroad.

OT Surf is the brain child of Christy and Scott, Avid Surfers and entrepreneurs. Frustrated with the options, functionality and quality of the clothing and sports swimwear on the market, they developed a bikinis that stays put in any outdoor activity.

They only have until April 2 to reach their campaign goal. Without your support, their dream of designing their own clothing line may not happen. So head over to kickstart right now to order your own bikini or make your pledge to help them start their company.

Let’s hear all about OT Surf in Christy and Scotts own words, it’s really awesome. Congratulations guys!

What made you decide to design a bikini and start OT Surf?

Well, we both have been avid surfers since we moved to San Diego six years ago and we spend a lot of time in the water without a wetsuit. I, Christy, found myself constantly buying bikinis that claimed to stay on in the water. I was spending thousands of dollars searching for the perfect bikini.

I came up with a design that I knew would work well and was disappointed that most swimwear companies were focused on perfecting men’s products and ignoring what active women really needed in a bikini. So last May, we set out to make a sports bikini that would stay put.

Who would want to buy this bikini?

We think our bikinis are a great fit for any female, but we have specifically designed it for surfers, wake boarders, water skiers, swimmers, beach volleyball players, travelers and any type of active woman that wants to feel sexy and secure.

We also think this bikini is great for active moms since young children have the tendency to pull at your bikini when learning to swim or playing in the water.

It’s also a great gift for men to buy for their girlfriends, wives or lady friends.

Can you tell us about what “made locally” means and why it is important?

One of our main goals is to reduce our impact on the environment as much as possible. By sourcing materials in the USA and using local vendors, we are able to reduce our carbon footprint by limiting the energy consumed for shipping.

Another reason we chose to manufacture in the United States is because there are stricter standards for pollution controls and labor practices. Local production also allows us to closely monitor the consistency and quality of our products.

What colors will the bikini be available in once you start filling orders?

We have a few ideas on colors, such as turquoise with black strings, red with black strings, royal blue with black strings and yellow with black strings. We would love to get our community’s input on colors before we start production, so our plan is to collect a survey on our blog, Ordinary Traveler, and get everyone’s opinion who has pre-ordered a bikini.

Why did you decide to use Kickstarter for this project?

We are big fans of the Kickstarter site and love seeing regular people making their unique ideas a reality. We like supporting people as opposed to huge companies who may only care about the bottom line and their profit numbers rather than the bigger picture.

We wanted to gauge the interest in our idea and give people the opportunity to become a fundamental part of the evolution of swimwear. Our Kickstarter program gives us 32 days to let our supporters decide if we should move forward with this project. If we don’t make our goal of $15,000, then unfortunately, active women may continue to be frustrated with the swimwear options on the market.

What are some of the questions that people have been asking about your bikinis?

“Can I wait to buy this bikini in summer?”
Our Answer: We suggest you pre-order your bikini now for summer. If we don’t reach our pre-sale goal of $15,000 by April 2nd, there may not be an opportunity for you to purchase one of our bikinis during the summer months. Kickstarter runs on the all-or-nothing approach, so we have to reach our goal in order to receive any of the funds from the pre-sales we make. Also, keep in mind that if you pre-order a bikini now and we don’t reach our goal, you will be refunded 100% of your money.

“Why not just wear men’s trunks?”
Christy’s answer: In my experience, men’s trunks and board shorts have always felt uncomfortable to wear and creates chaffing and unflattering tan lines.

A few men have asked, “Why are you trying to ruin my good time at the beach?”
Our answer: We are not trying to ruin your good time. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of women wearing conventional string bikinis. We are simply trying to improve the experience for women with active lifestyles who want to look good without constantly having to worry about fixing their bikini.

Where can we buy an OT Surf bikini?

Currently, the only way to buy this bikini is to pre-order it on Kickstarter by April 2, 2012. Click here to order now.

Christy Woodrow and Scott Calafiore are two surfing entrepreneurs in our early thirties currently residing in Southern California. They are “ordinary” people, who choose to live an unconventional life. Their travel and photography blog, Ordinary Traveler was started to inspire people to pursue and enjoy a life full of adventure. They have been working extremely hard these past 8 month on OT Surf and thank all of you for your help and support.

Follow their updates and progress on
Twitter at @OrdinaryTravelr
Facebook at Ordinary Traveler and OT Surf