INTRODUCING FASHION FOR PETITES: GAMBITA
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"Gambita literally means “little shrimp” in Spanish. Gambita’s founder got this nickname from her husband and loved it because it was original and she couldn’t help smile when she heard it. Gambita is someone who is 5’4” and under.
Gambita was created to revolutionize the way petite women shop. Fifty million women in the US are considered petite, which is defined as 5’4” and under; yet shopping for clothes that fit properly is a treasure hunt.
Petite women are subjected to endless searches at different stores, expensive trips to the tailor, or even the occasional visit to the kid’s section (gasp!). This all takes the fun out of shopping and makes shorty’s feel like there is something wrong with their bodies. Until now…
Gambita is an online retailer created to sell clothes EXCLUSIVELY for petite women. Our vision is that Gambitas not only have an easier time shopping, but that they learn to own and love their smallness. After all, we know that good things have always come in small packages – now we are making sure they are dressed well."
- What
else can you tell us about this project?
Gambita
is as much about creating an amazing shopping experience as it is about
fostering a community of proud petites. We want to make it easier (and
enjoyable!) for petite women to shop, but we also want to create a place for
petites to come and get inspiration, advice and support from other women in
their community.
There
is also a social component to what we do: 1% of all our profits are donated to
an organization called 10x10, which helps create access to education for girls
in the developing world. We like to think that we are helping little women of a
different kind by giving them the opportunity to become their best selves.
-
Besides being petite, what else inspired Gambita?
Besides
being petite I would say three main things inspired Gambita:
1. The idea of building something from scratch
2. The ability to solve a real problem for millions of women
3. The opportunity to change the perception of how petite women
see themselves
- How
do you want women to feel when they wear Gambita?
Sexy,
pretty, confident, powerful, comfortable. Basically, like the best version of
themselves.
- What
is it different from Gambita to other boutiques?
What
differentiates us from other stores is our focus and commitment to the petite
market. You will occasionally see petite offerings in other stores, but it
tends to be a very limited selection compared to everything else they offer.
Our sole focus on this market means we can cater and understand petite needs
better than anyone else can – this isn’t an afterthought for us; it is our ONLY
focus.
-
Describe a little bit about a Gambita girl style.
She is
a fashion-forward woman who cares about looking chic and fabulous whether she’s
at work or going out with her girlfriends. She also tends to like a little bit
of edge and personality in her clothes – she’s not afraid of color or prints or
taking a risk when it comes to putting an outfit together.
- Do
you have any advices for petite girls in general?
Since
our legs are a little shorter and we have less to work with, it’s that much
more important to make sure items fit right. And it’s not just about length –
proportion is just as important! Also make sure that whatever you wear, you
wear because you love it and it makes you feel good…not because you think you
“should” be wearing it.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Caroline Misan Alvo is a true Gambita. She is 4’9” and has never bought a pair of pants she didn’t have to tailor. Caroline always assumed that her shopping woes were due to the fact that she was exceptionally short, but after countless conversations with other petites, she found that all petite women face similar challenges. It dawned on Caroline that there must be a better way for Gambitas to shop, and thus Gambita was born.
Caroline’s background is in international development. Prior to starting Gambita, Caroline worked for VisionSpring, a non-profit dedicated to providing affordable eyeglasses in the developing world. She relished the challenge of setting up sustainable eyeglass programs in some of the world’s poorest communities from Latin America to India. Now as she embarks on this new adventure, she looks forward to using her background to help further social causes through Gambita.
Caroline was born to Brazilian parents, split her upbringing between Mexico City and New York, and has had the good fortune of traveling to 25+ countries around the world. When not strategizing about how to improve shopping for petites, Caroline enjoys traveling to new places with her favorite camera in tow, passionately arguing that New York is the greatest city in the world, or just sitting at home with her beloved husband, Greg.
Thanks so much to Caroline for the interview, I'm personally in love with the colors and prints this boutique has to offer, I hope you guys like it and find some cute stuffs. Here are all the accounts where you can contact Gambita:
Twitter: @GambitaStyle
Instagram: @GambitaStyle
Facebook: Gambita
Founder: @ChiefGambita
