Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
May 18--A Nampa woman, aided by her sewing machine, has created athletic clothing that is helping the U.S. racquetball team and U.S. troops in Iraq stave off sweat.
Louise Haro started a small business, Cyclone Sportswear, in her garage about three years ago, making athletic clothing mostly for her husband, Frank, and a few of his friends who were looking for more comfortable shirts and pants to wear while biking and running.
The business is not Haro's first experience in the clothing industry. She studied fashion design in Los Angeles and worked for several clothing companies, including White Stag and Hang Ten. But when she moved to Idaho in 1989, she focused on raising her two children.
"I sacrificed my career so I could have time with my children in the summer," she said.
Haro, 52, kept her fashion and sewing skills honed over the years by occasionally making dresses for weddings and quinceaâ??eras -- the 15th birthday celebrations for girls common in Mexican culture.
She started mass producing some of her athletic clothing in 2004 when her husband was deployed to Iraq with the Army National Guard's 116th Cavalry Brigade.
Frank Haro wore a shirt his wife made under his uniform while unloading a truck at Gowen Field before he was deployed in June 2004. The other soldiers took notice because he was the only one who wasn't sweating through his uniform. Soon, most of the unit was calling Louise Haro to make undershirts and briefs for them to take to Iraq, she said.
"They just loved the fibers," she said. "... They got my name and number, and it was basically just word of mouth. I had orders all the way out to eastern Idaho."
Haro uses a quick-dry polyester blend. The fibers in the blend absorb moisture off the body and send it into the air so people can stay dry during a run, she said.
Her work load grew even more this year when she volunteered to make uniforms and warmups for the U.S. racquetball team. She made four uniforms and a warmup outfit for each of the 12 team members, plus two sets of uniforms for each of the two coaches. Haro hopes to recoup her costs through the free advertising she'll get on the national racquetball circuit and in sports magazines.
Now, Haro already has outgrown her work space, hired four employees to assist her, and added a new promotional clothing line to her men's and women's wear.
-----
Copyright (c) 2006, The Idaho Statesman, Boise
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.
HongKong:0448,
