New Bedford, Massachusetts – 2013
Rachael Arruda wiped screen-printing ink from her cheek as the basement furnace rattled. Beside her, husband Mark feverishly refreshed their Shopify dashboard… This is Constantly Varied Gear brand story
The Sweat-Stained Genesis: From Screen Printer to Squat-Proof Pioneer
Founders
Rachael Arruda (fitness coach and design obsessive)
Mark Arruda (operations guru)
The Breaking Point
“We saw three gaps in activewear…”
Basement Bootstrapping
- Chemical Burns & Cash Crunches:
- The Squat Test Revolution:
- Community-First Funding:
Constantly Varied Gear Breakthrough
2015’s Squats Approved Leggings™ launch featured:
- Absolute opacity
- Deep side pockets
- No pilling after 100 washes
→ Collection sold out in 72 hours.
Finding Their Tribe: From Gym Rats to “Sensory Designers”
Constantly Varied Gear Initial Miss
Targeting “female CrossFitters” proved too narrow.
Pivot to “Sensory Designers”
Women using activewear as lifestyle armor—from workouts to school runs.
Constantly Varied Gear Value Propositions That Cut Through
| CVG Advantage | Competitor Gap |
|---|---|
| Squat-Proof Guarantee | Lululemon’s Luon failed opacity tests |
| Functional Pockets | Gymshark lacked side pockets |
| Eco-Conscious Fabric | 82% recycled water bottles vs. Nike’s 30% |
| Community-Driven Designs | Customer-voted vs. top-down designs |
CVG’S Viral Stitch: Marketing That Built an 85,000-Member Sisterhood
Platform Mastery
- TikTok Alchemy:
- Facebook Group Cultivation:
- Shopify Audiences:
Campaign Spotlight: The Great Legging Exchange (2024)
- Goal: Reduce returns
- Mechanics: Peer-to-peer exchanges
- Result: 37% cost reduction, 22% signup spike
Tech Stack Secrets
| Tool | Impact |
|---|---|
| Hotjar Heatmaps | 17% conversion lift |
| Klaviyo | 28% cart recovery |
| Gorgias | 65% faster ticket response |
CVG’S Weekly Drops Strategy
New prints → FOMO → Repeat purchases
→ Over 1M leggings sold, 100K+ 5-star reviews
Growth Levers: When Community Became Their Supply Chain
CVG’S Catalyst Moments
- The Pocket Revolution:
- Retail Ambush:
- BFCM 2023 Mystery Bundle:
Constantly Varied Gear Key Growth Milestones
2014: Founded in a basement
2015: First $8K profitable month
2020: 300% pandemic growth
2023: $1.2M Anthropologie deal
2024: App downloads tripled
CVG’S Operational Pivot
Insourced fulfillment → 99.2% on-time delivery
Crisis as Catalyst: The Scandal That Strengthened Trust
The “See-Through Scandal” (2022)
- Radical Transparency
- Lifetime Guarantee
- Customer Advocacy
Result: +29% Trustpilot score, increased sales
Other Challenges
- AI Design Backlash
- Supplier Failures
- Community Critiques
Becoming a Household Name: More Than Leggings, A Lifeline
CVG’S Cultural Embedding Tactics
- Vending Machines in CrossFit gyms
- “Sweatworking” charity events
- UGC-Driven Designs
Loyalty Architecture
| Strategy | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Rewards Program | 42% repeat purchase rate |
| Founder Fridays | Personal founder engagement |
| Gracious Returns | 92% reorder rate |
Threads of Profit: Financials That Defy Fast Fashion
CVG’S Revenue Revolution
| Year | Milestone | Financial Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | First profitable month | $8K |
| 2020 | Pandemic-driven surge | 300% YoY growth |
| 2023 | Anthropologie wholesale | $1.2M revenue |
| 2025 | 1M+ leggings sold | Estimated $26M revenue |
CVG’S Margin Magic
- Vertical model → 58% gross margins
- Bundles increased AOV by 22%
- Grew to 45+ employees
Threads of Wisdom: Actionable Lessons for Startups
- Build Armor, Not Apparel
- Embrace “Friction Theater”
- Community = Co-Creation
- Defend Your Margins
- Turn Crises Into Concerts
- Micro > Macro Influencers
- Product as Propaganda
- Retention > Acquisition
Coda: Your Garage Awaits
“We didn’t sell stretchy pants. We sold confidence to conquer barbells, boardrooms, and bad days.” — Rachael Arruda, CVG Co-Founder
English