One cold, wet Melbourne evening, I was arranging my outfit to attend a "Christmas in July" event sponsored by Flight Centre, where I was employed as a corporate travel agent. I had planned to wear a black, tight-fitting, long-sleeved mini dress with tights and platform stiletto pumps.    

After the hair and makeup routine, I began to get dressed. When I put my tights on, I could feel them slipping. When I put on my dress, I could feel and see the crouch of my tights below my hem. That wasn't the only discomfort. My silhouette looked all over the place. I had a roll under my bra line and an exaggerated bulky hip appearance, like an uncooked sausage with a piece of string tied around the middle. It was not flattering at all.

Hardly the beautiful, curvy, Kardashian hourglass figure I was hoping for that the tights packaging suggested it would be.  

My problem-solving mind kicked into gear. I tried on various other tights I owned. I am 5ft 2, and the tights I buy are either average or tall. I still had the same problem with every pair I tried on. It was wearing me down, and I started panicking, thinking that I would need to raid either my sister's or a friend's wardrobe for another dress, but I didn't have time. I had to think quickly. I just needed to keep the tights up high and closer to my bra band… but how?!

Ah, huh! I found some safety pins. I began the painful process of attaching my tights to my bra band. The sharp pin end was either pricking my fingers or my torso as I tried to watch through a mirror. Now that's a head F*$K, trying to do something fiddly when looking in a mirror. Am I right?  

Through blood, sweat, and tears, I achieved my goal! Success, my silhouette was rocking, and I no longer had the niggling discomfort of nylon gliding down my body. After all that, I had about two spare seconds to
have a large gulp of room-temperature wine I had poured myself earlier, before the tights saga. Winning!

I made it to the event feeling comfortable and confident. I thought, "Wow, what a game-changer!" I also realised that I no longer had that uncomfortable queasiness experienced when my tights cut in around my
mid-torso area. There was no overbearing pressure on my stomach.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening! I danced the night away. I had more time to focus on topics in conversations and actually hear what others were saying instead of concentrating on trying to stand as still as possible, praying my crouch wasn't hanging down. Yes, going to the toilet was a hurdle, and I continued to be a pin cushion every time I went to the bathroom. However, these were minor issues compared to my usual discomforts when wearing tights. 

After that evening, I kept thinking about my problem-solving efforts. After processing the whole situation, I realized that this was a real problem and a real solution that could become a product

I couldn't stop thinking about it. I would have dreams about how to make it and what to make it from. I discussed my idea with friends and family. They loved the idea. I realized I wasn't alone; we all shared similar stories of wearing tights and the discomfort experienced. I knew I could share the love and comfort with others. The idea grew legs….

At 26 and just married, with plans underway to build our future home to grow a family, I made the outrageous decision to quit my stable job and invest in building my dream. Let's just say the house didn't get built.

Gee, was I naïve. I thought I would quit my day job, make this fantastic product, and make an income overnight. It's not that simple to turn an idea into an actual thing. It's tough, and there are many setbacks and sacrifices. I realized there was a lot I didn't know and knew there was a lot to learn.

Fast-forward 3 years. Here I was, 29, returning to university to start completing further studies for my career. Being the oldest person in my class, with a baby on board, I completed a Bachelor of Design at Billy Blue College of Design. 

Now that the study was over, I still had a long road ahead. Stockups evolved over the next five years, taking some twists, turns, and setbacks. I worked tirelessly to curate the clip design to be small, aesthetically pleasing yet also practical and functional.

I trialed multiple prototypes to ensure that the clips were stable enough to sustain a strong grip and also had easy-to-use release functions to remove them when using this toilet. I already knew safety pins not only were painful to use but also just ruined bra bands and tights because the pin continuously weaved through the fabric, creating holes.

Life became busier, and I had valid reasons to put this idea on the back burner as we welcomed two more children.   

I had to balance the evolution of Stockups alongside working full-time jobs to help support my growing family.

I continued to work on building the product and the brand whenever I found time. After all the hard work and perseverance, it has paid off!

I am proud of what I have achieved and love that I can be a positive role model to my children, showing them how they can achieve their goals and make their dreams come true.

However, none of this could have been possible without the love and support from my husband, family and friends. The countless times my husband helped pick me up off the floor when I thought I had failed after setbacks. His encouragement to keep going, propelled me back to life.

Not only are stockups clips available to purchase online, but I have also partnered with Chemist Warehouse, where you can find them at great prices!

Thanks for taking the time to hear my story and understand how I got here. For further updates on the latest news and offers, follow us on socials or subscribe below.

For now, take care, and remember, you don't need to struggle the next time you pull on a pair of tights.

No more saggy tights, no more muffin top, no more rolling, no more discomfort!

Just confidence from stockups clips

Jessie xoxo