Cindy Trice had just graduated from veterinary school in 2004 when she found out she had advanced cervical cancer. The diagnosis meant countless hours inside hospitals to receive treatment…and therefore countless hours in uncomfortable hospital gowns.
You know the kind. The thin, ill-fitting, and often drafty hospital gowns that seem designed for maximum discomfort.
But then her friend gave her a cute pair of pajamas to wear at the hospital.
“It was literally game changing, because I felt so much more dressed and comfortable…I just felt like I wasn’t exposed,” she told Hypepotamus. “It did so much more for my psychological well being than I never would have expected.”
While the pajamas were cute and comfortable, there was a major problem with them. They didn’t have the right functionality that medical staff at the hospital needed to put in her IV lines, ports, or PICC lines, making it difficult for her to wear during her treatment.
The hospital gown had been invented over 100 years ago and its design had not been innovated to fit into the modern world. While not a fashion designer, Trice thought there had to be a fix. She started tinkering with the idea after she went back to her full-time job as a veterinarian. She even worked with a fashion school in Tampa helped get the prototypes together for an updated, functional gown. But the idea ultimately got pushed to the back of the closet for more than a decade.
That was until 2019 when she connected with a dream team of innovators, business leaders, and caregivers who wanted to work to bring her reality to life.
Bringing KickIt Pajamas To Market
Trice and her four female founders and operators, including Elizabeth Searcy and Anna Shuford, joined forces to bring KickIt Pajamas to life. The Georgia-based brand is designed to be “more stylish, more functional, and more comfortable” than what is available for cancer patients, Searcy told Hypepotamus. “Every single detail is designed with a patient in mind and all of their medical needs.”
KickIt has a line of hospital gowns and pajamas. The company has recently expanded its line to include home recovery pajama sets that are intentionally built with internal pockets for drains and other medical devices. It has also expanded into capes and cardigans that support patients throughout their entire journey, whether they are going to an infusion center or running to new appointments.
“Our goal is to help people no matter where they are in their journey and give them clothing options that feel good, are functional, are beautiful, and that they’ll wear,” Trice said. “We don’t want this to feel like sick wear.”
Insead, the founders want their clothes to help “stylishly dress women for their battles, giving them a sense of normalcy during this period in their life,” added Searcy.
Soon, the company will be launching its own line of dresses.
Beyond cancer patients, KickIt’s line of clothes can help people living with chronic conditions or other illnesses who might benefit from clothes adapted to their specific needs both inside and outside of a hospital.
While the team has recently found success selling directly into surgical offices, KickIt has primarily grown as a direct-to-consumer brand, selling on their website and on popular ecommerce sites like Amazon and Etsy.
Searcy also sees an opportunity to fill the gap in how friends and family members show up to support someone who is going through a tough diagnosis.
“Flowers are often not appropriate, foods might not be appropriate,” she added. “And so we help fill the gap on the gift giving side.”
