WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Pregnancy Workout Wear

St. Johnsbury, Vermont - June 12, 2009

Steph Teleen stays busy with her non-stop job: motherhood. But when she's not helping build Lego fighter jets, she's building her own company. Teleen beams, "This whole process has been remarkable!"

The Essex Junction mother of two loves to run, bike, walk and swim. When she was pregnant, Teleen figured she could just go shopping for maternity workout clothes. But she says, "I came up pretty much empty-handed. I decided at that point it was an untapped niche and somebody has to do it!"

With help from a professional patternmaker, the former UVM alumni office employee recently launched a maternity activewear company called Jakfish, named for her kids' favorite song.

She makes stretchable, breathable, comfortable clothes that grow with a woman. No bows or patterns, either, just high-tech, performance exercise clothes.

Joel Howard says, "I think she's got a good future."

Howard handles Jakfish's production at his cut & sew contracting shop St. J Stitching. The new contract should help him keep workers here. The Kingdom's lost a lot of jobs, and with clothing, overseas manufacturing is cheaper but not necessarily better.

Howard adds, "There's a lot of quality that goes into our products and other Vermont-made products. I think that helps sell the end-run product."

"If you say 'Made in Indiana,'" Teleen says, "that means something to people in Indiana. But it doesn't have the global appeal of 'Made in Vermont.'"

Jakfish is in a handful of stores now, but between Lego assistant duties, Steph Teleen hopes to keep moms-to-be moving. She's optimistic more boutiques will pick up her line and she can add future products like swimsuits.

It will mean growth, while staying "Made in Vermont." "I want to do business in a place I love as much as this," Teleen says.

As is typical of products for niche markets, the Jakfish line does carry a premium price. A workout top is about $40 and a hoodie is $100.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont