"The design of Sygiel’s underwear takes into account aspects of femininity that aren’t discussed much outside of middle-school bathroom stalls, and wicks them away. Early prototypes involved a plastic layer, but that didn’t feel right. “We didn’t want a rain slicker,” she said. Then she designed a three-layer leak- and stain-resistant fabric made from nylon, lycra, and micro-polyester which she called Underlux (patent pending). She stitched the samples herself. “I had a whole group of friends who would text me when they got their period,” she said. “That was one of the most frustrating things about testing: I could only use them twenty-five per cent of the month.” Now Dear Kate, which is headquartered on Varick Street, in SoHo, and manufactures in Queens, has a small, all-female staff that tests prototypes in group try-on sessions in the company ladies’ room. Investors have supplied more than a million dollars, and a recent Kickstarter campaign raised another hundred and sixty thousand, enabling Sygiel to expand into yoga pants. “We know better than anyone what you need in your pants if you’re not wearing underwear,” she said."
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/31/niche-product
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