SoHum Grrrl in Forbes Magazine Talking Up Her Unique Clothing Company for Women

Screenshot from Forbes

Screenshot from Forbes showing Kortney Olson. [Photo credit to Grrrl Clothing]

The company of former Humboldt Homegrrrl, Kortney Olson, was featured in Forbes online yesterday. Olsen’s company, Grrrl, lets women choose their clothing size by choosing the athlete model that most fits their own body shape. In addition, they don’t photoshop the models. Their website promises, “We will NEVER ever photoshop images of our athletes or models in our advertising or on our website.”

Grrl AMENAH RAZEGHI strongman athlete

Grrl model AMENAH RAZEGHI strongman athlete.

Grrrl not only sells athletic wear but sells the idea that women are great in any size. Olson, interviewed here in 2016, told Forbes, “We’re not just selling clothing, we’re solving a trillion-dollar social problem. It’s about progress not perfection, but we are making change happen.”

The models for her clothing come in all different sized and shaped packages. Grrrl’s advertising celebrates that.

Forbes is impressed by Grrrl’s vision and potential. The article stated,

GRRRL potentially posits a pivotal change in the trajectory of the lucrative athleisure sector, which is set to hit sales of $231.7 billion worldwide by 2024 but still has gaping chasms regarding diversity; the average US woman is now 16-18 (a UK 20-22) and sales of larger, technically plus-size clothing are forecast to grow at twice the rate of ‘standard’ sizes by 2020 but few sports brands are servicing the market and those that do tend to segregate the offer, offensively inferring large means atypical – blindly ignoring the statistical reality check.

Although Olson hasn’t lived in Humboldt for over 10 years, her family is still in the area. She told us in 2015 that it has been exhilarating “to come out of Humboldt [and] to see our stuff in Germany to Finland to Australia.”

If you want to support a Humboldt homegirl, check out GRRRL clothing here.

Grrrl size

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26 Comments
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Eurekite
Guest
Eurekite
5 years ago

It’s fascinating how many ways SoHum is able to contribute to to the decline of public life

Grrrl power
Guest
Grrrl power
5 years ago

Love it!!!!!

♡♡
Guest
♡♡
5 years ago

Love it!!
Thanks kym

Rebel Yell
Guest
Rebel Yell
5 years ago

More gangsterism in our culture.

I remember when MTV started in 80’s and Jello Biafra recorded the song “MTV get off the air!” to celebrate the demise of 1) American popular music 2) American popular culture via mass media 3) the recording industry. Madonna assisted this demise with her slutty prancing on stage.

Rap and hip hop took off via music videos that depicted blatant violence, sexism, racism and misogyny. I watched and wept as America’s youth began wearing gangster colors, trucker hats, “dew rags,” etc. Now everyone seems to dress like a gangster or gangster in prison (note all the white tees and sweatpants) and it is companies like this that trade off on “curvy girls” and tight clothing and prison attire, etc etc.

The classic woman is history. Thank you, Ice T, Ice Cube, all the rest, and that Mother of All Whores, madonna. Our culture will never be the same.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Rebel Yell

Wasn’t ever the same 20 years in a row. Why should now be different?

ok
Guest
ok
5 years ago

What is the trillion dollar social problem that they are solving? I understand obesity is a tremendous problem (the average US woman is now size 16-18) but they only seems to be exacerbating that.

And lets not pretend that powerlifters, of either sex, are a picture of health.

“This is a sport (mma) where women are pouring out of the woodwork,” says Olson, “partly because we’re actually designed to be better fighters [than men]. We have a lower center of gravity, a stronger pain threshold.”

Ridiculous! (first of all, people are not “designed”) A lower center of gravity is hardly advantageous compared to;
significantly larger heart/lungs relative to body size
lower body fat percentage
higher bone density
better temporal-spatial cognition
larger hands with thicker bones
larger shoulder to waist ratio
higher lean muscle percentage
larger jaw bone

Men are typically about one third stronger than a woman of the same weight. Those same hips that give women a lower center of gravity make them comparatively awful at kicking. Of course there are anatomical exceptions. Women who are great at kicking almost always have more narrow hips than typical.

And women do not have high pain threshold or tolerance than men. We may be around the same on average but most studies show that men have higher pain threshold and tolerance. That does not mean that men are better or more valuable human beings.

I do enjoy womens mma but there is a damn good reason that men and women do not fight on another.

Just Sayin.
Guest
Just Sayin.
5 years ago

She’s a Bigunnnn

TQM
Guest
TQM
5 years ago

I love the imagination and entrepreneurial spirit of people here in Humboldt County.

superd
Guest
superd
5 years ago

beautiful strong women, awesome

Sonia Baur
Guest
Sonia Baur
5 years ago

What is Kortney Olson’s connection to SoHum? Did you, Kym, interview her in 2015, or was that someone else? Anyone out there relate to her or related to her? Won’t someone tell us some wonderful home-town stories about home-town girrl who makes good?

goingPostal
Guest
goingPostal
5 years ago
Reply to  Sonia Baur

Kortney’s paternal grandparents moved to Southern Humboldt in 1945. Owned, built, and ran businesses in Garberville. Her dad was born in the Garberville hospital. She lived in Redway/Garberville from birth until she was 9 years old. Her aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, niece, nephew and numerous close friends grew up, attended school in Redway and South Fork High School and many continue to live here. She was just here staying with her brother for over a month and attending her nephew’s South Fork High School graduation. She’s definitely a “SoHum” GRRRL.

Shasta Wildfire
Guest
Shasta Wildfire
5 years ago

There’s misogyny, then there’s business…

Interesting that women have discovered so many ways to exploit each other.

I am glad that women feel better about themselves.

gunther
Guest
gunther
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I enjoy being journalistically exploited by you. You offer a perspective found no where else. Keep it going.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

It’s definitely a step up for women to exploit women for profit as opposed to the historical pattern of men exploiting women for profit.

Jeez
Guest
Jeez
5 years ago

Good lord Kym, not sure how you can handle your own commenters.

“It’s fascinating how many ways SoHum is able to contribute to to the decline of public life.”

Uh, this article and Kortney’s work is rather positive (same with Kym Kemp’s work!), but what would I know. I just grew up in so-hum, I have always been a big girl (5’10” in 7th grade now 6’1″), can’t fit into anything and now I work with young women and girls in this community who struggle with self-esteem, violent relationships, poverty etc. I wonder what “Eurekite” does to help women and young girls?

“The classic woman is history.”

Good. Those “classic women” have done enough damage. It’s 2020 folks. And no, it’s not “rap” or “hip-hop’s” fault. I mean really, 70’s and 80’s rock and metal didn’t seem to care for the “classic woman” either.

Seriously
Guest
Seriously
5 years ago
Reply to  Jeez

This same troll does this in every thread here and in Loco. You can predict it’s comments when you read a headline and open the thread.
It’s just a shit disturbing troll that thinks it’s funny.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

It was an interesting marketing idea. And recognizing wants to sell product is as American as can be. At least for the last 200 years.

Sheesh. This is not religion, politics or ethics. It’s marketing clothing which can be taken or left at will. Unlike government.

Good for this woman and I wish her every success.

groba dude trustafarian osnt
Guest
groba dude trustafarian osnt
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

I agree. Finding a niche and marketing to it is just good business. Whether it’s got anything to do with anything at all, or not…

Everyone is selling something these days, and “nothing propinks like propinquity”. Ian Fleming

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago

I went to her site and found really great workout clothes at really reasonable prices.
Weird that y’all are bagging on this woman’s efforts. I saved the site and will spend some $$$ there in the future. 😁🙌

Canyon oak
Guest
Canyon oak
5 years ago

Jocks.
Hilarious to see the riot girl (grrrl) mantra co-opted by some casino cage fight meathead

Hello
Guest
Hello
5 years ago

Eureka’s not even on the map.

Allch Chcar
Guest
Allch Chcar
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello

What are you trying to say? It’s called the Lost Coast for a reason. The fewer people the better.

I have the same map on my wall.

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago
Reply to  Allch Chcar

Where did you buy the map? I need one for my guest room.

Hello
Guest
Hello
5 years ago

Ha ha.