ETH 222: It Started With A Pair of Pants

After a difficult experience finding outdoor clothing that fit well, Raquel did what any normal person would do to solve this problem by starting her own inclusive outdoor clothing company. Raquel Vélez is the CEO and founder of Alpine Parrot, an outdoor clothing company that centers plus size women and women of color. Alpine Parrot is essentially a response to the lack of sizing and diversity in most outdoor brands and celebrates the empowerment and visibility of plus size bodies out in the wild. We’ll talk about some of the biggest barriers that exist for people of size in the outdoors as well as ways everyone can work to ensure more equity and access for the broad spectrum of body types that are as diverse and varied as we humans are. This is a special episode for me, and I hope it inspires empathy and offers some perspective into the pervasive and damaging long-term effects of body shaming and exclusionary advertising as well as the potential for real change being helped along by the growing body positivity movement. Here’s the story of how Raquel putting her heart and soul into a single pair of pants changed everything. Alpine Parrot Website  Listen on Spotify here: