Today, I shared a second video of me experiencing the excruciating discomfort of handling a knockoff of my own product. But here's my secret - it was actually kind of fun to show all those little details and remember what it was like to be 26, pre-biz-launch, and single-mindedly focused on getting a brand-new physical thing out into the world. Of course it stings that another company is profiting from that work. Nonetheless, design-nerd me really wants to get into the weeds with you about the intention behind Unbelts' smallest details. Every product has a thousand choices behind it - and a designer whose job it is to make sure you don't notice most of them. Let's get into it:

Welp, it happened. Unbelts has been paid the highest form of flattery: we’ve been copied.  Am I shocked? Nope. Stretch belts are awesome, and when I started prototyping Unbelts in 2010, I was surprised that I couldn’t find another non-plastic "invisiible" belt on the market. We were lucky to have the niche to ourselves for a few years. It couldn’t last forever.

  We’re one month into producing 100% of our ethically-made stretch belts in our Edmonton, Canada studio, which is enough to know what we’re crushing - and what could crush us. Want a peek behind the curtain...

Hi! Founder Claire here to tell you: Every Unbelt is now made in Canada. …and that’s bittersweet. Read on to learn why we've moved 100% of our cut-and-sew operations from China, where I started Unbelts, to my hometown of Edmonton. We're so excited to deepen our roots here, but our reasons for moving probably aren't what you expect.

We'll just say it... 2022 was flipping hard. We, like many other small businesses, faced some significant challenges that tested our fortitude and resiliency - and some days honestly, pushed us beyond our p...

Hey there! Thank you for supporting our small but mighty belt company - we truly appreciate it.  Below is information regarding our recent price increases on our belts, which are in effect now. We have give...

So much has happened over the past few months at your favourite pant-keeper-upper company. (We're talkin' SOOO much.) We thought it would be best to do a real-talk round-up to catch back up. We love our jobs...

Founder Claire here! I’ve got a 6 and a 3 year-old now (my grey hairs prove it), but I was child-free when I first prototyped a kids’ belt. Our grown-up customers kept asking for a stretch belt for children...

We're just a few weeks out from our kiddos stepping into their next school year. My daughter's going into Grade Two, and we've got a full shopping list from her school of the supplies she'll need. We're luc...

Have you heard of B Lab’s annual Best For The World designation? It’s an honour bestowed unto Certified B Corporations who rank in the top 5% of all B Corps for their impact in one of five areas: community, ...

Last week was Fashion Revolution Week, the seven days surrounding April 24, the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh. Fashion Revolution is a year-round, global movement of which we’ve been flag-waving, pin-wearing supporters since its inception in 2014, when I still lived in China. This year, we opened our warehouse doors for our first Open Studio since "before times." Here are some themes that emerged over the week.

We’ve admired Jen Pistor for a long time - for her relatable approach to life and fashion, her candidness about her journey to body acceptance, and her sense of humour as she navigates the highs and lows of ...