Saturday, August 15, 2020 by Gabrielle Martin
Hingham born-and-raised Kelsey Becker (age 23) is the brain behind the brand The Weekend Fit.
Becker attended Quinnipiac University, graduating with a BA of Science in Biomedical Marketing. She currently works for Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP), a payroll company; Kelsey’s online shop The Weekend Fit is her side hustle and passion project.
Becker, who has lived in Hingham her whole life, started the brand herself, building it from an idea to an entrepreneurial endeavor. Earlier this week I called Kelsey to chat about all things the Weekend Fit, from its founding to its fashion to its future! Here’s what happened on our call:
So, Kelsey, talk to me about all things The Weekend Fit!
To start off, how did it all begin? “I’ve always wanted to have my own boutique. Initially, I wanted it to be a brick and mortar store.” Becker says; “brick and mortar” refers to a business or retail outlet that has at least one physical location.
“Since the pandemic, I’ve a lot of extra time to think. My time reflecting in quarantine pushed me to do an online commerce site rather than renting and operating out of a physical location,” Becker shares.
What was your next step? “I just started researching! I’ve helped businesses start-up, so I know the ropes, per se, but I just started further looking into it and taking it one step at a time. And one step led to another, and another, and before I knew it, I had all these clothes at my house!”
Where did you go from there? Becker says she got a few friends together to do a photoshoot. With models, merchandise, and shareable materials, Becker began to develop an online presence for the Weekend Fit. It took her two-and-a-half-months to finish her website, but, as she proudly states, “I built it myself!”
She says she initially planned to launch on July 1, but surprised family and friends when she published The Weekend Fit’s website on June 30.
So, what’s happened since then? “I actually broke even by the third day!” Kelsey confesses. What an accomplishment! “Some clothes were backordered, so I got to put those up at New Arrivals, and it was good. It was great!”
What’s your strategy? “Social media has been my #1 driving force for all my business, especially Instagram.” Becker goes on to further credit her success to social media sharing and word-of-mouth recommendations by friends, family, and fans of the fashion line.
Talk to me about the production process. What’s that like? “I buy everything wholesale. All of my clothes come from LA through different vendors. I had to get a Seller’s Permit to have permission and get access into the sites I wanted to shop and select from. Once I get the clothes, I photograph them and put them on my website, price them for retail–I even package them myself!” Becker shares with a laugh.
Who's your main demographic? “15- to 25-year olds.”
How would you describe the aesthetic of The Weekend Fit? “It’s all about cute and trendy clothes. If I would wear it, it’s going to be stocked on my store’s site; a lot of the clothes are tailored to my style. It’s a lot of crop tops–I’m obsessed with cropped tops–and weekend wear.”
What can our readers expect to see from “The Weekend Fit” going forward? “I’ve already started searching for my fall and winter features. There’s definitely going to be comfy, cropped sweaters. Lots of great colors, too: dark greens, burgundy stuff for fall. Oversized coats. And, of course, the comfy wear that I love! New sets. Definitely some good going out shirts, too; you can never have enough of those.”
