FOFriends Jayne Drew (right) and Kelly Daugherty (left) are giving away the “Kate” skort and “Jean” top (retail value: $163.75) from Smashing, their slimming athletic wear collection. Enter to win by answering this question in the comments below: Do you play golf or tennis?

Six years ago, tennis partners and FOFriends Jayne Drew and Kelly Daughetry had an idea to start a line of t-shirts with witty tennis sayings. But, they quickly realized, that neither them nor any of their friends wore tees to play. “This started a conversation,” says Jayne. “What did we wear to play tennis? And, what didn’t we like about our athletic wear?” The answer: almost everything. “What was available were really short skirts that fit low on the hips or tops without a lot of coverage,” says Jayne.


That’s when Jayne and Kelly had an idea they knew would hit it out of the park--slimming tennis wear that provided compression like Spanx but were stylish and sophisticated enough for women in their 40s and 50s. Jayne, a former I.T. and finance professional, and Kelly, a former ad agency exec spent a year and a half researching and developing their line. “Neither of us have a fashion background but we are both very ambitious and hardworking and had great mentors who pointed us to the right factories and pattern makers,” says Jayne.

They found a local factory where they could oversee the manufacturing process, which was particularly important to Jayne. “I shop by feel. I had to touch all the fabrics before we decided on any.”

The pair settled on a “buttery-soft,” polyester-blend fabric for the outer layer, and a compression-style inner layer which Jayne says is akin to Spanx-lite. “We tried incorporating fabrics that compress as much as Spanx into our product, but found you can’t play tennis in that. Our compression layer is not going to make you lose 15 pounds, but it smooths it all out.” The fabric also keeps your core warm and engaged, an added benefit, which could result in better athletic performance, according to Jayne. Furthermore, every skirt they produce, has a pocket which perfectly fits an iPhone or scorecard and golf pencils.

Kelly demonstrates the slimming effect of Smashing athletic wear.

Officially launched under the name Smashing in March of 2011, Jayne and Kelly quickly expanded the line to include golfwear, based on feedback they received from buyers at pro shops. Within the first few months of their launch, Smashing received mentions in Shape magazine and Golf Digest, which Jayne says were the company’s biggest breaks to date. Their apparel is now sold at tennis and golf pro shops nationwide and on their website, SmashingOnline.com.

Remaining true to their original mission of outfitting tennis and golf enthusiasts of a certain age, Kelly and Jayne only use models in their 40s and 50s--most are friends or fellow tennis players.

“The women we play tennis with are in good shape but as you have a couple kids and get a little bit older, mainstream athletic wear isn’t going to look as good,” says Jayne. “That’s where Smashing comes to play.” We think, they’re right on the ball...

Enter to win the “Kate” skort and “Jean” top (retail value: $163.75) from Smashing, by answering this question in the comments below: Do you play golf or tennis?



One FOF will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 21st, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

image src: Huffington Post