These Clothes Offer Actual Words Of Encouragement (Win!)

The coolest part about Pure Balanxed—a Canadian-designed-and-made fashion brand that creates offers tees and masks for adults and kids, as well as jogger sets and staples for grownups for everyday life—is that every piece features a unique affirmation tag to offer messages of love, support and encouragement to its wearer. We chatted with founder Allie Duff, who created the range after a personal illness and a time when she needed clothing that was comforting, soft and easy to wear, and are giving you a chance to win a jogger and hoodie set from Pure Balanxed’s newly launched tie-dye collection! —Vita Daily

Hi Allie! Please tell us a bit about yourself/your background to start.

I was born and raised in New Zealand; from a young age I developed a love for feel, I was obsessed with all things soft and they became such a comfort to me. I was a competitive swimmer for 12 years and it was my entire life; my family moved to Bath, Ontario (a small town just outside of Kingston), when I was 11. My swimming truly took off at that age and carried me through to when I retired at 21—it took me to Kentucky to a Division 1 school. It really shaped my identity and my lifestyle. Through this time I was also battling multiple mental illnesses and truly had no idea. When I stopped swimming my mental health took a toll and over the span of three years I became very ill and landed myself in treatment for an eating disorder. This is truly where my life changed. Growing up I had always been obsessed with clothes I would say I was quite a materialistic person and always wanted to know trends; I was just so in love with going shopping, trying on clothes and bringing them home. I loved that new smell. I think this combined with my work ethic from being an athlete set me up perfectly for bringing Pure Balanxed into the world.

When and why did you launch Pure Balanxed?

Pure Balanxed was developed from an idea; it came to life during treatment for my eating disorder the summer of 2018. I was going through so many changes in my life as well as in my body and struggled to find clothing that I felt supported in. I saw this major gap in the market when it came to women’s clothing brands made in Canada who could fulfil this feeling that I was lacking and I just knew I wasn’t alone in this. Pure Balanxed launched December of 2018, four months after I was discharged from treatment. I knew it was my next step in life and I did everything I could to make it happen. It started with basic T-shirts with our logo and our signature affirmation tags and from there we have truly evolved into so much more. We offer high-quality everyday basics. Our Classic Collection is by far our community favourite. The collection includes our Classic Joggers (our hero piece), our Classic Hoodie and our recently released Classic Crew. All three are made from our signature bamboo and cotton french terry blend, so soft to the touch and lightweight, which makes them perfect for year-round wear. All of our classics are made in Toronto by an amazing women-owned manufacturer who I absolutely love! I am so proud that we are Canadian designed and made. I think it is so important to keep everything local. I am so excited to expand our classic collection come 2021 as well as start to introduce a new collection continuing with our spin on your everyday beautiful basics.

We know there are many things that make your label unique. Can you tell us more about your brand philosophy around inclusivity, empowerment (i.e., how what we wear can have the power to transform how we feel) and community/giving back? And please tell us more about the affirmation tags!

Yes, absolutely! When creating Pure Balanxed I really wanted it to become something more than just a clothing brand; I wanted it to be a place where women could come to to find clothing they loved but also a place where they feltl supported, inspired and loved. As a brand we have absolutely done that through our community on Instagram, our newsletter list and strong customer service. I absolutely believe that what we wear has the power to transform how we feel, it can happen in a positive and negative way. I remember too many moments of trying on clothes and not liking how they fit and then being upset and thinking how can I change my body to make this look good. That can have a lot of impact on one’s self-esteem; I never want anyone to feel that when trying on clothing. I wanted our customers to try on clothing and feel confident, strong, supported and empowered. This is where our affirmation tags come in! They are exclusive to our brand and truly came from my rock bottom when I was really struggling with my mental health—in treatment, I used to write down affirmations everyday, it became part of my treatment. This was all happening around the time that Pure Balanxed was evolving and I just thought I wanted them on my clothes, but I want it to be hidden. A small tag that from the outside looks like a logo but when flipped over it reads an affirmation only to the person wearing it. They offer words of encouragement, hope and support. I hear almost daily how much women love our tags and how they have helped them when they need it the most. They were truly created out of a place of feeling alone to now bring thousands of women together. They are there to remind you that you are never alone.

Any new launches coming up that you can tell us about?!

Well we just launched something so amazing, our tie-dye jogger set, and it’s an actual dream! It’s so beautiful and such a community favorite already! We also have a couple more launches coming up soon that are still a secret. Stay tuned for those coming later this month!

Personal question: what’s your favourite daily affirmation?

Ahh it’s so hard to pick just one! So I will narrow it down to three I always come to everyday: I am worthy, I am enough and I deserve to live the life of my dreams.

purebalanxed.com

Win! A Pure Balanxed Tie-Dye Jogger And Hoodie Set!

We have a winner! Congratulations Cassandra B. of Lethbridge, AB, who will receive a Pure Balanxed Tie-Dye Jogger And Hoodie Set!