Introduction
Sandra Ingrish makes tailored blouses with a feminine touch. With artistic talent, technical and business expertise, Sandra Ingrish has forged a fashion line that fits the tastes and busy lifestyle of multitasking modern women who are busy both at home and at work.
The Sandra Ingrish Look
Sandra Ingrish designs tops for casual wear and work. During the interview, Sandra describe her look as being “contemporary design with a Missy fit.” She designs for “curvy women” but does not make plus sizes. The tops showcased on her website are meticulously tailored, with darts in the back that accent a woman’s waist. Ruffles and pockets are frequently used as accents, and colors are soft and muted. Patterns are mostly large or small checkered patterns or striped. Sleeves are long, quarter length or short and are often rolled up and anchored by a button down tab.
Profile of the Sandra Ingrish Customer
Sandra says her customers are “working women who are 30 to 50 years old.” She further describes her customers as “working women and mothers who dress for work and casual life for weekends and soccer games.” Women who buy Sandra Ingrish blouses are looking for an item that is “stylish, comfortable, and affordable.” According to Sandra, her customers want a blouse that will keep them “looking good without the guilt.”
Art From the Start
As a child, Sandra Ingrish demonstrated a “proclivity for art.” She used to sketch, draw and paint while in High School in East Hartford, Connecticut, and dreamed of later owning her own boutique. After High School, she attended University of Massachusetts, and majored in philosophy. She also enrolled in University of Conn to obtain her MBA but did not complete her studies there. After graduating from college in 1982, Ingrish moved to manhattan when she worked at John Henry and took courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology or FIT where she learned to structure garments based on her artistic vision.
Learning the Fashion Ropes
Meticulous tailoring and secure stitching for button holes and buttons a characteristic of Ingrish’s blouses. It was while studying at FIT that she got serious about the technical aspects of design. Learned the business side of fashion during her tenure of employment with Levi’s and John Henry, a company that makes tailored shirts for men. It was during this time that she “learned that there was big business to be had in the affordable price range,” and determined to keep the items for her future label moderately priced. Most of the items on the Sandra Ingrish Website are priced in the $48 to $68 range.
Launching the Sandra Ingrish Line
In 1982, Sandra Ingrish realized her dream of owning her own boutique. Her designs are exclusively for women’s tops since 1993. Ingrish strives to create garments that are not only beautiful with a flattering fit, but also durable, and she “works hard to make sure all aspects of her blouses fit well and function superbly.” Over time, demand for Sandra Ingrish blouses has increased. A “khaki and white puckered” Sandra Ingrish shirt has been worn by Chelsea Handler of “Chelsea Lately” fame and the wardrobe department from “Weeds” requested a shirt for a cast member to wear. Currently, Ingrish makes petite sized blouses for sale on her website (sandraingrish.com) and to her major client, Nordstrom’s, who sells her items in petite sizes only. Sizes for blouses ordered from her website range from XS to XL.
References
1. Sandra Ingrish; San Francisco, California; March 15, 2011
2. SandraIngrish.com; Sandra Ingrish; http://www.sandraingrish.com
