DALLAS (AURN News) — When Erika Howard struggled to find athletic clothing that allowed her to maintain her modesty while coaching and working out, she didn’t just layer up and sweat through it — she created her own solution.
Howard, a former track, volleyball and basketball coach, launched Two and Nine in 2022, a modest athletic apparel company designed for women who want coverage without sacrificing performance or style.
“We were modest women who loved to work out, who loved to play sports and ride bikes and all of that, but we were finding it very difficult to find apparel that we were comfortable in and could do all things in,” Howard said. “The Lord gave me a dream and told me to start this business. And I was obedient.”
The brand specializes in athletic skirts with built-in shorts, featuring functional details like pockets and drawstrings that allow for comfortable movement during various activities.
Howard, who coached at Omaha North High School in Nebraska and Barnett Junior High in Texas, said her experiences trying to coach in traditional modest clothing highlighted the market gap.
“I either had to pay people to make my clothing more modest or add layers upon layers and be extremely uncomfortable while sweating,” Howard said.
Since launching on Feb. 22, 2022 — a date Howard notes was significant as “2/22/22” or “Two-sday” — the company has expanded beyond her initial expectations.
“I initially thought that it would be for my friends and myself, but little did I know that there were people all over the country that would like my designs,” Howard said. “The growth has been exponential. So far, we’ve shipped to probably 18 different states… and Canada.”
Howard aims to challenge misconceptions about modest clothing, which she says is often viewed as restrictive or uncomfortable.
“I think people think that when you say modest, you’re completely covered from head to toe, that it is restricting, that it is uncomfortable,” Howard said. “Modesty is for me, it’s for the wearer. It’s for the person who wants to feel comfortable and does not feel comfortable showing all their body.”
The entrepreneur emphasizes that modest doesn’t mean unstylish. “It doesn’t always have to be a black skirt… You can still have a style and be more athletic, or somebody who enjoys athleisure wear,” she said.
Her company motto — “You can do anything in a skirt” — reflects her vision that modest clothing should be functional and versatile.
Howard sees her business filling a crucial need as mainstream athletic wear trends increasingly feature crop tops and form-fitting styles.
“Now as I go to the store, everything is a crop top, everything has a stomach out, everything is tight,” Howard said. “Maybe I don’t want to show every single part of my leg.”
Two and Nine has expanded beyond athletic wear into modest scrubs and is developing athleisure options and swimwear.
To aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly Black women, Howard offers straightforward advice: “Just go for it. You may not know exactly what the next step is, but if you have the encouragement to start the business and you have the idea, just go for it.”
“Follow your dreams,” she added, “because you don’t know where God’s going to take you once you step out on faith and you do what he’s calling you to do.”
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