With Aging and Fashion Business, The Only Constant Is Change with Julie Corwin of Birdie & Claire

With age, comes wisdom - and also change. Women 50+ years old are often overlooked by the fashion industry, but Birdie & Claire founder Julie Corwin celebrates style at every age. As these women go through transitions in their lives and bodies, Julie’s business has changed as well. In episode 107, Julie shares how her brand has stayed flexible and draws inspiration from the experience of women who have come before her. Julie is the founder and owner of Birdie & Claire, an independent women’s apparel brand dedicated to timeless, elevated style for women at every stage of life. The inspiration for Birdie & Claire came when Julie was shopping with her mom, aunt, and grandmother for an upcoming family wedding, and she noticed the limited age-inclusive clothing options available. Hearing their frustration about the lack of brands catering to women as they age inspired Julie to create a line that celebrates timeless style and confidence across generations. After completing her MBA, Julie launched Birdie & Claire, producing thoughtfully designed small-batch collections in NYC, with knitwear sustainably crafted on demand in Brooklyn. Birdie & Claire’s focus on versatile, flattering pieces that mix and match seamlessly is rooted in the brand’s mission to create clothing that resonates with women of all ages and offers style, comfort, and quality that is made to last. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Birdie & Claire defines age-appropriateness How Julie designs and runs her business with change in mind Where Julie gathered research outside of customer interviews and what it revealed The silver lining of starting her brand during the peak of the pandemic Why Julie decided to offer both knitwear and cut & sew pieces in her brand Why Birdie & Claire’s first collection was more casual when the initial idea was for eventwear What Julie did to better understand the language of fashion The stereotypes about and the diversity amongst women age 50+ How Birdie & Claire supports Julie in her current stage of life The wisdom Julie has learned from older women People and resources mentioned in this episode: Birdie & Claire website Birdie & Claire Instagram Julie’s Email Wiser Than Me podcast Fashion Reimagined documentary Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.