[Bonus] Short - Jeometry Bee Wear Designed for Women!

[Bonus] Short - Jeometry Bee Wear Designed for Women!

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Jeff: Welcome to Beekeeping Today Podcast Shorts. Your quick dive into the latest buzz in beekeeping.

Becky: In 20 minutes or less, we'll bring you one important story, keeping you informed and up to date.

Jeff: No fluff, no fillers, just the news you need.

Becky: Brought to you by Betterbee, your partners in better beekeeping.

Jeff: Hey, everybody. Becky's out in the bee yard this afternoon, so I'm going to go it alone, and you're going to have to put up with it. Just as I used to tell the kids, you're just going to have to put up with me for a few minutes. Today, we're talking about something that doesn't always get the attention it deserves. Protective clothing made specifically for women beekeepers. My guest is the founder of Jeometry Beewear, a company designing and manufacturing bee suits and jackets with women in mind, right out of Charleston, South Carolina. Let's get into it. Jenna, welcome to Beekeeping Today Podcast Shorts.

Jenna: Hey Jeff, thanks for having me today.

Jeff: Let's start with your story. Who are you, and what brought you into this world of bees and beekeeping gear?

Jenna: I grew up in Indiana, and my grandfather, Martin Henrig, was a beekeeper, advocate, and educator. I was around beekeeping ever since I was little. I got into beekeeping in 2015. I've had my own hives for 10 years, and we know the ups and downs of that. Also, I am an experienced fashion designer with 20 years of sewing clothes for real women. I put those together to start this line that's needed for women.

Jeff: You took your two passions and combined them into a business. I think that's really wonderful. Was there a specific moment when you were maybe out in the bee yard and you said, "Man, I need to create some bee gear for women?" What was it that sparked that desire?

Jenna: I've done okay with my own suits, but not being really thrilled with them. Almost two years ago, in July 2023, I was at the South Carolina Beekeeping Conference, and there was a woman in beekeeping panel that I attended. I was in the audience, and the panelist somehow got on the subject of bee suits and said, "Oh, my gosh. Don't even get me started on these things." One said, "I bend over, the stuff falls out of the pockets. The crotch is at my knees. The pockets are down too low, and the thing is six sizes too big. I don't know how to order it. When I do get one, they do not fit. We swim in them." Hearing that actually shot my hand up, and the audience said, "I'll design one." That's how it started.

Jeff: It's really interesting you say that because I was listening to the radio not too long ago, and they were talking to some of the first women astronauts. They were describing the problems they had being the first women in space, and everything was designed for men. The space suits, the gloves, the boots, the everything.

Jenna: Exactly. I've sewn women's clothes for 20 years. I had a company called Jenny Threads, and we have made everything in-house, with me actually taking measurements and being able to draft clothing to fit ladies. I put these two together. Also, I was never really happy with my own suit and what was out there, and I said, "I can do way better." I thought about it for a few months, I looked around, I saw what's out there, and I still was like, "I can design better." I applied for a research grant from the South Carolina Beekeepers Association that winter, and I won about $4,000 to start figuring this out.

Last year, I spent all of that getting to the point of a prototype. I wore the suit. I started sewing, based some of it on some of my favorite clothes. I'm a trail runner cyclist. I appreciate good gear, and I look to a lot of the gear and how to design smarter. Number one is the proportions for women. The waist is actually at your waist. Sizing for women. My sizes are the same as if a lady was to go into a boutique and say, "I wear a medium." Wear a medium and Jeometry. Also, I just went through the entire construction of bee suits. What is overbuilt, what is inefficient, what is a hindrance, and totally redesigned it.

For example, a lot of suits use brass or metal zippers. What happens to those zippers? You can't wash them because they rust and corrode. Also, there are three zippers, three points coming together at the throat. You zip up here, you zip that up, you've got a Velcro over it. I've had that plenty of times where I thought I was zipped in and I wasn't. With mine, with Jeometry, it's one zip all the way up. You can throw it in the wash, and it weighs about a fraction of what the suits are out there. I've really tried to take good design and apply that to the suit in a way that makes it better and easier.

Jeff: You're right. So many of the early beekeeping, it's basically out of dungarees and painter pants or coveralls, and the traditional pith helmet and veil.

Jenna: Exactly.

Jeff: I could see where that would be very uncomfortable or not pleasing.

Jenna: Yes, it makes it harder.

Jeff: You mentioned one zipper and the waist higher place, and what are some of the other design features that would appeal specifically for women? Is there anything else?

Jenna: Oh, there's plenty.

Jeff: I don't know the question to ask on that one.

Jenna: Sure. You don't have the suit right in front of you to look at. We are on audio medium here, but some of the things I'm really proud of are, I added pockets more down on the legs versus up around your waist. I move things--

Jeff: Oh, really?

Jenna: Yes. Actually, they're double pockets. Personally, I try not to wear gloves too much, but if I've got a guard bee chasing me, I can stick my hands down in those pockets. I've added the halo hood I'm really proud of. I redesigned a mailbox-based veil to be much more round with clearance, and it also folds back like a hood. The fabric itself, I'm super excited about. I did import 700 yards to make my first 200 suits. Thankfully, I got this fabric in before the tariffs. It's 100% recycled PET, so it's a recycled fabric, and it's a three-layer honeycomb spacer mesh.

Jeff: Oh, wow.

Jenna: It's one fabric with three layers to the structure. Imagine a mosquito net and then chain-link fence, and then mosquito net. That is the structure of this fabric, but it's in a honeycomb pattern, so it's super light, it's very breathable. You can feel the breeze and not the bees, and the entire suit weighs under two pounds. You can throw it in the washing machine, but those are some of the favorite things about it. I did bust pleats to allow for women's curves. It's based on women's wear versus a men's jumpsuit and a pith helmet, because we also had the same thing. I had my grandpa's old pith helmet. I had to wear a hat under it, as my first veil was a baseball cap, pith helmet, then another veil on top, and it all would fall forward.

Jeff: Sure.

Jenna: I'm designing better with these in mind, because we are out there in the heat dealing with our stinging insects, so we want to protect us and them.

Jeff: Being in South Carolina, you do have to deal with heat. It is produced, and you say it's manufactured there as well?

Jenna: Right now, my assistant and I are sewing the first dozen stoops because I have taken pre-orders. I'm also fine-tuning things with a manufacturer in North Carolina.

Jeff: Oh, North Carolina.

Jenna: Yes. I've contracted with them. We're finding that getting the final sample takes time, and every little-- If you have an alteration to a pattern piece, it has to go through different people in the chain, and that'll add a month to the delivery. This is all stuff I'm learning because I've always done everything in-house. We're just finding the timeline. It takes time. I am having those first 100 suits sewn in North Carolina, and in the meantime, my assistant and I are sewing a few suits here in South Carolina. I really believe in manufacturing here in the States and also using eco-friendly fabrics, so those are important things I'm bringing together in this suit that I can be proud of. Of who made it, how we made it, and the fact that it's here.

Jeff: Since we're talking about it now, do you foresee continue making it in the States in the future years as things go on? That's fantastic.

Jenna: Yes.

Jeff: I imagine you've had prototypes or you've had at least one prototype. Can you share any of the feedback that you may have received from the women beekeepers who have worn it and worked in your gear?

Jenna: Right now, this is why we are sewing some of these first suits, because I've been the only wearer with feedback so far. I have a couple of prototypes out there, but I've not gotten a lot of feedback yet, and so that's the push to get these first 12 suits that people have pre-ordered into their hands. I've been wearing it myself, and I love it, but it has evolved. There's been about 8 or probably 10, 12 different prototypes. I learn by making. My husband was like, "Man, you could have somebody 3D model this thing in five minutes." I said, "I need to sew it. I need to wear it, and then I'll move forward."

It is very hands-on. Wear the suit, go out in my apiary, see how it goes, and come back. I am looking forward to having some more feedback from other wearers within the next few weeks as I get these suits out.

Jeff: Oh, I can imagine. When did you officially launch Jeometry Beewear, and how has that been evolving since?

Jenna: I have decided to launch in March at the South Carolina, North Carolina Beekeeping Conference. It was a joint conference. I decided to launch really, because I felt like if I don't have a deadline, if I don't give myself a deadline, it could just keep going on into infinity. I'm very deadline-driven. I have samples. I have the five sample suits, so it's the suit in five sizes. Small, medium, large, extra-large, double XL. I took those to the conference so women could try on the sizes and pre-order. We started with that.

Jeff: Those are sizes, small, medium, large, extra-large, in women's sizes, right? That's not generic?

Jenna: That's correct. That's not unisex size. That's women's size. I have five sizes and then up to double extra-large, double XL. Ladies can try on and find their fit and order. I was able to start with that. Since then, I also won a project support grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission because I'm a designer and artist, and that's just helped get the word out. The press release that I did to get it in front of your eyes, so that was something I did towards the grant. Now, it's just trying to get the word out there as to let people know this is now available for pre-order, and getting it out there so more women know about it. When they do get it, see it, try it on, it's fitting beautifully.

I've got to say I'm very proud of being able to have this skill to make these fit women beautifully. That's my number one goal. It was to get it on women and see that. I'm looking forward to this progressing, but I had to just do it and start. In the meantime, fine-tuning and getting it through the stages to the manufacturer so they can sew those suits up. This is a learning curve for me too, because like I said, I've always done everything in-house and then just learning how to outsource things and how to delegate things and learning how much time and back and forth that takes. I'm in that learning process. I'm happy to say the suit itself is resolved and solid, and now it's just getting the multiples made.

Jeff: What's next for Jeometry Beewear?

Jenna: I'm working on getting the suit through the progress of getting it made. In the meantime, I haven't posted it yet, but I also made a simpler garment called a Bee Blouse that's a pullover veil and top. I have a few of those we've been sewing. Also, now that I have the suit designed, we will be able to take that and easily make separates. This suit can become a separate jacket, separate pants, separate veil. I definitely will be expanding it, two separates, because I also know, as a veteran of sewing for women, not every size fits every person. You've got to try things on and see what works. Some people don't, for whatever reason-- Beekeepers have opinions. We know that beekeepers--

Jeff: No. I haven't heard that.

Jenna: We all have opinions. I know I will not please every beekeeper. I will not serve every woman beekeeper, but I am bringing a really awesome alternative to what's out there. I plan to expand. I'm taking it one thing at a time. I also have gotten the question, am I going to design for men? Dudes are seeing the suits and they're like, "Man, I want one." I said, "You're coming down the line. I will get to you." Guys have a lot more options right now. I have some guys in my local bee club. Shout out to Kaaba in Charleston, South Carolina. Guys are asking about it too. This is only the beginning of what I'm doing.

Jeff: Oh, great.

Jenna: I'm thrilled to expand it. I am going to just take it incrementally, so it doesn't blow up my face.

Jeff: Take it as you can to produce a fine product. Where can listeners find your gear, and where can they learn more about it?

Jenna: They can go to my website or Instagram. The handle or website is JeometryBeewear.com, or at Instagram. I came up with Jeometry with a J because we love the honeybees and the geometry of their honeycomb. I also think of geometry as a designer. I'm working with geometry to fit women, and then also the fascinating geometry in nature. That's how I came up with that name. It's Jeometry with a J instead of a G. The only math I ever loved or was good at.

Jeff: [laughs] Fantastic. Thank you, Jennifer, for joining us. People can learn more at your website at jeometrybeewear.com.

Jenna: Yes. Thank you, Jeff. Thank you for this great opportunity.

[00:18:59] [END OF AUDIO]