June 7, 2021 by Gabrielle Martin
Athleisure lovers rejoice: the Hingham-based, fashion-forward fitness brand Core Studio Apparel will be unveiling their new collection this Friday, June 11, at the Hingham Yacht Club’s Annual Ladies’ Lunch and Fashion Show. Core Studio shoppers will have a selection of ethically produced, premium styles and fabrics at a fair price.
The Anchor sat down with the brand’s designer and founder Kimberley Paddon for the full scoop and a special sneak peek at Core Studio Apparel’s upcoming spring-summer collection.
Awaba Run Tight
- Best For: “Hiking, running, walking.”
- Awesome Amenities: These tights are constructed out of breathable, soft, supportive fabric and designed with flat seams that won’t rub or pill as well as phone and earbud pockets.
Centennial Bra and Legging Set
- Best For: “Barre, pilates, spin, yoga.”
- Founder’s Fav: Paddon described this high-waisted, 7/8 legging as “beautiful, feminine, and a joy to wear.”
- In the Details: This set features a supportive bra top with a wide band and crossover straps, making for a pretty back bra detail.
Hymas Crop Top and Legging
- Best For: “Barre, dance, yoga, Pilates, lattes!”
- Easy Peasy: “The matching crop top makes choosing your outfit 50% easier!”
- Why Choose Quality or Quantity When You Can Have Both? This two-piece set is triple dyed to ensure that the butter-soft fabric won’t fade or show through. Additionally, Paddon designed this apparel with flat seams that won’t rub or pill and a wide, flat waistband.
Icebergs Crop Top
- Best For: "Barre, spin."
- Cool as Ice: This crop top is crafted out of soft fabric with built-in support and a flattering Y-back, available in both black and white.
- Very Versatile: Wear alone or under a tank!
Noosa Leggings
- Best For: "Gym, studio, street."
- Matchy-Matchy: Matching navy bra available, because who doesn't love a color-coordinated set?
- Super Soft: These blue, full-length, high-waisted leggings are super soft—“like, really soft!”—and are designed with sweat-wicking fabric and three-way stretch for full flexibility. Plus, they feature a phone pocket!
Paddington Bra
- Best For: “Everything! Will soon become a staple in your workout gear rotation.”
- God-Tier Gear: “Divine is the word for this one: soft, pretty, and comfortable with a detailed back and supportive bra, triple dyed fabric…” Simply stated, what more could you want?
Thunder Bra and Legging
Meet Kimberley Paddon, Founder of Core Fit Apparel
Kimberley Paddon was born and raised in the Emerald City—no, not Oz, but rather Sydney, Australia. “When you can go, you should!” the Aussie native says. She relocated to the United States a decade ago, when an American-based business opportunity presented itself to her husband, Matt; the Paddon family spent 8 of 10 their years stateside residing here in Hingham before moving to Hilton Head, South Carolina to support their eldest, Oliver’s, dream of playing collegiate-level golf.
Paddon’s two children, Oliver and Elbe, were both born in Australia and moved here when they were ten and four years old, respectively. “Oliver attended Plymouth River School and Hingham High School until junior year when he decided to pursue his dream to play college golf at the Junior Players Academy in South Carolina; he now studies and plays at Southern Wesleyan University,” Kimberley says.
“Elbe attends Hingham Middle School and will be in eighth grade this fall. She has deep connections to her Hingham friends and is thrilled to be back in school with them all! We also have a nine-year-old black Labrador who we thought we were so clever naming Fenway…” The designer pauses to reflect, adding: “Turns out there are lots of clever dog owners who had the same idea!”
Kimberley recalls relocating to South Carolina, saying, “It was a new adventure for our family, and we enjoyed exploring the South and learning its culture, history, and a little too much Southern food! But being away from our core customer base was harder than I expected for our business.”
She says, “We used our time in South Carolina to expand our reach to studios in Charleston, Greenville, Hilton Head, and Savannah, and are proud to still be represented in these locations.”
Kimberley has maintained a lifelong interest in both fashion and fitness, though it wasn’t until relocating stateside that she was able to pursue the concept of developing her own brand: "In creating Core Studio Apparel, I have learned about design, fabric composition, marketing, fulfillment, and so much more.”
“We are so excited to be back in Hingham, where Core Studio Apparel was born,” Paddon shares. “Hingham ladies are always hugely supportive of local businesses!”
Paddon says she named each piece of this collection after her favorite places back home: “Customers who have traveled to Australia often recognize them, though there is often confusion on how to pronounce many of them!”
She summarizes, “This collection is all about fresh, new beginnings, whether you are starting your fitness journey after COVID or are excited to safely get back into the studios and classes you have missed! We aim to make women look and feel their best. Lighter colors, new breathable, sweat-wicking fabrics, and pockets for phones and Air Pods are features of our new products. We produce small quantities of each style so we can refresh our line regularly.”
Regarding her upcoming launch, the Hingham-based business owner says, “We are proud to be a vendor at the Ladies’ Lunch: it will be the perfect afternoon of food, fashion, and fun, a way to re-connect with some of our current customers and to introduce our brand to new ones! It’s always fun meeting our customers face-to-face and sharing our story with them.”
Sharing Her Story, In Her Own Words: Q&A with Kimberley
Why did you choose to make Hingham your home 10 years ago? The home of your business?
“When my husband’s company proposed a business opportunity in the United States, we had no connection to Hingham—or anywhere else in the USA. I found Hingham by chance on a website and thought it looked similar to the demographic we had come from; the schools were highly rated, the town’s proximity to Boston and transport connections were good, and as a bit of a foodie, the restaurants looked interesting too.”
What do fitness and wellness mean to you?
“Keeping fit, eating well, being busy, getting enough sleep, and having fun are the keys to physical and mental wellness for me; I need to be well-fed and well-organized before I can do anything!”
What is the most challenging part about owning and operating Core Studio Apparel?
“Because fashion moves so quickly, I have had to learn where to put our investment for new items and where to hold back. I want our brand to be a sustainable choice with functional designs and quality fabrics; finding manufacturers who would work with a small start up and developing our fabric with technicians took almost 2 years! Rising manufacturing and shipping costs and negotiating for small order quantities is still a challenge. Many of our customers comment on the quality of the fabric, the fit, feel, and the longevity of our garments. If I wouldn’t wear it, we don’t sell it!”
The most rewarding?
“Working with, and forming friendships with, other Hingham businesswomen has been very rewarding. We do all of our graphic design, marketing, and photography locally. Hingham has so much talent and I love how willing people are to share their business knowledge and experience to support each other. We also do our best support local events and fundraisers.”
Where is your favorite place to go in town to be active (wearing Core Studio Apparel, of course)?
“Apart from my office to the Peloton, you mean? I loved Bar Method for a killer full-body workout and can’t wait for them to re-open this fall. Momentum Fitness offers fun, friendly trainers in a clean, safe gym environment, and Cycletown, who have supported us from the beginning, is back, in person, and ready to ride!”
If you had a different career, what would it be?
“Probably an architect—though I am terrible at math! But honestly, I just want to buy a home in the South of France and renovate it. That’s my dream!”
How has the pandemic impacted operations?
“COVID hit the fitness and retail industries suddenly and very deeply. When our retail partner studios closed their doors, our retail sales stopped overnight. We had to put our spring/summer 2020 collection on hold and took a step back from growing Core Studio Apparel while we focused on staying healthy, homeschooling, and our relocation back to Massachusetts.
Our manufacturers were operating at a much slower pace than usual, and our supply chain was very limited. The pandemic has affected people’s lives in so many ways; for Core Studio Apparel, it gave us time to step back and figure out how we could move forward when we were ready—which is now!—and how could we support the studios who had supported us.
We offered better pricing and consignment options for studios that did not want to invest in retail but still want to offer their clients retail options, and we could not be prouder of how our retail partners pivoted their businesses during COVID. We are thrilled to see them opening up again and enjoying renewed success! We look forward to having our collection back at Cycletown later this month and other South Shore and Boston locations soon.”
You have had great success with your fitness apparel for moms and Hingham kids with Core Fit’s Varsity line; what do you attribute your success to?
“The Varsity line of Hingham leggings, tops, tanks and headbands (also Cohasset, Duxbury, Norwell, Marshfield, Scituate, and Wellesley) was inspired by the American culture of Spirit Wear, which is traditionally geared towards menswear —think huge sweatshirts—but we wanted to create something just for the girls! Moms and kids love the quality, fit, and value of our Varsity range and I am still excited when I see people wearing them around town or to support their favorite town and its teams.”
What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?
“Less fear and uncertainty, for sure; seeing people’s smiles, and traveling! I hope to be able to travel to see my family, I will never complain about the 24-hour flight to Sydney again!
Look for us at pop-ups this summer here in Hingham, Boston, and Nantucket, visit us on Instagram @corestudioapparel, and shop our website corestudioapparel.com.”