It all started when entrepreneur Melissa Chehebar had trouble finding swimwear that was both stylish and would provide ample coverage for her trips to the beach and pool. After realizing this major void in the swimwear market, she teamed up with her mom, Susan Esses, (and later her sister Rachel Tabbouche) and brought her idea for UnderCover WaterWear modest swimwear to life.
Undercover WaterWear’s fashion-forward swim dresses, swim skirts, swim tops, and swim leggings are worn on top of your own swimsuit so you can cover up. Made in the USA, all of the swimwear features a special Lycra and Spandex swim fabric that is chlorine-proof, non-clingy in water, and has UPF 50+—it protects your skin from the sun’s strong rays without having to apply sunscreen.
“Our mission is to give women the flexibility to wear what they want, do what they want, and feel great about it,” says Rachel Tabbouche, CEO and co-founder of UnderCover WaterWear. “Part of empowering women means that if they choose to cover up, for whatever reason, that’s okay and socially acceptable.”
UnderCover WaterWear has given women so much more opportunity to live the life they want without compromising on their standards, whether because of modesty or health. According to Tabbouche, UnderCover WaterWear’s primary customers are “women aged 4-104”. To promote to these consumers, their most successful marketing initiative has been email newsletters. “In the beginning, my father told us to always capture the names and contact info of our customers,” Tabbouche says. “Thanks to his advice, we now have a large email list that helps us stay connected and give great discounts to our customers for repeat purchases.”
Tabbouche loves being able to be there for her kids’ school functions and plays, but working from home makes it harder to create boundaries. “It helps me stay more involved in the kids’ everyday life, but it also infringes on times that I wouldn’t normally have to work if I had a normal 9-5 job,” Tabbouche says.
UnderCover WaterWear’s biggest business achievement was landing a feature on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, which was the most popular article for three days straight! “Our families are so proud of what we’ve built, and it’s such a great example for the many young girls in our family.” Visit www.undercoverwaterwear.com.
