Behind the Collection: Meet the Standards

When we started Club Recess, we already knew what we wanted to make.

"Club Recess is for that girl who just wants to go and have fun on the court. She might be good at playing or she might just be meeting up with her friends to have a good time. She might not even be playing at all." — Melissa Parvis, President & CPO

That's our girl. And honestly? She deserved better than what was out there.

The pieces were clear, we could see them. We wanted to build pieces that were stylish but also functional, with enough movability to play in and flattering enough to wear throughout the day. What we then needed was a fabric that could actually do them justice.

Finding the Fabric

We tested a lot of options before we found the one. Like, a lot.

We made wear test samples in multiple sizes and took them to actual courts. We are firm believers that good things aren't made in a fitting room or a board room. We washed them, wore them, sweated in them, washed them again. Some held up, some didn't. We learned what we (as athletes and moms and women that live our lives) actually liked in fabrics. We felt that a lot of fabrics out there were "trendy" but weren't soft or were too shiny and not flattering on all body types.

So we kept going until we all sat down and agreed on one.

"We finally came across this fabric that is really soft and has a great stretch — it has a brushed facing on the exterior and that helps with sheen so you're not getting that really shiny polyester looking look. It gives a more casual leisure look from the court to the spectator." — Alex Felton, Product Developer & Technical Designer

We call it EveryHour™. Soft, brushed, matte. Four-way stretch. Moisture-wicking, antimicrobial, quick-dry, UPF 30. PFA free and made in Los Angeles. It comes in two versions, knit and woven, and it completely makes the Standards Collection what it is today.

"The fabric was really designed for play and for everyday life. It's just really flattering. It's super soft. It's not shiny at all." — Melissa Parvis

And that was puzzle piece number 1. Once we had the fabric in hand, we were off to the races.

The Right Colors

When we built out our color story, we were answering the question: what feels timeless but also relevant and wearable? We wanted to kick things off with two colors that worked really well together but were also strong on their own. We also wanted to leave room for expansion for other colors in these silhouettes for down the line.

"The colors — that was a big one for us, really trying to nail down what Club Recess is in the look. So we really did a lot of research on what would look good as a whole together and we came in with this really rich deep Clubhouse Navy, and then we paired that with our Heritage Garnet." — Alex Felton, Product Developer & Technical Designer

We wanted colors that felt like us. Not loud neons. Not boring black (at least not yet). Something with personality. Clubhouse Navy is a deep, rich navy that exudes old money without trying. Heritage Garnet is not quite red, not quite burgundy. It's warm, it's bold, it's ours.

They look really, really good together. And they look even better on.

The Pieces

We spent over a year on four styles. We wanted them to work for every body — thin, curvy, short, tall, whether you've had kids or not. You should feel amazing every single time you pull these on. You should feel like getting dressed is fun.

We played with more than four ideas. Different necklines, different silhouettes. Some are still in the hopper and will show up down the road. We chose to start with four core pieces that we confidently can say are a step above what else is happening. And we're really excited for you to meet them.

Standards Court Dress — $138

We are biased, but we truly think this is the perfect athletic dress. Believe us, we have tried them all. This is the one.

We felt like there wasn't anything out there that had the heritage details we were excited about (the piping on the shoulders and front slit is one of our favorites) that also combined function for us to play our best. So we made one.

The Standards Court dress goes from the court to coffee to dinner without a single outfit change. Fitted through the chest, relaxed through the waist, with a skirt that has some movement to it. Built-in bra with removable pads. Our favorite secret is the built-in shortie underneath with an elastic back that slides off without taking the whole dress with it (game changer, trust us). Four pockets that hold whatever you can think of.

You'll reach for this one every time.

Heritage Pleated Skirt — $88

"The Heritage Pleated Skirt is one of my favorites, I have to say — it came out so good and looks so stunning on everybody." — Alex Felton

This is the silhouette we knew we were excited to experiment with the most. We get it. There are literally hundreds of pleated skirts out there, but we wanted to make the best one. So we took inspiration from our faves and prototyped it out. Then iterated and iterated until we are proud to have the Club Recess take on such a timeless silhouette.

Full pleats all the way around that look so good in motion. A hidden elastic waistband that holds without showing. Our built-in shortie with four pockets underneath. It really is so much more than meets the eye.

Wear it as a set with the Everyday Scoop Tank. Wear it with whatever you already own. It's a classic for a reason.

Everyday Scoop Tank — $68

This is THE one! The scoop neckline sits perfectly. Not too low, not too high. Dainty straps that are supportive and stay put, with a built-in bra with removable pads. Minimal seams so it looks clean and simple from every angle.

When we went out to La Jolla to shoot the Standards photos, our models kept asking us if they could take this one home. We have been wearing it around the office and throughout our lives ever since we finalized it, and let us be the first to tell you: it is the perfect tank.

"Our proprietary fabric is so special. It just hides anything that's unflattering and accentuates anything that is." — Melissa Parvis

Pair it with the Heritage Pleated Skirt or the Baseline Short or with your favorite pair of jeans. You're going to get compliments on it, we're just letting you know now.

Baseline Short — $78

When we play tennis, we run. Sometimes we hit it, sometimes we don't. There are days when you just want to be in a short. There are days where we skip the court and go for a run instead. There are days where we don't want to feel like our hip bone is getting crushed when we bend down to pick up our kid.

These are the shorts that answer that question.

They have a gathered waistband with light compression that holds without cinching. There's invisible zipper pockets at the front seams with a built-in shortie with four more pockets underneath.

They're built in the lightweight EveryHour™ woven on the outside shell with the EveryHour™ knit in the shortie so it's soft against your skin. You won't want to take these off. We haven't.