Liberty student creates her own clothing line, spreads the gospel through fashion
A lot of things can happen in a Starbucks line. You might run into a friend or answer a phone call while waiting. You might begin drafting the most complicated order the barista has ever seen.
In Jill Myers’ case, she came up with the name for her own fashion line, called Clothed In.
“I was in line in Starbucks one day and the term ‘Clothed In.’ popped in my head and I was like, that would be such a good name for a business one day,” Myers, a senior strategic communication major, said. “(That was) two years ago. I started (my business this) January. I was just going through a really rough time in my personal life, and I just needed something to be passionate about. … I kept going back to fashion.”
The name for the fashion line comes from Proverbs 31:25 which states, “She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”
“I just want (the clothes) to empower women to be a Proverbs 31 woman,” Myers said. “I’m also very passionate about modest clothing … and to see modesty as something that uplifts the Lord rather than something we’re forced to do.”
Though she had always dreamed of owning her own clothing store one day, Myers didn’t put that dream into action until her aunt gifted her a Cricut, which allowed her to cut vinyl and fabric. She now runs an online store, selling faith-based clothing for women such as sweatshirts, blouses, t-shirts and jewelry.
To make the products, Myers buys a base in bulk, such as a bulk order of plain sweatshirts. She’ll cut one of her designs using the Cricut, then presses them onto the base fabric. For the first few items, she experiments with the design and colors before officially adding the product on her website.
Whenever Myers wraps up an order, she puts free stickers and a handwritten thank-you note in the package, then she prays over the product.
As for the designs themselves, many of them begin as doodles that she drew in class on her iPad. Many of her designs point to God in some way, since she hopes that her clothes may be conversation starters for the people wearing them. Since some of the clothes have Bible verses or “Clothed In.” inscribed on them, she hopes that someone who doesn’t know the faith may ask wearers about it, allowing them to share the gospel in a natural and unforced way.
Between school, being on a dance team and running a business, Myers stays busy. However, she loves it all, so it doesn’t feel like work to her. Myers has learned to finish her coursework early in the day so she can prepare orders and manage her business later.
Myers used to be a fashion major but changed it to strategic communication a few years ago. Though some may question the switch when she loves fashion, Myers has appreciated the social media and marketing skills she has taken away from her classes, especially since her primary platform is Instagram. She also gained real-world experience from working at a boutique last summer, learning about wholesaling and how to buy in bulk.
In the future, Myers plans to expand her business to having a storefront. She hopes that her fashion line will outlast being just a college side gig.
“I have no idea what (God) could do with (Clothed In.),” Myers said. “I just want to put it completely in his hands. If he wants me to have a store front one day, that’d be awesome, but if not, if it’s just (going to) be online or maybe even bigger, maybe a chain one day; I’m down for anything.”
Bear is the feature editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X