Naman Shrestha
Most swimsuits are focused on making the wearer appear appealing, and comfort tends to get compromised to ensure fashion. Thanks to the introduction of onewith, one doesn’t have to compromise on comfort when it comes to swimwear. Founded by Hayley Segar, the company and its achievements were on full display on the ninth episode of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 16. As the owner presented her brand in front of the Sharks, she elaborated on her future plans regarding the company and how they could help onewith in different ways.
onewith Swimsuits: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Before the idea for onewith was conceived, the brand’s founder, Hayley Segar, had worked at various clothing companies in different positions. By the time she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Connecticut in 2017, she already had several years of experience working for The Plumed Serpent Bridal as the Social Media Manager and Bridal Stylist. She had also interned at WTNH-TV in New Haven, Connecticut. For a year or so, from March 2017 to April 2018, she served as the Director Of Brand Development at Modern Troussea. For her next stint, she bagged a job at Kora Rae Clothing, where she was employed as the Assistant Director Of Operations.
In April 2019, Hayley was packing up for her Miami trip but was frustrated when she couldn’t find even a single comfortable set of swimsuits, something that felt and fit like her favorite underwear. That’s when she realized that she could create a brand herself and make the most of the gap in the market. She embarked on a journey to create swimwear that not only felt “one with” her body but also offered the sophistication of swimwear with flattering silhouettes. With enough knowledge about the clothing industry, the content creator came up with the name onewith and began working towards turning it into reality.
After spending hours and hours in research and development, she officially launched the company in November 2021. The WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise manufactures patent-pending swimsuits that offer underwear-like fit and comfort. The brand aims to keep providing seamless, dig-free, elastic-free, size-inclusive, and ultra-flattering swimsuits to women without making them feel the need to change themselves.
onewith Swimsuits: Where Are They Now?
While Hayley Segar was trying to turn onewith into reality, she completed a summer fellowship program at Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation from June 2020 to August 2020. Thanks to her fellowship, she was able to attend the 2020 Summer Fellowship Accelerator and earn $15,000 in non-dilutive startup funding to kickstart her business. In the same year, she was also the finalist in the Wolff New Venture Competition and named one of the most promising UConn entrepreneurs.
2024 was a significantly eventful year for onewith and its founder, as Hayley was featured in People and InStyle magazines. Moreover, the brand reportedly sold about 50,000 units. With four manufacturers employed to create the swimwear for the business, her main focus since the founding of onewith has been to appeal to and serve all types of bodies. All the products of onewith are sold through the official website, with most of the swimsuits priced at $49. Meanwhile, the Bellows Plunge High-Cut One Piece is available in different colors and sizes for $89. Some of the bestselling products on the website are Woodmont Cheeky Bikini Bottom, Merritt Dipped Cheeky Bikini Bottom, Foxon Multi-Way Bandeau Bikini Top, Thames Scoop Neck Bikini Top, and Huntington Thong Bikini Bottom, all of which are priced at $49.
Given the fact that they reach more than 60,000 people through their social media, the company hosts regular giveaways to keep their customers engaged. In November 2024, onewith marked three years in business by hosting a 30% sale on all the products. As of writing, the next few months are going to be the busiest months for Hayley’s business, given the demand for swimsuits during summer. Capitalizing on that, onewith is preparing to host a summer sale on their website, attracting more buyers to give their products a try. Talking about her future vision for the company, she told Her Campus: “I can’t wait for onewith to be recognized universally as (a) solution … much in the way that Spanx is recognized (for) smoothing and shaping.”
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