STITCH FIX TEAMS UP WITH VENUS WILLIAMS TO EMPOWER WOMEN TO REACH THEIR 2022 FITNESS GOALS

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Online personal styling and shopping service Stitch Fix announced its partnership with tennis champion and entrepreneur Venus Williams to launch its "Goodbye Gymtimidation" campaign. The two are coming together to help women conquer gymtimidation - the anxiety caused by working out in front of others - which women experience twice as often as men¹.

New results from a Stitch Fix-commissioned survey indicate that 2-in-3 (67%) women experience amplified gymtimidation when returning to a fitness routine following a major life event, such as having a baby or experiencing upheaval due to the pandemic. This issue is more relevant than ever as many take on new fitness goals at the start of 2022, whether exercising outdoors or taking a virtual group yoga class.

Stitch Fix teamed up with trailblazing tennis champion Venus Williams, who has experienced gymtimidation herself, to help women bid farewell to gymtimidation and be their best and most confident selves to conquer their 2022 wellness goals. To eliminate the common feelings of self-doubt, fear and anxiety that can come when starting or restarting a fitness routine, the campaign arms women with:

• Exclusive tips from Venus on how she conquers gymtimidation
• New data confirming the link between confidence-boosting activewear and sticking to fitness goals
• Access to Stitch Fix's personalized shopping experience to find your best Active & Athleisure looks just for you in a size inclusive range of XXS - 3X from nearly 30 brands
• A partnership with theHappier app to provide women with early access to personalized habit-tracking tools and concrete, actionable steps to become happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative in the way that works for them

"Playing tennis on a global stage doesn't make me immune to anxieties. In fact, I'd say it's just the opposite," says Venus Williams. "I've experienced gymtimidation in the past while working out and have developed my own set of techniques to keep it at bay throughout my career. That's why I decided to join forces with Stitch Fix on this campaign – to create awareness of this issue and inspire women to stay confident in themselves throughout their wellness journey."

After uncovering that the majority of American women (89%) are more likely to stick to their fitness goals if they have workout clothes that make them feel confident, Stitch Fix is launching Goodbye Gymtimidation to spotlight its data driven fit & size expertise and robust active & athleisure assortment of nearly 30 brands, including Adidas, Champion, Beyond Yoga, Nike, The North Face, Free People Movement, Sweaty Betty, Girlfriend Collective, Prana and more. With more than half of women who workout (59%) saying it's a challenge to find workout gear that fits and performs perfectly, Stitch Fix is able to provide a greater size range and more variety to support women at every phase of their fitness journey. Whether shopping directly through Stitch Fix Freestyle or discovering hand-selected stylist picks in a Fix, Stitch Fix's diverse assortment and fit expertise provides clients with personalized looks to confidently take on new fitness routines.

Stitch Fix & Venus want women to look and feel great, while also providing unparalleled fit and performance in their athletic offerings. Please stay tuned for more updates regarding Stitch Fix and EleVen, Venus's fashion-forward activewear brand throughout 2022.

About Stitch Fix
Stitch Fix is the world's leading online personalized shopping experience. Our unique business model combines the human touch of expert Stylists with the precision of advanced data science. Since our founding in 2011, we've served as a trusted style partner to millions of people, helping adults and kids get dressed every day feeling like their best selves. The Stitch Fix team is building a transformative and inclusive ecommerce model, an ecosystem of shopping experiences based on convenience and guided discovery that makes it radically simple and delightful for customers to discover and buy what they love. For more, visit https://www.stitchfix.com.

About Venus
With 7 Grand Slam titles, 5 Wimbledon championships and 4 Olympic gold medals, tennis champion Venus Williams is arguably one of the most accomplished and inspiring women in the history of sports. Not only a force on the court, but true to her bold spirit Williams parlayed her fine-tuned business acumen with her healthy competitive spirit into three successful business ventures: lifestyle and fashion-forward activewear brand EleVen by Venus Williams, full-service commercial and residential interior design firm V Starr and plant-based protein company Happy Viking. Throughout her career, Williams has been a steadfast advocate for equality. In 2007 it was her unwavering fight which led Wimbledon to award women players the same pay as their male counterparts and in March 2021, she launched an awareness initiative called the #PrivilegeTax in conjunction with EleVen to bring attention to the wage inequality and unveiled a platform of resources for young women to get inspired and address the issue on a grassroots level. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University East and an Associate of Science in Fashion Design from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. More information can be found at www.venus williams.com. 

About The Happier App
The Happier app is a revolutionary habit-tracking tool that offers concrete, actionable strategies to support people's aims and put happiness within reach. Research suggests that we repeat about 40% of our behavior almost daily. If we change our habits, we can change our lives—starting today. Based on the work of renowned happiness and habit-formation expert Gretchen Rubin, the Happier app is a personalized, practical toolkit to help people build habits and become happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative in the way that works for them. For more, visit https://www.thehappierapp.com.

¹ https://www.thecut.com/2014/01/women-get-twice-as-often-as-men.html

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SOURCE Stitch Fix