Los Angeles Daily News

Dress for success; Twirly outfits put mom in business

By Barbara Correa, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 11/02/2008 08:02:30 PM PST

Call Cynthia Jamin the mother of invention.

As the mother of two young daughters who were very picky about their clothing, Jamin spent hours shopping for cute-yet-practical dresses with skirts that would flare when the girls twirled around.

Unable to find anything the girls would wear, Jamin bought a sewing machine, enrolled in a sewing class and started making the dresses herself.

"I never even took home economics or looked at a sewing machine," said Jamin, an actress who lives in Glendale. "But my grandmother used to sew costumes. I think it's in the blood."

Her girls helped design the dresses, which Jamin created in a reversible style to make them more utilitarian. And after receiving rave reviews from the girls' friends, and requests for similar dresses of their own, Jamin used a $20,000 inheritance to launch a company called Twirly Girl.

The seed money allowed her to put things in motion - writing a business plan, registering her trademark, creating a Web site (www.twirlygirlshop.com) and finding vendors to do the cutting and sewing.

Started just over a year ago, Twirly Girl is already operating in the black - an accomplishment that won her a recent Success Story Award from SCORE, a nonprofit partner of the Small Business Administration.

"I think she has touched a nerve," said Jerry Earle, a volunteer counselor at SCORE. "The idea of telling a young girl she can design a dress herself is a great idea.

Earle said Twirly Girl stands out from the 400 other locally owned businesses he's worked with because of Jamin's fresh ideas and commitment to her company.

"My initial reaction was to her enthusiasm, her preparation and dedication to obtaining a goal," he said. "Each time I've spoken to her or seen her since then, it has filled in that feeling."

The advice and support that Jamin received from SCORE is available to startup companies nationwide. The Los Angeles chapter, based in Glendale, has just one paid employee - but 70 volunteer mentors, each with an entrepreneurial background.

And while the times might not be the best for launching a business, people with creative ideas might as well take advantage of the group's free counseling sessions and seminars, said Richard Hadel, chairman of the L.A. chapter.

"It's definitely a more difficult time. But whenever you say `Oh, it's not a good time to start a business,' somebody comes up with something. Mr. Google comes along."

While Jamin is worried that predictions of a sluggish holiday season will discourage customers - from retail buyers to parents looking for a special outfit for their daughters - she's still working to expand her line.

"When I'm creating styles, I try them on (my daughters)," she said. "They help me figure out the best thing to make, because if they're not going to wear it, nobody is going to wear it."