"Hi friends, My name is Ari & I’m 32 years old. I am super lucky to work at a local nonprofit health & recovery center. I live the tiny life with my pup Oscar in an RV that I’ve remodeled.

I am so excited to be celebrating my pride with Thunderpants by showing off my healthy, Trans body in the most comfortable, inclusive pair of undies. Rainbow is my favorite color and I love to express my queerness at every possible opportunity!

During the pandemic, I’ve been participating in the revolution by protesting and attending BLM marches, reading books by BIPOC, and most recently hosting a Pride Fundraiser Dance Party. The community donated over $800 to organizations supporting Transgender & Gender Non-Conforming People of Color, one of which is providing folx with binders: A Binder is an (often) life-saving chest compression undergarment worn to help reduce gender dysphoria.

Finding properly fitted clothing has been a very frustrating struggle for me. Ill fitting underoos increased awareness of the regions of my body that were causing me discomfort. I understand the importance of undergarments that feel good. It’s taken me a long time to be proud of my body, and now I prefer only wearing underwear around the house. Thunderpants that fit my body perfectly feel affirming & helps increase my gender euphoria!"

Truly,

Ari

"Hi, I'm Tanya! I'm 35 years old, and I investigate fraud for a bank. I'm also the wife of an amazing college teacher and writer, and the mom of a two-year-old ray of sunshine, Ruby! As sweet as she is, this lockdown has been tough, especially since I have asthma and we need to be very careful. Being a working mom was already hard, but now we have two adults working full time jobs out of one tiny house while taking turns with childcare. It's a LOT, and sometimes we are tripping all over each other, and it's not possible to have a moment alone for what feels like weeks. There are definitely moments where as much as you love your family it's suffocating to be constantly needed in every single way. And then sometimes there's a moment where it's pure bliss just to be together in the sun for the afternoon, and watch Ruby's complete wonder as the strawberries turn red and juicy. I think most parents understand, it's simultaneously the best and most stressful thing ever. 

Although it's definitely difficult, I know we're extremely fortunate to both be working. When the pandemic began, my husband and I had a discussion about trying to keep our money local by supporting artists and makers from Portland. One of the first things I bought were two adorable Thunderpants bras, and I have lived in them nonstop ever since! So comfy, cute, ethical, and totally practical for a working from home mom."

- Tanya

Guam’s rich history of being colonized (Spain), occupied (Japan) and then liberated by America taught the local people, Chamorro’s, that freedom was because of America and to be “successful,” meant being American. So like the story of many immigrants, Tia left her home in Guam and moved to America seeking success. 25 years later, Tia is still working on it. 

Tia spent half of her working career in the for-profit finance world. Then what she calls “the best career move of her life,” Tia took a job at a food pantry she was volunteering at. Now a fundraising professional for non-profit organizations, Tia says she has found success in her career. 

"With the pandemic, “success” has taken on a whole new meaning. Yes, doing my job of raising much-needed funds for the nonprofit organization I work for is important and I get that done. But success means on some days surviving, other days it means thriving. It’s about taking care of yourself first so you can be there for others."

Tia’s self-care during this pandemic includes growing a vegetable garden for the first time (she’s harvested chard, bok choy, peppers, spinach and arugula so far), becoming an indoor plant enthusiast (she’s now up to 33 plants!) and riding her bike more. 

“I was a daily bike commuter before the pandemic so getting the miles in was easy. Working from home put a stop to that and I found my energy levels drop and my mood negatively impacted so I set a goal to ride 150 miles a week. Most weeks I hit the goal, sometimes even exceeding it, and other weeks I don’t. Success means being okay that I’m doing what I can and letting go of what I can’t. I own it’s not always easy to let go.” 

“But what I do own are Thunderpants underwear. I like to start my days with putting on a pair and feeling the softness against my skin. There are many things I can’t control but I can control what I wear and starting with a foundation of Thunderpants is a start to a successful day. And there is also something deeply comforting to be wearing a fun print of underwear when the world is on fire.” 

Tia’s excited to wear her bralette and bike shorts on a ride. She thinks they could stop traffic. And that’s a good thing when you’re on a bike! 

- Tia