We had the good fortune of connecting with Bette Bentley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bette, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’m Bette, the CEO, inventor and Founder of Skimpies, The Original Leggings Liner. I really see myself as a mom who is NOT a gatekeeper and wants to spread joy and support women. I invented Skimpies in 2020 when I was officially fed up with lines and bulges from panties. But skipping underwear was giving me UTIs and ruining my leggings! It dawned on me, if I could figure out the right shape and adhesive, I could make the first liner made to go into your leggings! So, I started cutting up panties, calling adhesive manufactures, trying to figure out if we could make something biodegradable, easy, with softest 100% organic cotton. And Skimpies was born. The first undie alternative made to go directly into the seam of your leggings! And shape-wear (girls wear them with their Spanx)! I made Skimpies for myself because I needed it. But when my friends started placing “orders,” I realized I needed to get this product to women everywhere. It makes our lives better and more carefree. I want women to access the sleekness and freedom of going commando with the comfort and health of an organic cotton panty. We deserve to be comfortable in gorgeous in every outfit!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a new mom, trying to balance breastfeeding, exercise, work, and Zoom meetings, I was always in leggings. I was in leggings at the post office, at the grocery store, at school, at the gym. I found the lack of suitable underwear options for leggings wearers a major issue! I mean really…how are grown women forced to go commando in a wardrobe staple when we know that’s not the best or healthiest option for us? I was sick of UTIs, embarrassing stains, hot washing, or lines and bulges. I knew we could do better for all of us! We deserve a healthy panty in every outfit. So I started tearing through my underwear drawer. And at the bottom, I found hand-cut cotton circles. I used to put them in my bra because my nipples were so sore from nursing. The soft cotton felt great! A light bulb went off. I started cold-calling adhesive and cotton manufacturers, convincing people to send me samples of the newest technology and hand cutting them into dynamic shapes. Through testing and testing and testing (We do test on animals…ME!) I invented Skimpies! The Original Leggings Liner! And immediately got my patent. Skimpies is an undie alternative designed to go into your leggings! We’ve had Skimpies run marathons, do Pilates, cycle miles, and perhaps most impressive spend all day at the park with a dozen 5 year olds! There’s nothing like spending your day in your leggings with a soft, breathable cotton panty and NO LINES! Skimpies offers the appearance of going commando, with the added comfort and hygiene of a cotton panty, right where it’s needed the most. For me, it’s not just about enhancing the leggings-wearing experience; it’s about empowering women to feel freer and more confident in their daily lives.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Girl, first, please fly into Burbank airport! I’ll pick you up and then we will have no reason to leave the Valley ever again! Because everything we need is here. I live in Sherman Oaks. Jump in! We’ll go to Equinox at the Sportsman Lodge for Pilates, in our cute leggings outfits with Skimpies on of course. Then to Erewhon where we people watch and accidentally spend $50 on a single macadamia nut. We get stopped and told how cute our leggings outfits are. Duh! Afterwards, we’ll hit up Beeman Park with my cute kids, talk about the gorgeous trees, enjoy the shade, and overhear an agent closing a deal while pushing his crying kid in a swing. Then we’ll get a spray tan at Sugared and Bronze on Ventura (in my fantasy my kids will politely wait for me while I tan), grab a Gluten-Free homemade nutter butter at Susie Cakes next door. Now that we’re all tanned and sugared up, we’ll get dressed for one of the coolest hidden gems in the Valley. The Rendition Room. It’s the speakeasy behind Vitello’s restaurant. Don’t tell them I told you. We’ll feast on cocktails and pizza and dance. The next day you’ll come with me to drive carpool. After we drop the off kids, we’ll get lattes at M Street Coffee in Sherman Oaks. Lunch will be Hugos Tacos, my favorite is the Tofu Taco (get it ensenada style!!!). That afternoon, we’ll probably go to my favorite place in Sherman Oaks, The Community Center. With a gorgeous basketball and volleyball court, and soccer and baseball field. The Community Center is so lit you’ll think you’re in Canada. After we watch my kids play sports, and realize we were talking to someone famous but didn’t know it, the whole family will go to Uncle Paulie’s in Studio City for the best sandwich of your life. Of course, Salt and Straw afterward for ice cream because I’m not a monster!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Motherhood and the moms around me have shaped me and my ethos more than my any other job I’ve had! My valley mom group is full of the most vibrant, fun, badass women! Honey, we go to Chilis, we go to the park, and we each other in our businesses. I think it’s why I’m so passionate about making a product that makes our lives better. I couldn’t raise my kids without my village. And my kids are my moon and stars! They will always be the wind that carries me through the clouds. I want Josephine and Lucky to be proud of me, to know I choose them first, and that mommy supports women with Skimpies! I always say we are founders because we want to help people.

Website: https://www.Skimpies.com

Instagram: @SkimpiesBrand, @TheBetteBentley

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bette-bentley-8154bb89

Image Credits
Robyn Von Swank
Mandee Johnson

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