Clothing line raises awareness

The signature IU candy stripe pant is getting a new twist for a cause.

Clothing line Lainny is releasing limited edition “Lady Candy Stripes” leggings to raise breast cancer awareness.

The garment features a pink and white candy stripe pattern in recognition of the disease.

“Since the men’s candy stripes inception in 1971, there has not been a version of Candy Stripes that caters to the female fan,” Lauren-Ashley Ford, owner of Lainny, said.

“That sparked my interest to make the legging version for women.”

Ford is an IU alumna, who graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in apparel merchandising.

After graduating, she moved to New York City and created her clothing line for women.
Despite the distance, Ford said she still feels a close connection to IU, and she hopes to continue to reach out to its students.

“The campus represents a piece of home to me,” Ford said. “I hope to spark a fire within at least one person back home.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 232,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year and 39,620 women are expected to die of breast cancer in 2013.

Ford said she hopes her garments will help breast cancer patients find a boost in confidence.

“I believe that we can influence how we feel internally by altering our outer appearance,” Ford said.

The limited edition leggings are available for purchase at LA-IN-NY.com.

Twenty-five percent of the sales will be donated to the Bloomington’s Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.

— Carmen Heredia Rodriguez