Polt is the founder and head designer of chicka-d, a clothing company offering fashion-forward, women's collegiate apparel. As a student at the University of Texas at Austin, Polt experienced the lack of original, feminine and fashionable options for female fans firsthand. After attending many tailgates and games, she quickly realized that other women were struggling with the same problem. One day, Polt, who was studying fashion design, bought a Texas Longhorns t-shirt and decided to cut it up and sew it back together in her own unique way. She wore it to a tailgate party and it was a hit, which gave her the idea to start chicka-d.
After working in New York City in bridal design for a few years, Polt partnered with a former UT classmate to start the company in 2008. They started small and kept the focus on women's apparel, acquiring licenses for local universities like Texas Tech and Baylor. Today, chicka-d is officially licensed with over 80 universities and sold in campus bookstores, online retailers, Kohl's and Dillard's.
The chicka-d collection consists of fun, no-fuss dresses that keep you cool and comfortable all day long. It's an easy game day outfit that doesn't require accessories and makes a fashion statement without looking overdone, which is exactly what Polt says people like about it.
"Women want to look good even if
they’re at a sporting event," said Polt. "They want attention not only on the field, but on
them, too. Tailgating is like a big party, so it's not
much different than getting ready to go to a big social event and you want to feel good about how you look."
The company added toddler and youth dresses this year, and looks forward to expanding into different leagues in the future. Polt recently received the Rising Star Award at Austin Fashion Week for her work with chicka-d, which she hopes will eventually be "the game day brand" for fashion-forward sports fans.
Check out select women's and kids styles from chicka-d's current collection:
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| Florida State Seminoles Faux-Wrap Dress |
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| Florida Gators Babydoll Sundress with Pockets |
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| Virginia Tech Hokies Ruffle Racerback Dress with Silver Metallic Logo |
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| Georgia Bulldogs Strapless Dress with Ruffles |
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| Alabama Crimson Tide Girls Dress |
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| Florida Gators Girls Dress |
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| LSU Tigers Girls Dress |
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| Texas Longhorns Girls Dress |
Giveaway Alert: chicka-d is giving one lucky TSR reader a 2-for-1! Enter to win a Women's Babydoll Sundress and a matching girls dress in your NCAA team of choice (*subject to availability).
To enter, please complete the giveaway form below by Friday, August 24:
(If you're viewing this post in an e-mail, click here to enter.)
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The deadline to enter is Friday, August 24. The winner will be randomly selected and notified via e-mail.
Want even more chicka-d? Visit chicka-d.com and click on the store locator to find out where to get these styles in your favorite NCAA team just in time for college football season.
XO,
The Style Ref