For a long time, I wanted to be acknowledged. To be seen. I often felt left out, like I didn’t quite fit, even when the people around me saw me as confident. I felt as though I had to do too much to be liked. On the outside, I had an “I don’t give a fuck” attitude. Deep down, I cared more than I wanted anyone to know.
That familiar feeling followed me into my first Pilates class. But this time, I began to tune out the noise and show up for myself.
I went through the whole process of Pilates instructor training. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, and I’m glad I gave myself that experience. Still, I realized teaching wasn’t what I truly wanted to do. There was something else I wanted to explore.
It started with a pair of socks.
I was tired of my socks slipping and sliding during planks and workouts. I was tired of buying pairs I didn’t love looking at, especially when they didn’t solve the problem I was having. So I decided to invest in myself and create something I actually wanted to wear.
At first, it was just for me. Then I realized how much I liked what I was creating. And then, how much I loved it.
That was the beginning of Pilabelle, the brand that would eventually become Still Rare.
A new name. More room to become.
When circumstances meant I had to rebrand, I had to reinvent myself, too. What first felt like a setback became a revelation: I was only just getting started.
It gave me room to show more of what I love: socks, design, texture and fashion. My ideas grew beyond grip socks for the studio. I wanted to create pieces with personality, the kind you reach for outside your practice, too.
Still Rare grew out of that whole journey: wanting to be seen, trying to fit in, and slowly finding the courage to make something that felt like me. The name is a reminder I needed myself. I don’t have to do more to be worth noticing. I can keep changing, keep becoming, and still be rare.
That’s the feeling I want to bring to the things I create. Something useful. Something expressive. Something you love putting on.
Your practice doesn’t have to be boring.
It can be rare. Never ordinary.
With love,
The founder of Still Rare