Going to the gym was Yasmin Jammoul’s way of reclaiming her body after having three children.
She wanted to start moving in a way that felt comfortable, healthy and inspired her daughters.
But as a proud Muslim woman, she found it difficult to find activewear that was modest, fashionable and made her feel good when exercising.
Ms Jammoul had never been a regular gym user before having children, but wanted to try it as a way of strengthening herself physically and mentally after years of self-esteem issues.
Yasmin Jammoul’s business is run out of a home office in Murray Bridge. (ABC Riverland: Anita Ward)
“I already felt so insecure and out of place in the gym, and my clothes were making me more insecure … I was just wearing these oversized T-shirts,” she said.
“So I thought, ‘Hey, why not make something?'”
Shopper turned designer
Ms Jammoul spent hours perusing online stores in Australia and overseas but was unable to find anything that met her needs.
“I [was] sure there’d be lots of women out there that feel the same and would appreciate something that was more modest but still looked good and had that style,” she said.
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Late one night, after throwing ideas around in her head for many months, Ms Jammoul brought a piece of clothing to life in the pages of her sketchbook.
“I wanted it to still fit into that activewear style … but give it that modest edge where the sleeves were a bit longer, the shirt was a bit longer,” she said.
Ms Jammoul said feeling “fashionable and cute” was also an important part of the design.
“[I included] the cute little zips and the details … so you still felt like you fit in, but you had that modesty that you needed,” she said.
A late-night sketch was the start of bringing Yasmin Jammoul’s idea to life. (ABC Riverland: Anita Ward)
Starting a business and venturing into the fashion industry was all new for Ms Jammoul.
She learnt the basics by watching YouTube videos and doing hours of research from her Murray Bridge home.
After selecting samples and working with suppliers to perfect her design, she took her product to market and was pleasantly surprised by the feedback.
“A lot of people said they’ve never seen something like that before, and they were really impressed with the quality of it and the design,” she said.
Embracing diversity
While wearing her own activewear pieces in the gym, Ms Jammoul said she was approached by several people who asked if it was OK for anyone to wear the items.
Yasmin Jammoul says women from different backgrounds approached her about her gym attire. (ABC Riverland: Anita Ward)
“That was super cute … because of course it is,” she said.
“When I originally designed it, I wanted to design it for so many different people, so many different needs.
“Being a mum, being Muslim and being raised in Australia, I feel like I [connect with] a little bit of everybody and I wanted to bring that all together in [my activewear].“
RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles program manager and lecturer, Juliana Luna Mora, said Australian activewear fashion trends were moving towards being more inclusive.
Juliana Luna Mora says offering a broader range of activewear benefits the industry and consumers. (ABC Melbourne: Patrick Rocca)
She said Australia was one of the larger activewear markets in the world because of the nation’s love of being outside, playing sports and being active.
“The younger generations, especially, are gravitating towards activewear that’s a little bit more loose with more volume and embracing more diversity and inclusivity,” Ms Luna Mora said.
“In terms of the modest fashion space, we’re starting to see a rise not just in activewear, but in fashion in general.
“I think [the industry] should represent the population of Australia and the less restrictions and boundaries that we have, the better.“
Yasmin Jammoul has created a range of modest activewear. (ABC Riverland: Anita Ward)
For Ms Jammoul, creating modest activewear is just one way to encourage women to embrace their bodies and minds.
She plans to study mental health and personal training in the future.
She said it was only possible with her biggest supporters, her daughters, by her side.
“I want to be such a role model for them and have them look at me and say, ‘Mum did this … we’re able to do anything,'” she said.
