From Niche to Necessary: SHREDLY Delivers an Age-Inclusive Brand That Lasts
By Karen Attyah
Founder, Intransit
Let’s talk about the magic that happens when a brand stops chasing youth… and starts designing for real life.
SHREDLY, a women-led outdoor apparel company, didn’t just launch another line of mountain biking gear. They cracked the code on inclusive design — not as a side campaign or a one-time “diversity” effort, but as a core business strategy. The result? Loyalty, longevity, and lifestyle brand status.
Let’s break it down.
🚲 The Challenge: Ditching the Youth Trap Without Losing Cool
The outdoor and activewear industry has long been stuck in a narrow lane — gear made for young, thin, able-bodied men, with women and older consumers treated like an afterthought.
SHREDLY entered the scene with a mission: Build technical, joyful, and stylish gear that works for every body on the trail — not just those who fit a limited mold.
But the real challenge?
Be inclusive without being typecast.
How do you design for women of all shapes, sizes, and stages of life — without getting boxed in as “gear for old ladies”?
How do you represent age diversity — without slipping into tokenism?
How do you build function — without falling into the trap of “accommodating” aging bodies instead of celebrating them?
Spoiler: SHREDLY did all three. And then some.
🛠 The Strategy: Design for Everyone, Speak to Each
SHREDLY didn’t just “add more sizes.” They engineered performance gear with:
Adjustable waistbands
Forgiving fits that don’t sacrifice performance
Real, deep pockets (cue applause 🙌🏽)
Styles and visuals that celebrate a range of ages, body types, and riding styles
They positioned comfort and adaptability as premium performance features — not concessions to age. They built their marketing around community, not just product. And they consistently featured women of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities — not as a one-off, but as a brand standard.
This wasn’t “diversity by default.”
This was inclusivity by design.
📈 The Business Impact: You Don’t Just Sell Product. You Create Markets.
Let’s talk results:
128 backers on Kickstarter sold them out on Day One.
Multiple Best Women’s Mountain Bike Shorts awards from Outside Magazine.
First-mover advantage in a white space no one else saw coming.
A fanbase that became a movement.
Because here’s the truth:
When you build for real people — people who’ve been underserved, overlooked, or flat-out ignored — they show up. Not just as customers. But as evangelists.
🧠 The Takeaways: This Is Bigger Than Biking Shorts
SHREDLY is proof that age-inclusive design isn’t charity work — it’s a growth strategy. And it’s one that more brands need to wake up to, fast.
Here’s what they got right (and what your brand can steal lovingly):
1. Bake Inclusivity Into the Blueprint
It’s not about campaigns. It’s about your operating system. Inclusivity isn’t a layer — it’s the foundation.
2. Sell Benefits Everyone Wants
Comfort, ease, performance, longevity — they aren’t just for “older folks.” They’re for humans. Frame them accordingly.
3. Grow the Pie Without Losing the Slice
You can expand your audience without alienating your core. When done right, inclusivity builds trust within your base and invites new consumers in.
4. Authenticity > Tokenism
Representation isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about building real community and telling real stories. Often, that means showing more — and saying less.
Download the full Shredly business case example here https://www.intransit-co.com/s/Shredly-Case-Study-Short.pdf
🧭 Why This Matters for Every Brand
We’re in the middle of a longevity revolution. By 2030, 50+ consumers will control 70% of all disposable income. This group isn’t aging out — they’re evolving in.
They’re:
Starting second careers
Booking the family vacations
Buying tech and skincare and gear and gadgets
Influencing the generations below them
And yet? Most brands are still stuck in a youth-centric mindset.
That’s where Intransit comes in.
We help future-focused brands rethink their strategies, reposition their messaging, and build for a multigenerational reality. The brands that win aren’t the ones who chase trends. They’re the ones who set them — by seeing, serving, and celebrating people at every stage of life.