109: Every Body, Size + Shape Belongs Outside

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with the founder of Alpine Parrot, an outdoor apparel company for plus size women, Raquel Vélez. Alpine Parrot's mission is to create outdoor clothing that encourages and celebrates underrepresented people in the outdoors, namely people of size and people of color, prioritizing sustainable fashion. Raquel believes every body can look and feel great outside, and we hear how she is using her background in engineering to make this vision come to life. In this episode, Raquel and I talk about the realities of clothing production and sizing, and how she started Alpine Parrot to fill a gap in the market: outdoor clothing that fits different sizes and shapes of body. We discuss the importance of feeling good in what we wear, moving comfortably, and finding apparel that fits you rather than trying to fit your body into clothing based off of an unrealistic fit model. We touch on the importance of fueling outdoor adventures and activity for enjoyment rather than trying to change your body: movement and the outdoors are for everyone, regardless of size and shape. Find Alpine Parrot on Instagram @alpineparrot and online at https://alpineparrot.com/  Follow me, your host Lindsey Cortes, on Instagram @female.athlete.nutrition  Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation?  Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com/riseup for 20% off the entire store for a limited time only! THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. Practice Better Click the link below to view plans and get a 14-day free trial. Then use the code RISEUP20 for 20% off your first 4 months: https://practicebetter.grsm.io/runp  In this episode we talk about: 3:30 Raquel’s introduction to the outdoors through camping and being active in Puerto Rico  9:00 Falling in love with skiing in the US, saying yes to new opportunities and finding backpacking. 13:00 Solving clothing struggles: sizing, fast fashion, durability, comfort and fit.  16:20 Fast track learning how to sow to starting her own clothing company, taking a risk stepping away from a comfortable well-paying job in the tech industry 21:30 The importance of being comfortable in your clothes 23:20 Raquel’s company Alpine Parrot, outdoor apparel for plus sized women, and the realities of how clothing is made based on an unrepresentative fit model. 27:10 How Alpine Parrot is different, designed to fit different sizes and shapes of body 31:30 Tips for finding your fit, finding clothes that fit your body rather than trying to fit your body into a certain size 36:50 Snacks! Fueling epic outdoor adventures 40:30 Activity for enjoyment rather than trying to change your body 44:00 End of the podcast questions