Women Led Directory /
Business Genre

Bess & George

Somewhere between a Gossip Girl and a Golden Girl is a woman who refuses to be defined by a life
stage or a generation. “Middle Aged” and “Generation X” aren’t labels that resonate, and she doesn’t
really appreciate the term “mom jeans.” She is self-aware, financially sound, and yet she has absolutely
nothing to wear. Enter Bess & George, an Austin-based, women-owned apparel company focused on
creating flattering, stylish, high-quality clothing that makes it easier for busy women to get dressed.

A few years ago, we had reached a point where the apparel choices available in stores and online just
weren't working for us anymore. After much angst, we finally realized the problem wasn't us — it was
the clothes. Our shopping options seemed designed for either our mothers or our teenaged daughters!
We knew we could do better — we could make high-quality pieces that fit beautifully and hit the right
balance between stylish and age appropriate. So we made the clothes we wanted to wear.

Bess & George uses super soft fabrics to create comfortable clothes disguised as extraordinary everyday
wear. Thoughtful details such as strategic ruching and faux wrapping won’t leave women overexposed,
and the classic designs support a variety of body types. These versatile styles enable women to go to the
office, the game, or the couch, and look fabulous the entire time. Our products are designed and made
in Austin, Texas, and we are thrilled to support our talented local artisans. Our goal is to boost women’s
confidence and help them have a great day – whatever the day may bring.

Business Website Address
https://bessandgeorge.com

Founder Image
Founder(s), CEO and/or President Erin Dempsey and Jen Caven
Founder Story
When Jen (a management consultant) and Erin (an attorney) first met, they felt an instant camaraderie. Both had families and careers, but they felt like something was missing — that this phase of life, although busy and exciting, was also really isolating. Working, managing households, and driving carpool left them little time for their supportive community of women friends.

Jen and Erin’s own experiences eventually spawned the idea to build a community for women feeling similar angst about this new life stage. They often joked about having nothing to wear, avoiding stores their daughters frequent, and acquiring the rare “decent shirt” in multiple colors. These struggles led them to the idea that perhaps THIS was the community: other women who felt trapped by shopping options designed for women younger or older, whose once-reliable brands now offered cheaply made, fast-fashion clothes that required too much trying on and tailoring.

With further research (and lots of support from their team of family and friends), Jen and Erin solidified their mission and jumped into the adventure of improving the closets of women like themselves. They combined their business experience, their passion for fit and style, and their tenacity and founded Bess & George. Today, Jen handles the strategic direction and Erin supervises the community engagement. They work together on product development, inspired by the growing community of women they love. And they still both do a lot of driving.
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