Lockdown business idea turns into showroom of colourful leggings

At Indelicate you can buy any kind of legging, as long as it’s not boring. Instead, any shade of the rainbow goes, cartoons, characters, wild and crazy patterns make up the store’s vast collection of leggings, bra-tops and shorts.

If you want to get noticed and live a little outside the box, this is where you swipe your plastic. What started out as on online retail idea during lockdown last year has transformed into a showroom of colourful proportions in Fairland, Johannesburg.

“The whole idea came about because of Zoom meetings,” says store owner Marco Vargas.

“Lockdown saw us all at home, working from home and existing in online meeting spaces. And, of course, while you may have donned something more formal on top, nobody saw the pyjamas you were wearing at the bottom.”

He says Indelicate was sprouted from the idea that you want to be comfortable and funky while wearing something other than your sleepwear while working online. And with athleisure dominating fashion presently, leggings fulfil just that as well as any venture outside, whether it be to the mall or for lunch.

“We design out of the box,” says Vargas who shares that there’s no such thing as plain and yawn in leggings. Indelicate’s garments make a statement, and the range is wide enough that anyone can say something with their clobber, and not look run of the mill. The brand started by sourcing and importing stock from international suppliers.

“But what we really wanted was to manufacture in South Africa,” says Vargas. “To that end we have slowly grown and about half of everything we do is made locally.”

He says his objective is to eventually create everything at home.

“This way it contributes to creating employment and making my little contribution to our economy,” he says.

Even solid colour leggings, tops and shorts at Indelicate have a texture and something different about its look and feel. Browsing through the store can be an adventure for hours, matching designs and really-cool looks to your personality.

And there’s a lot to choose from. From leopard braided leggings through to split pants, zebra print cheeky shorts with matching bra-tops, Thai-die tie-up leggings, kitty cat, cartoon and Tim Burton-esque designs. Indelicate also makes funky athleisure for kids and mom’s to be.

“We introduce new designs every four to five weeks,” says Vargas. “It’s important to keep our collection fluid with new ideas and shades of creativity.”

And Indelicate’s left-of-centre approach has found resonance with fashionables who are in the know. His online store his anchor. “Buying from a website can sometimes be a bit daunting,” he says, “and that’s why from the get-go we focused not just on our product but on customer service”.

“In Gauteng we try and provide a same-day delivery service and get your goods to you within a day when ordering from other provinces,” he says. This is what he believes creates trust with customers and ignites word of mouth. Vargas adds that recently there has been a surge in international sales, too.

“Leggings are every-wear these days. Whether it’s for gym, for home or going out, there is a look and a design that suits the purpose. And here, at Indelicate, our objective is to have the right stuff.”