Is there really a Wendy?
Yes, Wendy is a real person. Click here to read her bio.

How did Built by Wendy start? Was it with her guitar straps?
No. Contrary to popular belief, Wendy did not start Built by Wendy from making guitar straps. She began making clothing first in 1991. Because she received a lot of press in the mid 90s for her custom guitar straps most people think this is how she started. Built by Wendy has always been a clothing line, first and foremost.

How do I inquire about jobs/internships at Built by Wendy?
Built by Wendy does not offer internship positions. We are not currently hiring but feel free to send us your resume to keep on file. Email resume to: jobopenings@builtbywendy.com

Why don't you make petite or plus size clothing?
We often get questions as to why we don't make smaller or larger sizes in our clothing. Basically it's impossible for us to make clothes that fit every body size/type. We are not a large corporation with unlimited resources and money. Our sizes generally run from 0 - 12, which is an industry standard. We are sensitive to smaller and larger people. As our company grows we would love to add other segments of fashion like petite, plus, baby, maternity, etc.

How can I find out about your sample sales?
We usually have 2 sample sales each year in New York, and we occasionally have sample sales in Chicago and California. To receive emails about our sample sales, news and events please sign up on our mailing list. We do not share our email list with anyone.

Is Built by Wendy available at other stores?
The complete Built by Wendy collection is only available at our 4 stores and website. We do sell a selection of our items to other stores on a limited basis. Click here for a current list of other retailers.

Who does your art direction and illustrations?
All designs -- whether it’s tee shirts, fabrics, stores, ads, website, etc – are designed by Wendy. She, however, is not that great at the technical aspects of graphic design so she hires various illustrators and designers to render her ideas.

Where are your clothes made?
Our clothing is manufactured both domestically and overseas. All our factories have been personally inspected by Wendy.

Who are the models on your website?
Many of our models are just Wendy’s friends who happen to be in the right place at the right time - meaning when we need a photo of some new clothing to put online and they are in the shop visiting. But we also have gotten it together to do real shoots once in a while with real models or friends who are willing to model for us.

How did the Simplicity Patterns and Sew U book come about?
A customer (and literary agent), who was an avid sewer and appreciated Wendy’s background in home sewing, suggested the idea to Wendy.

Since the book includes sewing patterns Wendy suggested that a real pattern company like Simplicity print them. After working with Simplicity, Wendy suggested she do a small line of sewing patterns for them.