Fashion belts for aviation enthusiasts
From single sales to international commerce, a mother/daughter effort to raise money for a vacation turned into the fashion belt company Skybelts. Skybelts are a unique, fashion-conscious way for aspiring pilots to show their love for aviation.
Formerly a flight attendant for United Airlines, Jennifer Longley got the idea for Skybelts while rummaging through a retired Cessna airplane on her property. She took the seatbelt out, looked at it, and had a revelation—aircraft seatbelt buckles could make trendy fashion accessories.
Not long after her daughter blurted out “cool,” an intensive prototype-immersion test was carried out in one of fashion's toughest proving grounds—high school. The instantly recognizable av-belts received enthusiastic teenage praise, and within months Longley's business had taken flight as a multinational project seeing business from 40 countries. “The UK is our largest buyer, but they are popular in the US too” Longley says.
To add to the appeal, Skybelts are fully customizable with logos and ornaments called Skyclips, which boast the states, countries, and cities that you have visited. For additional information, visit the Skybelts Web site.
As originally published in June 2009 edition of Flight Training magazine.
