What Happened To SkinnyShirt After Shark Tank?
The mantra of "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to reality TV and game shows — specifically for those of us who get fully invested in the program and the lives of contestants outside of filming. This is especially true when a show has a long-standing legacy and a sea of past participants. Take "Shark Tank" as an example.
On each of the show's 15 seasons, roughly 158 out of the 40,000 entrepreneurs estimated to have applied are chosen to grace the stage. With so many contestants churning out products, questions may remain for viewers when episodes end, such as the future success of the business and whether or not it ... tanked (no pun intended).
Although it may not be the most successful product in the show's history, entrepreneur Julie Kalimian of Season 6 is no exception as a business owner that kept viewers wondering what happened after the Tank. Kalimian created the SkinnyShirt, a hybrid of a collared shirt and a sweater that offered instant breathability to any office look. Her appearance on the show left a lasting impression on "Shark Tank" not only for her stylish presentation but also for her concerning manufacturing numbers.
What is the SkinnyShirt?
In the episode, Julie Kalimian used a model to demonstrate her design. The model started the presentation in a wrinkled, bunched-up collared sweater, and later changed into the smooth silhouette of the SkinnyShirt, surprising the judges. Kalimian praised the innovative design of the "SkinnyShirt" for its ability to avoid wrinkling and riding up on the body.
While this did impress the business-savvy sharks, Julie explained that she had a somewhat short-term issue with a prior, unreliable manufacturer, which sealed her fate in the long run. Evidently, the decision was made to decline her business proposition, as well as question it. Kevin O'Leary guffawed at the product's future, even suggesting other competitors would "crush her like the cockroach that she was." However, after the episode wrapped, Kalimian was contacted by several merchandisers who wanted to distribute her product, some of which included QVC and The Grommet, according to the Gazette Review.
The fate of SkinnyShirt
The first sign of trouble for SkinnyShirt was documented in a post on the company's Facebook page in May of 2018, advertising a 75% off sale. However, due to high demand and a lack of staff, many orders were lost in the shuffle. Those SkinnyShirt customers received an apology from the company through a comment on the post, as well as a further explanation. "The person who processes orders had a recent death in her family," the company stated. "Therefore, the orders have not all been processed yet."
It is unknown what the specific causes were for the company's collapse as a whole, but after SkinnyShirt went out of business, there was little-to-no activity happening on either the company's Instagram or website. (In fact, the website was eventually deleted altogether). The only activity on the Facebook page after the company's going-out-of-business announcement was a possible spam post in June 2018, advertising a Groupon for a ruffle shirt. So, it looks like SkinnyShirt's web presence is minimal to nonexistent.
It's unconfirmed what Julie Kalimian has been working on since closing SkinnyShirt. As of 2023, her LinkedIn profile still reports her as the founder and CEO of SkinnyShirt, with additional credits dating back to the '90s. It seems as though the SkinnyShirt reign is over.