SNR Is Going To Be A Little Upset

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from ARWEAR on Vimeo.


AR Wear - A clothing line offering wearable protection for when things go wrong.


PREFACE

Rape is about as wrong as it gets. The only one responsible for a rape is the rapist and AR Wear will not solve the fundamental problem that rape exists in our world. Only by raising awareness and education, as well as bringing rapists to justice, can we all hope to eventually accomplish the goal of eliminating rape as a threat to both women and men. Meanwhile, as long as sexual predators continue to populate our world, AR Wear would like to provide products to women and girls that will offer better protection against some attempted rapes while the work of changing society's rape culture moves forward.

OUR STORY


**Please refer to "Updates" for additional information posted since campaign launch**
**NOTE: While we have reached our goal, we are appreciative of all additional donations**

We developed this product so that women and girls could have more power to control the outcome of a sexual assault. We wanted to offer some peace of mind in situations that cause feelings of apprehension, such as going out on a blind date, taking an evening run, “clubbing”, traveling in unfamiliar countries, and any other activity that might make one anxious about the possibility of an assault.
Although we believe that self-defense skills can help to resist an attempted assault, they cannot be used in all situations and will not always be effective. Other tools of self-defense currently available are also not effective in many common settings of sexual assault. Products such as pepper spray, tear gas, stun guns, etc. require that the potential victim be very alert and might be taken away to use against her.

We read studies reviewing the statistics of resisting assault, whether by forceful or non-forceful means. We learned that resistance increases the chance of avoiding a completed rape without making the victim more likely to be physically injured. We concluded that an item of clothing that creates an effective barrier layer can allow women and girls to passively resist an attacker, in addition to any other form of resistance they may be able to carry out at the time of an assault.




Our goal is to offer a wide range of wearable items, which will include assorted types and styles of underwear, running shorts, traveling shorts, etc., suitable for different situations and the styles of individual users. The challenge was to design products that can be worn comfortably while still being able to frustrate an assault effectively. The garments must be very difficult for someone else to remove by either force or stealth (in situations where the victim cannot resist because she has had too much to drink, was drugged, or is asleep).
They need to be resistant to pulling, tearing and cutting while being comfortable to wear during normal activities and, as in the case of underwear, fit smoothly under form-fitting outer clothing

Since we did not find a single material that fulfilled these requirements, our solution was to strengthen specific elements of our garments using an innovative skeletal structure which allows them to remain soft and ergonomic. The waist, thighs, and central panels are protected with specially designed, cut resistant straps and webbing. Once the waist girth has been adjusted and secured with its unique locking device, the garment cannot be pulled down. Since a female’s waist measurement is generally less than that of her pelvic area, the waist strap can be locked at a comfortable position and still prevent unwanted removal of the garment. The thigh straps, after an initial adjustment by the wearer, prevent the leg openings from being lifted or shifted to the sides by someone else. The center panels are connected to both the waist and thigh straps to create a unified protective skeletal structure.


WHY ARE WE ON INDIEGOGO?

We are here for several reasons:
- We need your financial support so that we can finalize prototypes that can be production ready.
- We need to know that other people believe that this product line should exist.
We feel very strongly about women’s safety and believe that we have successfully combined technology and fashion to help solve a problem that has not been adequately addressed in our society. We hope to work with organizations that combat violence against women and which offer support to those who have been violated.
No product alone can solve the problem of violence against women. Nevertheless, a woman or girl who is wearing one of our garments will be sending a clear message to her would-be assailant that she is NOT consenting. We believe that this undeniable message can help to prevent a significant number of rapes.
REWARDS

We have agonized over the subject of rewards for our supporters. We cannot in good conscience predict when our garments will be in production (see "Forecast & Challenges”) so feel that it would be unrealistic to offer the actual product as a reward. July 2014 (listed as our estimated delivery date) is when we hope to have our final prototype ready. Other customary rewards, such as key chains, stickers, t-shirts or hats, seem inappropriate considering the seriousness of our message and product line. We hope that our supporters will agree that all funds raised here should go towards making this project a success, rather than spending a portion on unrelated rewards, so that we can launch a product line that will let women and girls, as well as concerned loved ones, worry less and feel more secure.
FORECAST & CHALLENGES

After several years of research, development, and testing, we have submitted a patent application and produced prototypes of the designs presented in our video. These are “concept prototypes”. Our next step, which we are hoping to fund here, is to finalize prototypes that are production-ready, while we simultaneously continue to develop additional styles and variations. The amount we have chosen as our campaign target is meant to complete this step, but may not be sufficient for finalizing production-ready prototypes since we cannot predict all of the obstacles we may encounter with such a unique structure and materials. We can assure our supporters that, if necessary, we will find the additional resources that may be required to complete this step towards making AR Wear a reality. Once we have finalized the prototypes, we will start another round of funding for the investment required to create the production line. Any funds we receive in excess of our target here will expedite the process of putting into operation the specifically designed production line that will be needed so that AR Wear can be available as soon as possible.



http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ar...at-can-be-worn