Pandemic postures. Slouching on Zoom calls. Back pain as you duck your head down to read your phone for the nth time.
While many of us have had cell phones and worked in front of computers for years, the pandemic changed everything in terms of how frequently, and for how long, we engage and communicate with colleagues, family and friends via digital devices. Al that time spent at our desks or looking at our phones have taken an incredible toll on our bodies and our minds.
So says Mill Valley resident Kristina Rudzinskaya, who, after completing my Pilates teacher training program and thinking constantly about the posture of herself and her colleagues, quit her tech job to tackle poor posture developed due to unergonomic home workspaces and excessive time on our phones.
Rudzinskaya has launched Etalon, which means “standard” in French. She believes that healthy posture — and all of the benefits that come with it — should be the new standard. She seeks to help people improve their postures in a kind and enjoyable way via her patent-pending design that she says has garnered praise from leading orthopedists in the SF Bay Area.
Etalon Posture Apparel is designed and sustainably manufactured in the San Francisco Bay Area using fabric from rPET (recycled post-consumer plastic bottles) with a modified structure that makes it biodegradable. The company’s mission is to create alignment in people’s lives by helping them to create alignment in their bodies.
“Etalon apparel is designed to be pretty, modern, and comfortable — so your enjoyment of it is equal to the benefits of wearing it,” Rudzinskaya says. “Instead of hiding it, you can wear it instead of a bra or top. We believe in caring for our health and the health of our planet. That’s why we use recycled materials, environmentally friendly packaging, and donate 1% of our profits to mental health programs.”
Rudzinskaya is launching the product line here , with a focus on reaching out to her neighbors in Marin, in preparation for a Kickstarter campaign this fall.