Meet Cassidy

Meet the Founder

Cassidy Van Slyke Blenke

I'm Cassidy Van Slyke Blenke, founder of Timeless Grace Lifestyle Wear, a St. Louis-based lifestyle brand redefining the apron for modern women. After leaving my corporate career to raise my children, I experienced firsthand the invisible labor, constant movement, and identity shift many women navigate daily. In that season, I identified a market gap hiding in plain sight: women were underserved by functional garments designed specifically for the realities of modern life.

Traditional utility aprons were historically engineered around male proportions and trade-specific use. As NIOSH notes, "Women in non-traditional employment may face health and safety risks due to the equipment and clothing provided to them at their workplace. PPE and clothing are often designed for average-sized men." Fashion aprons, on the other hand, often prioritized aesthetics over functionality. I designed something different.

The Classic Grace Apron sits in a new category between workwear, hostess wear, caregiving apparel, gardening utility, and elevated lifestyle fashion. Designed with inclusive sizing, adjustable side snaps, extended ties, nursing-friendly drape, deep utility pockets, and elevated fabrication, it adapts across body types, seasons of life, and use cases, from gardening and floral work to hosting, caregiving, creating, teaching, and everyday living.

Read the Full Founder Story →

Traction

Brand Performance and Early Validation

Since launching in October 2025:

• ✦  Features in Southern Lady, Victoria Magazine, and The Southern C, COTERIE
• ✦  Retail placement expansion across specialty boutiques
• ✦  Exclusive VIP gifting partnerships and experiential event collaborations
• ✦  Growing organic customer engagement driven by word-of-mouth and repeat purchases

Market Context

Why It Resonates

Timeless Grace Lifestyle Wear intersects with several growing consumer trends:

• ✦  Women seeking multifunctional, investment-quality garments that are ethically produced
• ✦  Increased demand for products supporting home-centered lifestyles, caregiving, gardening, hosting, and creative work
• ✦  Consumer preference for emotionally resonant brands with authentic founder-led storytelling
• ✦  Growth in elevated utility wear and functional apparel designed for the modern woman

At its core, Timeless Grace Lifestyle Wear is about designing products that honor the complexity, capability, and movement of modern women.