CINCINNATI — When Andrea Minnillo wanted to buy clothing that showed sports or achievement for her two young girls, she struggled to find anything in the stores. So she created them herself. 


What You Need To Know

  • Andrea Minnillo discovered there was an issue with children's clothing when she wanted to find sports and achievement inspired clothes for her two daughters but couldn't find anything that fit the bill

  • So Minnillo decided to solve the problem herself and created The Girl Republic

  • The clothing designs vary from math, basketball, soccer, and more

  • Minnillo hopes that her t-shirts help inspire girls and women and help shift how the clothing industry designs clothes

​​Minnillo has to go to her mother’s basement when packing up orders for her company: The Girl Republic.

“It’s not easy being an entrepreneur," Minnillo said. "It’s not easy starting from scratch.”

But Minnillo does the hard work anyway because she saw a problem when trying to buy clothes for her two girls.

“I’m really into sports," she said. "I’m really into math and science and I would go and try to find a onesie, let’s just say a basketball onesie, I couldn’t find it.”

She said after having her son, she realized how different boys' and girls' clothes are.

“Why is this?" she asked. "Why can’t I find something for my girls that are very similar?”

That's why she started The Girl Republic in early 2020 and started creating designs that inspire girls like math, soccer and basketball t-shirts.

“To me, it speaks to that women and girls shouldn’t be afraid to go into any type of math career or science career that maybe they would have been scared away from before," Minnillo said.

Now, she has several designs ranging from baby sizes to adults. But she’s seen an increase in demand for young girls.

“I’ve definitely been focusing more on the youth, actually my daughters' age range," she said.

Her daughters have served as Minnillo’s inspiration and she hopes these shirts inspire other girls too.

“Women are amazing beings on this earth," she said. "We are capable of so many things. And I want girls to never be afraid to take a chance. I don’t want society to hold them back.”

Her kids have even gotten involved in the business, helping to sell the shirts at different festivals.

“They really enjoy it and that to me is . . . what makes it all worth it," Minnillo said.

“I’m kind of proud of myself, selfishly, that I had the guts to take the chance," she said.

Minnillo offers sizes ranging from infants to adults.

You can purchase her apparel at local festivals, like City Flea, or on her website.