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`A comfortable convenience: County womancreates, patents the ‘pocketbra’'
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`By Derek Gentile, Berkshire Eagle Staff
`May 12, 2014
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`Sherry Goff, a Williamstown native, is the inventor of the pocket bra. Sheis in the processof innovating other products including tennis pockets.Gillian Jones /
`Berkshire Eagle Staff / photos.berkshireeagle.com
`Gillian Jones
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`Photo Gallery |
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`The Pocket Bra
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`WILLIAMSTOWN-- The pocketbra is one of those ideas that seems so simple. Wheninventor Sherry Goff
`thoughtofit several years ago, she was sure someoneelse had,too.
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`"It seemed pretty obvious," she said.
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`But it apparently wasn't as obviousto othersas it was to Goff.
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`So in April of 2011, she filed a patent for the pocketbra. There are other pocketed brassieres on the Internet but
`Goff's are the only onesthat are patented.
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`The Goff name maybe familiar to county residents, particularly golfers. Her father was the late Rudy Goff, a
`longtime North Countygolfing legend.
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`Sherry Goff was no slouch onthelinks herself. The 1977 Mount Greylock Regional High School graduate wasa
`scholarship golfer at Rollins College in Florida.
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`About a decadeago, though,herlife was in flux. Her marriage hadn't worked out, and her kids were grown.
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`It seemedasif she was ready for something else. Exactly what that was Goff didn't know.
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`But eventually, the idea for a pocketbra cameup.It was a concept bornof necessity. Goff enjoyed talking long
`walks. She needed to keep hercell phonecloseby, but didn't like carrying it. And she didn't like stuffing it down
`herbra.
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`"Sweaty, uncomfortable, I just didn't like it," she said.
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`So the pocketbra idea began to germinate.
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`"The apparel industry hasn't recognized the need for technology storage [on women],” Goffsaid.
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`"They need a safe, dependable place to put their keys, phones,credit cards.
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`"The social aspectof ourlives are dependenton technology
`more and more,’ said Goff. "This piece of clothing combines
`wearable technology with fashion."
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`And while manyofthe usesarelinked to athletic activities,
`Goff is adamant that the pocketbrais notreally a sportsbra.
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`"No,' shesaid. "It's a women's bra.It's not just for sports."
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`In fact, Goff said she recently received a message from a
`motherwith a diabetic daughter. The mother wanted one of
`Goff's bras to store her daughter's insulin pump.
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`"It as an unexpected use I hadn't thoughtof," she said. "And I wouldn't be surprised if other uses popped up."
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`Theinitial design has a pocket on both sides of the garment and two morein thefront Right now,sizes range from
`32B to 38D. That may change, because Goff said she is receiving requestsfor largersizes.
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`The only wayto currently purchase one of Goff's pocketbrasis to go to her website, www.pocketbra.com. Goff is
`in the early stages of marketing the item,andisstill looking at new designs.
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`“But if someone wants one, we have them now,’ shesaid.
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`To reach Derek Gentile:
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`dgentile@berkshireeagle.com,
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`oO= (413) 496-6251.
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`On Twitter: @DerekGentile
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