✊Before 1988, We Needed Permission: The Story Behind Our Name
If you’re a woman who owns a business—or dreams of starting one—you owe a debt to 1988.
Not the year.
The law.
That year, buried beneath headlines about Wall Street, power suits, and pop culture, something radical happened: women were finally recognized as legitimate business owners under federal law.
Before 1988, women across the U.S. were still being told “no” by banks—unless they had a male co-signer. Even with strong credit, a solid plan, and money in the bank, many lenders still required a husband, father, or even son to sign off.
You could build a business.
You just couldn’t own it outright.
And yet—women were starting businesses faster than men. They were doing the work and getting none of the credit. Literally.
💼 The Problem: Women Were Invisible
At the time, the federal government didn’t even track women-owned businesses.
The SBA had no dedicated office for women.
There were no formal resources, no visibility, and no recognition.
On paper, women’s entrepreneurship didn’t exist.
In reality, it was thriving—against all odds.
📣 The Push: Women Took the Mic
In 1986, over 70 women entrepreneurs from across the country testified before Congress, sharing their stories of being denied loans, locked out of contracts, and systematically dismissed.
They weren’t asking for favors—they were demanding fairness.
Organizations like NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) amplified their voices. And Congressman John LaFalce (D-NY) turned their stories into policy by introducing H.R. 5050: The Women’s Business Ownership Act.
With bipartisan support, the bill moved forward.
🖋 The Law That Changed Everything
On October 25, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed H.R. 5050 into law. It wasn’t symbolic. It was structural—and overdue.
This landmark legislation:
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✅ Eliminated the male co-signer requirement for business loans
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✅ Created the Office of Women’s Business Ownership within the SBA
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✅ Funded Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) across the U.S.
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✅ Required the SBA to collect data on women-owned businesses
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✅ Finally acknowledged women as business owners in federal policy
It didn’t just open doors. It proved women belonged in the room—and at the head of the table.
💥 Why It Still Matters
We’ve come a long way—but barriers still exist.
Women still face funding gaps. Visibility gaps. Glass ceilings wrapped in red tape. But the law laid a foundation. It made women’s business ownership visible. It gave us ground to stand on—and permission we never should’ve needed.
That’s why we named our brand 1988.
Not after a trend, but after a turning point.
We exist to honor that fight—and to continue it.
🖤 We Give Credit—Literally
To the women who testified.
To the organizers who pushed.
To the lawmakers who listened.
To the generation who now builds because of them.
1988. is our tribute—and our rebellion in cotton and thread.
Wear the story. Share the history. Give credit where it’s due.
🔗 What You Can Do
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Share this post and tag a woman-owned business
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Follow on IG: @womenowned88
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Shop the collection, wear the story
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Give credit to the ones who paved the way—and the ones rising now