Cardiff woman offers a naked truth: Bald is beautiful

By: PATTY McCORMAC - For the North County Times | Saturday, October 20, 2007 1:12 PM PDT ∞

Bald is sexy. Know it. Own it. Wear it! That's the motto of Renee Linnell's e-tail company that offers T-shirts carrying the words "Bald Men Rock."

But another facet of her business is the "Bald Babes Rock" line, which encourages women who are losing their hair while undergoing chemotherapy. To observe October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Linnell will give 20 percent of the sale of her shirts to the Young Survival Coalition, which supports breast cancer victims age 40 and under.

The "Bald Babes Rock" T-shirts come in pink and white. Some have rhinestones and declare that women undergoing treatment are "Bald, Beautiful and Brave." They're priced about $25.

"I just want to put some sparkle back into women's eyes again when they are dealing with cancer," said the 34-year-old Cardiff resident.

Her godmother, Susanna Cox, who lived on the East Coast, was her inspiration for the "Bald Babes Rock" T-shirts.

"She was my best friend. My parents died early and she helped raise me," Linnell said. Cox died of cancer about a year ago at age 83.

Linnell said that while her godmother was battling the disease, even though she had no hair, her beautiful spirit shone through.

"Beauty comes from within. It's our own spirit that makes us beautiful," Linnell said. She only wishes she could have gotten her business up and running before Cox died.

"I just wish I could have had her wearing a rhinestone shirt," she said.

The idea for the company came to her while she was dating a bald man whom she considered incredibly sexy. She said she literally woke up one morning with the idea and decided to pursue the e-commerce business without an ounce of experience in the field, having been an Argentine tango teacher and dancer.

She made the first "Bald Guys Rock" T-shirts for men, and for women to wear to support their men. The line also includes shorts, tank tops and long-sleeved T-shirts, ranging from $12.95 to $24.95.

At about the same time, she included the "Bald Babes Rock" line.

Her start-up costs were high, she said, because she wanted to use a good quality shirt fabric ---- and she wanted to make sure the workers who applied the rhinestones were not working in sweatshops. A trip to the Los Angeles garment district assured her the workers were being treated fairly and were well-paid, she said.

She launched her business in April at the Encinitas Street fair. "Everyone who passed the booth smiled," she said. "The purpose of this business is to make people smile."

The line now also includes a "Bald Babies Rock" onesie that costs $15.99.

When Breast Cancer Awareness Month began, she wanted to donate, but she had spent all of her money on her company startup.

"I have no money. It is all in this company, but I can donate 20 percent of each sale," she said.

She chose to give the money to the Young Survival Coalition because it is San Diego-based and it is small enough that she is sure the money goes directly to cancer patients rather than to administrative costs, she said.

The organization is composed of young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are undergoing treatment, or who have had treatments and support other young women who face the same diagnosis.

Linnell said her mission is to help someone who has just been diagnosed to feel a little better.

Visit her Web site at www.baldbabesrock.com.