Michelle Baptiste: Reshaping women’s future

BAVINA SOOKDEO

AT 48, said Michelle Baptiste of Chaguanas, she is reshaping the future of women – not only literally, through her growing Caribbean shapewear brand, but also by embodying what it means to be independent, resilient and strong, with firm belief in herself.

Although she celebrates her success today, Baptiste’s early years were far from easy.

“My siblings and I moved around a lot, especially after my parents separated. I was in primary school at the time, and from then, we lived all over Trinidad,” she recalled.

Life settled a little when she moved to south Trinidad to live with her aunt in Morne Diablo, a period that gave Baptiste a taste of family warmth. But growing up was tough as the daughter of a woman raising six children who had to share her love and affection.

“My mother was also a single parent, and our relationship had many struggles,” Baptiste explained.

Her life has been marked by many kinds of abuse, leaving scars that she still carries – both on her body and in her heart.

“I grew up feeling unwanted, like I wasn’t good enough for anyone, so I went into the world already feeling like I didn’t belong.”

But amidst the challenges, Baptiste found inspiration and solace in books.

Her uncle, who lived in the US, became her window to the world. On every visit, he brought her a book. The first she read, at around 11, was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Year after year, she devoured books, nurturing her curiosity and imagination.

“I grew up well-read and always dreaming. I’ve been a dreamer from then.”

Books became her refuge.

“I would close my eyes and imagine being someone else, somewhere else.”

That inner world nurtured her creativity and love for creative writing, even as her deep insecurities about her body and her appearance grew.

“I always thought I was ugly and unattractive. I tried to hide my scars, to cover up, to disappear.”

But she also began trying to better herself from early. As a child, Baptiste sold stewed tamarind in primary school, helped her siblings and friends with their schoolwork for payments of 25 cents, and repackaged items to sell for profit.

“Because we didn’t have much growing up, I guess I had no choice,” she explained. “From an early age, people used to call me a hustler, because I always had to make extra money. I was always finding creative ways to earn a little more.

“That’s where I first saw the profitability of entrepreneurship. As an employee, your income is limited, but when you work for yourself, whatever you put in is what you get out – and I think that’s what really made me an entrepreneur.”

With a family background in tailoring – her grandfather in Tobago; her mother was a seamstress; and her aunt, a nurse, was fond of sewing – Baptiste was surrounded by design from an early age. “Whenever I found any extra pieces of fabric, I would try to repurpose them or design something. My first personal scrapbook was actually Selective Designs, where I started to design my own clothing line from an early age.”

Baptiste did design while she attended the South East Port of Spain Secondary School and later took a certificate course at the John Donaldson Technical Institute. She honed her skills with a designer in Mausica, then worked with Elite Garments before transitioning into management roles such as shift manager at Prestige Holdings. Her career later evolved through sales, project management and new business development.

She also taught entrepreneurship in the evenings with YTEPP and primary-school classes at the Christian Primary Academy in Arima.

It was her entrepreneurial spirit, combined with her understanding of women’s needs, that led to the creation of her shapewear brand, Selecfit.

In an effort to make ends meet, Baptiste had been selling internationally made shapewear for years. But, she said, “Because of my own experiences and feedback from customers, I realised Caribbean women needed shapewear designed for our unique bodies – the curves, the hips, the stomach. It was difficult finding the right fit.”

She had realised this for herself.

“Social media wasn’t big then, but I shared my weight-loss journey online after having my son. I remember ordering three shapers from Amazon – they didn’t fit, even though I followed the size chart.

“That’s when I decided to take a risk and source my own.”

After deciding to create her own line, she turned to a friend of her son’s, a young graphic designer.

“I told him, ‘I want my own brand – something that looks international, not just local,’” she said. After several drafts and her own sketches, trying and retrying, the Selecfit logo emerged. Her eldest son inspired the tagline.

“One day he asked, ‘Mummy, what exactly are you trying to do?’” Baptiste recalled.

She replied, “I’m trying to reshape how shapewear fits.”

“He thought for a moment and said, ‘Mummy, say – ‘Reshape the future.’

“And that became my tagline. That moment really brought Selecfit to life as a true brand.”

Working with suppliers in China and Colombia, Baptiste sourced fabrics that met her standards, collaborated on designs and meticulously produced her first pieces abroad, turning sketches into a full-fledged brand.

She didn’t have a credit card, but loaded a prepaid one and used her salary to order just 12 pieces. “When the shipment arrived, I couldn’t even clear it until my next payday,” she laughed. “It sat there for weeks.”

In 2009, Selecfit was launched, then her first store in 2016, at Maloney Shopping Mall (now closed). She expanded to South Park Mall and Valpark. In addition to shapewear, after much testing, Baptiste added Selecfit FUPA Slim Tea, Slim Cream and Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies to her line.

Launching a business was tough.

“I was a single parent, working full time, and managing everything myself.”

She often picked up her children after school, had them do their homework in the car or at restaurants, and met customers wherever she could – Glencoe, Arima, Curepe Junction – even Frederick Street in Port of Spain.

“It was hard, but my children were always supportive. They understood that Mum had a dream – and that dream was worth it.”

But her personal life was still hard.

“My life feels like a movie. I’ve experienced so much loss and pain that sometimes it’s hard for one person to hear it all.”

She lost both her only sister and her favourite brother, Dale, to cancer – and her grandmother, who was like a mother to her. It was also a time of sacrifice – using rent money to reinvest in stock, working long hours and making ends meet – but Baptiste never lost sight of her dream.

“I always had my measuring tape around my neck, fitting women and men right there on the street (yes, I have male customers too).”

And over time, through faith, friendship and her work, Baptiste began to heal.

“I started meeting other women – customers, church friends – who looked perfect on the outside but carried their own pain. That’s when I realised that insecurity doesn’t have a size. We all struggle with how we see ourselves.”

Her customers, too, “would come from all over – Dubai, the US, Canada – and remind me of how I made them feel seen and beautiful. It’s ironic, but in helping other women feel confident, they helped me learn to love myself.”

But as the mother of three, Baptiste says her children have been her greatest source of love and strength.

“I’m still single, but I see it as a choice – a choice to build something meaningful, to leave a legacy for my daughter and my sons. The pain is still there, but it no longer defines me.”

Baptiste said these experiences, combined with her faith, have made her resilient. She draws strength from the Bible, modelling her life on figures like King David and Joseph, finding guidance in the lessons of perseverance, vision and unwavering faith.

Baptiste said her commitment to quality and authenticity sets her apart and she personally tests every product, ensuring it delivers real results.

Now her focus is on expansion. In 2026, she aims to manufacture Selecfit locally, enabling her to export regionally and eventually globally.

“That’s what I’m actively working on right now, and I’m really excited to get it off the ground early next year.”

With two locations, she’s planning to open a third store in the west and to host pop-ups in Tobago. Recently, she also became an Amazon seller.

“My bra line, Selecfit Backfat Bra, developed in 2024, is available there, and I’m currently working with one of my suppliers to build out a Shopify site. That way, customers abroad can easily order.”

Baptiste has heard from interested businesses in Guyana and Barbados that want to carry her Selecfit shapewear line, but because the products are currently imported, she has held off until local production begins.

“Once we start manufacturing here, the plan is to export regionally.”

In the meantime, Baptiste continues to grow her slimline range of teas, creams and gummies.

“The goal now is to make these products more accessible across the Caribbean – on store shelves, not just online – while preparing for regional distribution of my shapewear and bra lines in 2026.”

She also uses her platform to promote body positivity, featuring real women of all sizes and backgrounds.

And she mentors aspiring female entrepreneurs, helping them to face fears and embrace their potential.

Asked what message she would like to share with women as Entrepreneurship Month is observed, Baptiste said, “My advice to any young woman who comes to me afraid to start is simple – the fear never goes away. But you have to feel the fear and do it anyway.

“As motivational speaker Les Brown says, you have to be hungry, desperate and willing to give your all. If you’re not ready to give your all, then it’s not time yet.”

She added that being a female entrepreneur comes with unique challenges.

“We sacrifice more because we’re mothers, nurturers – our lives are different. It takes a different kind of mental strength to balance it all.”

But Baptiste reminds women that they already have what it takes.

“Every woman is an entrepreneur without realising it. When you stretch $500 to pay bills, buy groceries and make ends meet, you’re already doing accounting and management.

“Believe that you’re ready, trust yourself and when the time comes – take the leap.”

Baptiste can be found under the Selecfit Shapewear name on any social media platform.