My name is Preston Perry, and I’m the founder of Weighted Apparel. I’m a 22-year-old full-time student at Utah Valley University.
Growing up, I saw firsthand what mental health struggles can do to the people we love.
I watched depression take the joy out of people until they hardly recognized themselves. I saw suicidal thoughts convince people I cared about that the world would be better without them. I watched eating disorders turn something as simple as food into a daily battle. I learned how PTSD can hold even the strongest people hostage in their own minds.
And I experienced anxiety myself.
For years, anxiety made school difficult, friendships feel impossible, and everyday situations seem bigger than they were. I constantly imagined the worst possible outcome. I felt different from everyone around me, and for a long time, I believed that was simply who I was.
Then I moved to Utah and started building friendships.
As people became comfortable opening up to me, I started hearing their stories. Different struggles, different experiences but many of the same feelings I had carried for years.
That’s when I realized something:
I was never as alone as I thought I was.
That realization became the foundation of Weighted Apparel.
I wanted to create something that could start the conversations we’re often afraid to have. Not just about suicide, but about anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, and the countless struggles people carry without anyone else knowing.
Weighted is built around a simple belief: we shouldn't have to carry that weight alone.
Through our clothing, our stories, and the community we’re building, I want people to feel comfortable talking about what they’re going through. I want those who feel forgotten to know they are loved. I want those who feel alone to realize someone understands. And I want those who have lost hope to find a reason to keep going.
Because sometimes discovering that someone else understands what you're carrying can change everything.
The weight is real. But you were never meant to carry it alone.