DETROIT LAKES, Minn. — On a perfect summer day, few things ruin the mood like buzzing mosquitoes or greasy, chemical-smelling bug spray. That’s why one Detroit Lakes woman has created a stylish and scent-free alternative.
Barb Owen-Boerger is the founder of Getaway Kimonos, a business that makes insect-repellent apparel designed with both fashion and function in mind. Her long, sheer, robe-like kimonos are treated with permethrin, an EPA-approved chemical that repels insects without being applied directly to the skin.
“This is my one with a hole punched out of it. This is my tester … I should probably take this one off,” said Owen-Boerger, holding up a prototype.
She says she was aware of insect-repellent clothing but couldn’t find any she felt comfortable wearing.
“Anytime you hear yourself say in your head, ‘Man, somebody should blank,’ or ‘Why isn’t somebody doing blank?’ It’s an opportunity, and so that’s kind of how I looked at it,” she said.
Although the idea came to her over a decade ago, the business has gained momentum over the past year.
“The insect repellent apparel market really has catered towards men for the last several decades. And my joke is kind of, we’re taking it out of the woods and bringing it to happy hour, right?” she said.
Owen-Boerger says spraying permethrin in yards is common, but it kills all insects — including pollinators.
“When people spray their yards with permethrin, and it’s done all the time, I get it, but that also kills any insects, including pollinators. Fun fact, mosquitoes are pollinators, by the way, but it kills all insects,” she said.
Because her kimono only affects bugs that come into contact with it, she says it’s a safer, more targeted alternative.
“It puts the insect repellent near your skin instead of on it. And I think, as a mom, that was something that always bothered me. What am I spraying my kids with?” Owen-Boerger said.
She adds that once customers understand how the kimono works, it quickly becomes their preferred method for staying bug-free — without sticky residue or strong odors.
Owen-Boerger says her kimonos have already been picked up by wholesalers in Aitkin and Rochester and will soon be available at a Detroit Lakes store. They’re also available online at
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Kjersti Maday joined WDAY as a reporter in May of 2024. She is a native of Granada, Minnesota and graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2015.
