You’ll likely end up in stitches after spending just a few minutes with Erin Bickley and Jenny Greer.

The two Macon women, founding members of their own make-believe “silly” club, are most comfortable looking at the light-hearted side of most everything.

Still, the duo, who have been best friends for 15 years, are serious about their latest venture – a clothing line called “Hold Your Haunches.”

The clothes consist of versatile leggings designed for everyday wear while providing compression-like support to women. Their marketing tag line is, not surprisingly, a whimsical “’cause a girl has a right to look tight.”

The idea started 18 months ago as a personal solution for Bickley and Greer. Both were frustrated with the uncomfortable feeling they got when they exercised. Bickley said she constantly worried about “what was flying around behind her,” and Greer was concerned about the “crawl of her underwear.”

“I started Googling and trying to find something that could hold you tight, and there wasn’t one,” the 42-year-old Bickely said. “Both of us kept saying, ‘There has got to be an exercise pant that has built-in support.’”

After several months of trying to find a solution to their exercise apparel problem, the idea of combining a legging and a supportive pant hit them while they were exercising together.

“It was an opportunity to quit our walk, and we went back to our house and by that afternoon we had contacted a patent attorney,” said Bickley. “Very quickly, we learned that there was no such animal.”

That telephone call, along with a series of conversations with friends of friends in the textile industry, started a year-and-a-half process that will end this month when they introduce their first run of “Hold Your Haunches” pants. The run, which will be produced by local clothing manufacturer Virginia Hall Inc., will consist of 2,500 black leggings.

While many products are on the market to provide compression “girdlelike” support, or “hide a panty line, a bulge, or a lump,” said Greer. “The uniqueness of our product is that the support is sewn into the pant.”

Since the original idea, the pair has worked with textile consultants from Denver, Colo., a patent and trademark attorney, and Virginia Hall. They have produced 100 samples and sent some of the “haunches” to nutrition and fashion experts, celebrities and shopping networks. While many recipients never responded to their inquiries, “Bra Book” author and stylist Jené Luciani tweeted after she wore her sample at pilates, “It was so nice to exercise without the post-baby jiggle.”

While they really enjoy the national exposure, most of the positive activity and comments have been received from local mothers and housewives who have received samples.

“We have had a lot of people like us very interested in them,” Bickley said. “We have given many to our friends, and the response has been wonderful.”

For the time being, Bickley and Greer have been using their “silly” club meetings to perfect their marketing message. “We use Facebook a lot; we tweet, and we have gotten very good at rhyming,” said 39-year-old Greer. “From bumps in your rumps to thighs, lies and fries, we have most of the words covered.”

Their creativity thrives when they spend time at their primary jobs of mothers and housewives. Both women, who married college roommates, Shep Bickley and Hal Greer, have three children each.

“When things get busy, we always think of a reason to go eat Mexican food,” Bickley said laughing. “Our best ideas have come at Mexican restaurants.”

The low-dollar, no-nonsense approach to entrepreneurship is much more common these days, according to Tom Moses, the Greenville, S.C., attorney who represents “Hold Your Haunches.”

“They are unmistakably Southern moms and wives who take care of their families and who are very physically active,” said Moses, who filed the patent application for the company. “They saw a need for pants that reflect their lifestyles – something that looks great and could be worn in social settings, but could also be worn for a tough, sweaty workout.”

While Bickley and Greer are quick to chuckle about their marketing, they are very serious about protecting their interests and their business. They have worked with Moses to apply for a patent for the pants and a trademark for the company name and marketing tag line. Also, they shared a sample with a local plastic surgeon, who had one of his post-surgery patients wear the “haunches.”

“When we found out they were effective for the patients, we amended our patent application to include the medical uses,” Bickley said.

The pants are a combination of premium “basic black” outer material and Supplex lining that provides the compression-like support. While the initial order is only black, the pair is looking at navy and brown fabrics for future manufacturing runs.

“We hope we have the problem of having to order another run right away,” said Bickley. Initially, the “haunches” will be sold exclusively on line at holdyourhaunches.com for around $100 per pair. “The price is competitive with high-end yoga pants and leggings,” Bickley said.

For the enthusiastic friends, the “Hold Your Haunches” future is full of possibilities both exciting and concerning. The initial order will enable them to recoup a big part of their initial investment, Greer said. But significant success brings a challenging number of decisions for the two mothers and housewives.

Still, the 50-50 ownership entrepreneurs would prefer to focus on the excitement of the product debut, including the launch party that will be sure to include Mexican food and margaritas, according to Bickley. But launch party or not, the women are quick to refocus on the purpose of the pants.

“We really want to look like we are exercising,” Greer said smiling, “even though we don’t like to exercise.”