This journey began with a trip to a local thrift store.
My wife loves to shop at thrift stores. Clothing has been her passion much longer than me, but a few years ago, I joined her to see what all the fuss was about.
On my first visit, I found a Made-in-USA London Fog black trench coat for around $12. I was hooked.
On subsequent visits, I collected J. Crew shirts from the 2000s, Banana Republic jackets from the late 1990s, dress shirts from the 1980s, and even a J. Press tweed topcoat from the 1970’s.
My purchases of new clothing steadily dropped until most of the new clothing I now buy is secondhand. And believe me, I’ve tried to buy new. But time and time again, I hold up these freshly unboxed shirts and pants and feel disappointed when I compare them to their thrifted counterparts.
You’re not imagining it.
Clothing today just isn’t made to the same standard that it used to be, and at the same price. Even when adjusted for inflation.
Take this denim shirt from Banana Republic from the 1980s. You can compare the advert on the left to the actual product on the right:
Though this shirt has seen seven US presidents, it’s held up better than most new shirts I’ve purchased in the past decade. It’s triple-stitched for extra durability, has custom metal buttons that barely show signs of rust, and is reinforced with rivets. Rivets! In a shirt!
Shirts like these were made with integrity. What happened in the last 40 years?
At the behest of private equity, clothing manufacturers have relaxed standards, introduced synthetics, and cut costs, all in the name of generating a profit. And quality continues to drop.
We’re on a mission to bring high-quality, affordable clothing back
Our mission is simple: Create clothing designed to last a lifetime – or longer.
We’re tired of the status quo that private equity and fast fashion have brought, and we believe that something can be done about it.
It starts with creating shirts up to the quality standards of old. Durable, thoughtfully made, and in timeless styles, so they look good for the many decades of wear you’ll get out of them. If you believe in this mission, then fill out the form below to join our mailing list for updates ahead of our launch.
We’re keeping our list updated every step of the way as we work to craft the perfect shirt.