[Closed] How to not start a cyclewear clothing brand...

owenl92 · 2018-06-14T14:16:21Z

A few weeks ago I launched a clothing brand centred around photography taken from the riders perspective. It’s taken a while to get to this point, and it certainly hasn’t been as straightforward as I would have liked (who’d have thought?!), but this wasn’t my first attempt at trying to contribute to the cycling community. In fact, my first attempt was a bit more ambitious than printed t-shirts and hoodies. About a year ago I got the idea to develop a water-resistant riding shirt after realising that I almost always ride in some kind of check-shirt, unless it was raining. So I started sourcing the kind of materials, finishes, and details that were needed, as well as researching manufacturers that could produce to the necessary quality. After a lot of time, and many samples, I had a product that I was happy with, as well as a side of t-shirts that I could offer as well (because you’ve got to have t-shirts!). The next step was meeting with small shops to see if they’d be interested. Which they were! (It helped that I’d done some surveying to confirm that there was an interest in the product) But they also explained that they only bought from distributors, and not directly from the manufacturer. So that meant meeting with distributors, and that’s where things went downhill… they told me that they only stock “established brands”. So despite my surveying and retailer confidence, they just weren’t interested. I got a little despondent. But I still had the brand and the t-shirts, which I was still largely confident in, so I decided to carry on with just those. A few changes were needed to make them more interesting, which is where the photography came in. But after a few extra months of work, I’m happy with the result. I’d really appreciate it if you could check out the site (www.frinje.co) and please give any feedback you can think of. It’s still early days, so I’d love to be able to have the community help shape the brand as it develops, and hopefully in time it’ll offer more than just printed t-shirts and hoodies. But mostly, I just want to know if they look good. Thanks for reading.

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AlexSimon

Posts: 10341

Free Member

I've got the Sombrio one.

And also the older Scott Roarban ones.

The Sombrio isn't particularly tech. Not very breathable or windproof, but it is comfy and I like it for uplifts.
At least is doesn't have the 'cotton kills' aspect.

The older Scott Roarban ones are superb. Not a very nice feeling fabric (feels very synthetic and snaggs easily), but they are lightweight, windproof and a bit breathable. The short sleeve ones get used instead of a gillet on many rides.

And (obviously) they all show that I've been to Whistler bro.

Posted : 15/06/2018 1:41 pm

zilog6128

Posts: 12888

Free Member

On a positive note, a quick Google found a wholesaler/printer who can do the same t-shirts as the OP, with a full colour digital print of your choosing, for under £20 - so if you want an ethical T with a print you actually like it should be fairly cheap/painless! They also do polyester wicking t-shirts for sports - not really clued up on the eco-credentials of polyester, but this particular brand has the same WRAP certification OP mentions on his site.

Posted : 15/06/2018 1:42 pm

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