COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The coronavirus has changed so much about our daily lives — how we work, how we recreate, and, in many cases, how we dress.
You’re in good company with Rugged Black, a Colorado-born clothing line for men.
2021 could be the year men throw out the suits, or the denim. Working from home has increased the popularity of athleisure wear and Rugged Black is looking to upgrade that look, while keeping the buyer comfortable.
“It’s stretchy, it's comfortable,” said Rugged Black founder Matt Addison. “It feels good on your skin.”
Addison and his wife started Rugged Black about a year ago.
“We modeled this after the female brands that have dominated the athleisure market,” Addison said. “And (we said), ‘How do we adapt this to men?’”
When the pandemic hit, the Addisons’ basement became their design studio, warehouse, and shipping center. And, all their sales are online.
“When everything turned to online, now you're tangling with the big boys,” said Addison. “And, so you're fighting for space, fighting for attention. Facebook ads are expensive.”
For now, their marketing is word of mouth. And, Addison said half of Rugged Black’s initial buyers were women, possibly looking to upgrade their man's old sweatpants.
“So, right now, our flagship product is the everyday flex joggers,” Addison said. “They’re designed to be your workout pants, your work-from-home pants, just running errands.”
Their clothing line includes hoodies and henleys, too, all made from a nylon-spandex blended fabric similar to other premium brands.
“I think the feedback that we've gotten has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Addison. “We didn't anticipate that people were just going to be snatching it out of our hands.”
It has given men a sense of style, so fitting for our new world.
They also donate 10% of their profits to entrepreneurship programs for underprivileged youth.
If you’d like to learn more about Rugged Black, download Denver7 to your Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, or Android device and look for the “In Good Company” section.