Your thoughts - Is custom outerwear the future?

NWT3K

NWT3K

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Skiing Business just recently posted an article - Is Custom Outerwear The Future?

What is your opinion on custom outerwear?

What type of outerwear would you want custom? (jacket, pants, base layers, gloves, etc.)

Would you be willing to pay more for custom gear?

Any other thoughts would be interesting to hear as well

 
it may have an appeal in the niche die hard skier snowboarder section of the industry. that being said I don't see it going much beyond that, so growth will most certainly be limited by that aspect.

my advice to n3wt3k or any other custom apparel line would be to also develop an in shop line that could be sold to your average skier/snowboarder.

I don't mean to be a debbie downer to n3wt3k or the other companies producing custom outerwear, personally i love the thought behind it, however, we all know soft goods companies don't get to the level of north face or patagonia without mass appeal. We all know that the ski industry doesn't make money off of die hards, we find ways to beat paying $100 for lift tickets, we also get access to pro forms for cheap gear. So I definitely feel without a regular production line, sales will definitely be limited, and it makes me question if said companies will last long enough to actually start a trend for custom outerwear.

just my .02
 
This is awesome insight. All your points are valid.

How do you feel about seeing someone with the same piece of outerwear as you?
 
As someone who has experience making custom clothing for skiing, it is definitely hard to keep up with custom orders and isn't the most profitable approach. I think what first drop has going, with different suit parts and you can interchange them all if probably the future of outerwear. It is a good balance of custom vs. profit and time consumption. Either way custom outerwear is probably always going to be in skiing because everyone cares so much about how they look on the hill and don't want to see 15 other skiers with the same look.
 
As someone who has experience making custom clothing for skiing, it is definitely hard to keep up with custom orders and isn't the most profitable approach. I think what first drop has going, with different suit parts and you can interchange them all if probably the future of outerwear. It is a good balance of custom vs. profit and time consumption. Either way custom outerwear is probably always going to be in skiing because everyone cares so much about how they look on the hill and don't want to see 15 other skiers with the same look.
 
honestly when i see someone wearing the same thing as me i dont mind. I kind of like it if they are good.
 
I like the idea of custom outerwear but like others have said, it is good to focus on a core line of products that you can really nail. Aside from that another benefit of a standardized line is that your products will be more easily recognizable on the hill.
 
I actually think it's pretty awesome. It's how you know your shit looks sick. That said I think there's a market for custom outerwear. It doesn't just have to be cosmetic either. Imagine if you could choose the quality of the materials or extra features, a bit like how you build a computer.
 
It definitely expands the consumer rate.. A good chunk of the outerwear companies out there don't have a wide range of color options which may turn some buyers away. I know when I have purchased jackets in the past, I always find something that fits perfectly, has pockets in convenient places, a high waterproof rating, and everything is perfect except one thing: THE COLOR. I mean why would a company put all of that effort into making a jacket or pant and only makes it available with one or two color combinations?? I won't call anyone out but I can think of a few companies off the top of my head that do this.

Also BE UNIQUE. Set yourself apart from what everyone else is doing and think about it from the buyers perspective. Why should I buy your product over another brand and what sets it apart from the mainstream?
 
This is very interesting. So if you could choose the colors of your outerwear, would this impact your buying decision over not being able to choose the colors?

For example - 20k pair of pants in 3 colors, 15k pants in custom colors that you get to choose from. Which would you pick? (lets assume construction quality is the same)
 
Depends what kind of outerwear I am looking for.If I want solid colore jacket, I might just take the 20k if there was the color that I was looking for.

But if not I would take the 15k pant and choose the colors and that would be sick !
 
I'll go with the 20k, if you have a black or grey pants. It would be a plus if they have bibs/or removal bibs. Full zipper on the leg would be primed too.

For the 15k, 2 ply or 3 ply? If it's 3 ply It would be awesome.
 
If the 20k wasn't available in a color I would be looking for, then absolutely the 15k in my choice of color.

If I'm going to be spending top dollar on a pair of pants, I want to buy something that is not only going to have quality, but most importantly something I am gonna like. Not just, "Here's a pair of 20k pants.. not a big fan of the color options but it will have to do."
 
look at it like cycling clothing.

Louis Garneau, Sugoi, Hincapie, etc... all have their in store line that everyone can buy at a fairly reasonable price. If someone wants something completely different they are able to order it in a custom colourway
 
I would take the 20k pants over the 15k pants. Almost any day, especially if it resonable and either grey or black. Grey and black go with just about any jacket
 
it doesn't really bother me all that much. as much as i like being an individual and rocking my own style, seeing someone in the same jacket doesn't really bother me... now if i saw someone rocking an exact carbon copy of my entire set up (jacket, pants, helmet, boots, mittens, goggles, helmet, skis) i might be a little freaked out.
 
I'll be that guy. I don't like it.

I strive for 'individuality' in my actual skiing first and foremost, but my outerwear is inherently bound up within it. Finding and wearing gear that I think others won't is part of moulding my style, it's part of the creative process that is skiing, it's part of what I enjoy.
 
i think trending pieces like the Bdog setup, Oakley T-hall set up i think people like it because the pros wear it, and they think the props are sick
 
Custom outerwear fits into the same category as custom skis--there's a market for it, but it's always going to be small.
It's a damn shame more people aren't invested in companies that do their production here at home. Moment and ON3P are good examples of ski brands that have leveraged the "Made in the US" philosophy; Phar North is doing cut and sew clothing done entirely in the US.
I really like what NWT3K is doing with the US manufacturing, but I haven't used or seen the product. The challenge of US manufacturing is to pay people real, honest wages and still build solid, excellent product. Hopefully they can make that work.
 
Basically put out some good options as standard BUT also offer a custom service for those who want it and are willing to pay more.

is your custom suit builder done yet?!

 


We have worked hard to ensure that jacket process remain USA-made as we

grow, and we have mindfully opted for reduced margins rather than an

increased cost for customers. For us, it is all about the customers.

We have been incredibly lucky to connect with a talented local

production facility that embodies the levels of quality and excellence

we desire. Our goal of keeping NWT3K USA-Made will continue to be

embodied in our products as we progressively move forward.

 
The article is fucking stupid(unless I'm misundestanding, does it mean custom designed colours etc, or just all unique), of course it's not the future, very few people will want to design their own clothes, just because other can do it much better.
 
I think the article is referring to any type of customization, from custom fit to custom colors.

If you could design the colors of your ski/snowboard clothing, would that be interesting to you?
 
Dont know if this was posted but how sick it would it be to get like tailored outerwear that fit you just right?
 
A similar thing to what all those shoe companies do, like custom colours on select parts, would be good, I think they have the option to have writing on the shoes(in this case outerwear) too.
 
For me it's all about basic looks and colors with really high quality features while still paying attention to the small details. Some things that are crucial in a jacket for example is obviously the material, the fit, pocket placement, ventilation, heavy duty velcro, waterproof zippers things like that. I would definitely pay a little extra for something I know is going to last a lot longer.
 
If it does not become an overpriced industry I think it has a chance. I would not personally drop money on custom outerwear because I see no reason for it.
 
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