Horizontal corduroy pants, dress pant sweatpants, sweat suit blazers… huh?! Betabrand’s clothing is just plain zany, but the online retailer and manufacturer made a success out of whimsical designs. The San Francisco company’s website also invites the public to crowdfund pending prototypes and to submit original concepts. Or, vote for the idea that makes you chuckle the most, such as the zip sweater that “prevents stretched collar syndrome.”
Founder Chris Lindland recently gave a talk at a Portland tech conference, where he shared how even though he doesn’t have a background in apparel design, he saw an opportunity to blend Kickstarter’s crowdfunding method with manufacturing. At large apparel companies such as Nike, many prototypes end up on the cutting floor and never see the light of day. Betabrand hopes to make those crazy designs come true through the appeal of ironic humor. Clothes are also produced in small production runs, so items are generally limited edition.
Some of these items are hilariously ridiculous. Is there such a thing as karate casual clothing? In the world of Betabrand, yes. These blue fleece drawstring pants have a soft-o-meter from “a baby’s bottom” to “the womb of a marshmallow mermaid.” We’re not sure how that exactly feels, but it must be pretty darn nice, because for $85, they could be yours.
For ladies, we love these Two Faced Britches, for days when you’re feeling split.
